There is a need for more women environmentalists in India, especially from rural and tribal areas as they bring unique perspectives with indigenous knowledge. They can rally change via community engagement and inclusive decision-making.
Some of these aspects helped Tulasi Gowda build her sustainable environmental practice for over 14 years. The Halakki tribal born in 1944 in Karnataka did not receive any formal education due to her financial circumstances, due to which she had to work alongside her mother as a labourer.
In her celebrated work with the Karnataka Forestry Department, she was known to identify mother trees, which have strong underground nodes that connect with saplings and seedlings creating a healthy symbiotic existence. She also helped regenerate and regrow entire plant species, in turn giving new life to the land she worked on.
Her afforestation efforts have helped five tiger reserves, thirty wildlife sanctuaries and fifteen conservation reserves. Today, there is a dire need for focused reforestation and species regeneration efforts as India has lost over 1.5 million hectares of forest cover, as per a study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). This adversely affects wildlife habitats and the livelihoods of indigenous communities
Another unique study mapped farmland trees in India and tracked it for a decade. It showed how 8-11% of large trees have disappeared from 2011 to 2018.
Forests ensure social, ecological and economic benefits for people. A study showed how tropical forests hold 50% of the planet's biodiversity. But in India is the loss of 668,400 hectares of forest between 2015 and 2020 (H. Ritchie 2021) creates urgency.
Tulasi showcased an effective model of eco-restoration through forestry interventions, and I would like to pay an ode to the Padma Shri awardee who left us with at the age of 86 in Honnalli, Karnataka.
P.S. Tulasi’s story reminded me of Saalumarada Thimmakka’s efforts of planting over 300 banyan trees in Karnataka, and tending to them.
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