As #SaveAarey trends on social media sites, a group leading the movement is doing all it can to stop a Metro car shed from being built on Aarey land. Before the arrival of Yuva Sena head Aditya Thackeray, a group of more than 10 people discussed what they would say. When they finally met him at the picnic spot on Friday, they were articulate and sharp as they batted for the city's last remaining green lungs.

This team behind the 'Save Aarey' campaign is definitely a force to reckon with. Having more than 25 core members and around 5,000 online supporters, the team has environmentalists, naturalists, businessmen, students, activists and concerned citizens. Rishi Aggarwal works at a think tank and caring for environment is his full-time vocation. He began mobilising the community around 10 years ago at Aarey, and has claimed to save the Lokhandwala Lake, the mangroves surrounding that area, as well 300 trees around the Sion Ghatkopar Road. "This car shed was proposed in 2012, but the original plans do not have the current alignment. We got the widening of the Aarey Road stalled in 2014. We have been helped by various organisations like volunteers for better India to gather the public," he said.

Manish Gadia, who handles the Facebook page and the Google group, has been associated with saving Aarey since he was inspired by Vinay Athalye, who began the plantation in the area at Panchavati Gardens five years ago. The 33-year-old banker from Malad has been visiting Aarey for 10 years. "I am in charge of NGO support and talk to at least 2-3 NGOs on a weekly basis besides looking at the social media administration," said Gadia, who began reporting encroachments and fires in the Aarey precinct ever since he joined the group.

Many supporters have signed up for the 'Tweet Divas' held on Sunday, where people dedicated the day to spreading awareness about the issue. Cycling enthusiasts have signed up for Tour De Aarey on March 7, organised by Manish Sethi, a businessman. Sethi has been visiting Aarey thrice a week for over a decade. He also made a petition for saving Aarey on change.org, where it received around 12K signatures. An IIT-B graduate who has worked in MNCs for 15 years, Sethi believes his management background has helped him manage the community, strategies and mobilise more people. "The problem areas are poor solid waste management and encroachment, which we are trying to tackle," he said.

As group members brush off the ongoing tree plantation by some officials as photo-ops, others ridicule the tiny spaces left between the newly planted trees. Renee Vyas used to play with her son at Aarey 20 years ago. She later took up botany classes and has been holding tree walks in Aarey. "Our busy lives make us lose touch with nature. When you are aware of plants around you, you start loving them and start taking care of them. Many don't realise that when some of these trees are cut, they will be gone forever. Forest trees are not grown by anybody in the city anymore," said Vyas, who collects seeds and plants them near her residence and gives them to people provided they take care of it for three annual rains.