Padma Shri awardee environmentalist Tulasi Gowda dies at 86 in Ankola village

Karwar, Dec 16 (IANS): Padma Shri awardee, Tulasi Gowda, known as the 'Vruksha Maate' (Mother of Trees), died on Monday at her residence in Karnataka's Honnalli village of Ankola taluk in Uttara Kannada district. She was 86.

Tulasi Gowda had been suffering from age-related ailments. Hailing from the Halakki tribal community, she was renowned for planting and nurturing lakhs of trees in her vicinity, effectively creating her own forest.

She dedicated her life to the environment and spent over 60 years raising awareness about environmental conservation.

A member of the Halakki tribal community, Gowda was renowned for her lifelong dedication to environmental conservation. Over the years, she planted and nurtured lakhs of trees, creating her own forest and earning widespread recognition for her tireless efforts. Known for planting more than 30,000 saplings every year, she leaves behind a legacy of hundreds of thousands of trees that she cultivated and cared for.

Born in Honnalli to Narayana and Neeli, she was named after the sacred Tulasi plant. Growing up amidst forests, she developed a deep bond with nature, especially with trees and plants, by the age of 12.

Her knowledge of the natural world was extensive, and she became known locally as the "encyclopedia of forests" due to her familiarity with over 300 varieties of indigenous plants, trees, and creepers. She holds the distinction of having planted and cared for hundreds of thousands of trees so far.

After losing her husband at a young age, Gowda joined the Forest Department as a daily wage worker to support her two children. Despite not being paid, she devoted herself to the cause of afforestation, planting and nurturing plants in service to the environment. She also collected seeds from wild plants growing along the forest fringes, grew saplings, and silently spearheaded a green revolution by planting them back in the forests.

Her remarkable contributions to environmental conservation were acknowledged with a doctorate from Dharwad Agricultural University and the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2021 by the Government of India.

Gowda’s work has inspired generations, and her dedication to nature remains unparalleled. She is survived by her two children and four grandchildren. Her final rites will be conducted on Tuesday, December 17, following the traditional customs of the Halakki community in Honnalli.

In recognition of her contributions, Dharwad Agricultural University honoured her with a doctorate. 

Tulasi Gowda possessed extensive knowledge of a vast range of plants, trees, and creepers that thrive in forests. She also knew how to cultivate a forest on plain land.