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In Loving Memory
Curtis Arathoon
Founder
Curtis Arathoon was the Founder of Backyard Botanist and Co-Founder and Trustee of Green for Life Foundation, an environmental organisation in Kolkata. An alumnus of Don Bosco Technical School, Liluah, he earned a diploma in Fabrication and Welding. He went on to found Curtis Arathoon & Company, his real estate firm, bringing a builder’s practical eye and integrity to everything he did.
His greatest legacy was green. He led the creation of a 12,500-tree urban forest in New Town, planted with native and evergreen species to bring back birds and green cover lost to the city’s growth. He believed forests are built by communities. That belief shaped programmes like “Greening Young Minds” for schoolchildren, “Heal the Earth” for companies and residents, and a memorial grove where families plant trees in memory of loved ones. He often called trees the world’s biggest carbon banks.
Above all, Curtis was a true Christian. His faith showed in his humility, his generosity and his conviction that protecting the earth is a way of honouring its Creator. He passed away suddenly on 10th November 2024 following a myocardial infarction at his residence. His passing was a profound loss to his family, friends and everyone who worked alongside him. The trees he planted continue to grow, and Backyard Botanist carries his vision forward, one ecosystem at a time.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
