Mumbai, June 5 : To celebrate World Environment Day on Thursday, actor-filmmaker Randeep Hooda and his wife Lin Laishram planted over 500 trees near Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

Randeep said that World Environment Day is not just a 'symbolic date on the calendar.'

He added: 'It's a reminder that we are running out of time to repair the damage we've done to nature. Forests are the lungs of our planet, and without them, the rich biodiversity we so often take for granted will not survive.'

'My connection to wildlife has always been spiritual, and every visit to Kanha only reinforces the urgency of our responsibility toward nature," he added.

The Kanha National Park is known for its rich biodiversity, the park is home to majestic Bengal tigers, Indian leopards, sloth bears, swamp deer, blackbucks, and dhole. It is also the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot, Bhoorsingh the Barasingha

The actor added that planting a tree may seem like a small act, but it is deeply powerful.

He added: 'A tree gives shelter, food, oxygen, and balance ' just like nature gives us everything without asking in return. My wife Lin and I feel truly humbled to contribute, even in a small way, to this incredible ecosystem that needs our protection now more than ever. Forests and wildlife are not separate ' they are interdependent, and both must thrive together.'

Randeep urged everyone to not just celebrate this day, but to embody its message every day in whatever capacity they can.

'Nature doesn't need us ' we need nature.'

Randeep's latest work includes the Sunny Deol-starrer high octane actioner Jaat, which has been directed by Gopichand Malineni. The film also stars Saiyami Kher, Regina Cassandra, Jagapathi Babu, Ramya Krishnan, Vineet Kumar Singh, Prashant Bajaj, Zarina Wahab, P. Ravi Shankar and Babloo Prithiveeraj.

/IANS