Is caring for the environment part of dharma?

yes — the Earth is “Mother”, rivers are goddesses and trees are sacred; protecting them is worship.

The Atharvaveda's hymn to the Earth says, “The Earth is my mother, and I am her child” (12.1). Hindus greet the ground before stepping on it in the morning, worship rivers like Gaṅgā and Narmadā as goddesses, and honour the pīpal, banyan, tulasī and bilva. The Īśa Upaniṣad teaches that everything is pervaded by the Divine — nothing is merely a resource.

Tradition praises tree-planting richly: a well-known Purāṇic saying holds that one tree is worth ten sons. In 1730 the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan, led by Amṛtā Devī, gave their lives to protect khejṛī trees — a story still told with reverence.

Modern dharma can carry this forward: reduce waste, avoid polluting rivers with plastic or chemical colours during festivals, choose clay mūrtis for immersion, save water, plant trees on birthdays and in memory of ancestors. Caring for creation is caring for the Creator's home.

Source: Atharvaveda 12.1 (Bhūmi Sūkta); Īśa Upaniṣad 1 · Bishnoi sacrifice, Khejarli, 1730

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