<p>For everyone who asked her why she grew so many trees, Tulasi Gowda considered the 'encyclopedia' of native forests around her, in Uttara Kannada district, as a straightforward answer. “Your kids will grow up to look after just you. But if you ensure a seed grows into a tree, it will take care of the next seven generations. There is no greater happiness than seeing a tiny sapling grow into a huge tree, supporting the lives of hundreds of birds, animals and humans,” she would say.</p><p>Following 60 years of 'service to mother nature', Tulasi Gowda passed away on December 16 at the age of 86 due to age-related ailments and a respiratory condition. In her lifetime, she ensured that lakhs of saplings were nurtured at the nursery run by the forest department at the Mastikatta in Ankola taluk. Today, these plants and trees are the green legacy she has left to the Uttara Kannada district.</p><p>It was financial difficulty, caused by losing her father at a young age, that pushed Tulasi Gowda to work as a daily wage worker at one of the nurseries of the department. Forty-five years ago, she received a payment of Rs 2.5 per day. This salary was important in sustaining her family and making ends meet. However, more than the money, it was the joy of selecting seeds and nurturing them with adequate water and fertilisers, which gave her most satisfaction.</p>.<p>“Tulasi Gowda was no ordinary nursery worker. She had vast local knowledge to identify which seed has life, and what type of genetic endowment can ensure that the plant would survive and procreate,” says retired forest officer Yellappa Reddy. He was one of the people who identified Tulasi's talent and encouraged her. Reddy recommended Tulasi for the Indira Priyadarshini Vriksha Mitra Award for her contribution to conserving and enhancing forest cover in the district.</p><p><strong>A restoration</strong></p><p>During World War II, the British government had cleared large tracts of forest cover in the Uttara Kannada district, for timber for ship-building and laying of railway tracks. “We lost several vital tree species. It was Tulasi who was instrumental in collecting the seeds of many species and growing them in the nursery, so that the diversity of our forest is restored,” says Reddy.</p><p>He adds that her keen observation of nature, traditional knowledge, commitment and compassion made her a household name, not just in Karnataka but across the world over.</p><p>Shivananda Kalave, an environmental writer, cites an example of Tulasi's impact: “Figs have a complicated germination process. However, Tulasi found a way to produce hundreds of saplings that could be cultivated across the region. She used to create an elevated bed of fertile soil above the ground, mix it with rich manure and water before sowing the seeds collected from a mother tree,” he says.</p>.<p>Her indigenous methods are still being practised by the forest department to cultivate critically endangered and native plants of the region.</p><p>Tulasi prioritised looking after saplings, he adds. “She knew that if the seeds were taken care of, the trees would grow on their own. She knew precisely how much water or fertiliser should be provided to each plant so that its dependency on humans in the wild is lower,” says Kalave.</p><p>Tulasi’s efforts in conservation earned her a Padma Shri award in 2020.</p><p>Coming from the Halakki tribal community, she had the knowledge to identify the mother tree of hundreds of species. Mother trees are important, as they have higher chances of procreation in the forest.</p><p>Tulasi has planted over 300 species of medicinal plants that have since been used to treat ailments within her village and others in the district.</p><p>Over the years, Tulasi emerged as an “ambassador and role model” for nursery workers, says Kalave. She highlighted the rich natural knowledge in tribal communities. There is a need to find many more Tulasi Gowdas in the state, he adds.</p>
<p>For everyone who asked her why she grew so many trees, Tulasi Gowda considered the 'encyclopedia' of native forests around her, in Uttara Kannada district, as a straightforward answer. “Your kids will grow up to look after just you. But if you ensure a seed grows into a tree, it will take care of the next seven generations. There is no greater happiness than seeing a tiny sapling grow into a huge tree, supporting the lives of hundreds of birds, animals and humans,” she would say.</p><p>Following 60 years of 'service to mother nature', Tulasi Gowda passed away on December 16 at the age of 86 due to age-related ailments and a respiratory condition. In her lifetime, she ensured that lakhs of saplings were nurtured at the nursery run by the forest department at the Mastikatta in Ankola taluk. Today, these plants and trees are the green legacy she has left to the Uttara Kannada district.</p><p>It was financial difficulty, caused by losing her father at a young age, that pushed Tulasi Gowda to work as a daily wage worker at one of the nurseries of the department. Forty-five years ago, she received a payment of Rs 2.5 per day. This salary was important in sustaining her family and making ends meet. However, more than the money, it was the joy of selecting seeds and nurturing them with adequate water and fertilisers, which gave her most satisfaction.</p>.<p>“Tulasi Gowda was no ordinary nursery worker. She had vast local knowledge to identify which seed has life, and what type of genetic endowment can ensure that the plant would survive and procreate,” says retired forest officer Yellappa Reddy. He was one of the people who identified Tulasi's talent and encouraged her. Reddy recommended Tulasi for the Indira Priyadarshini Vriksha Mitra Award for her contribution to conserving and enhancing forest cover in the district.</p><p><strong>A restoration</strong></p><p>During World War II, the British government had cleared large tracts of forest cover in the Uttara Kannada district, for timber for ship-building and laying of railway tracks. “We lost several vital tree species. It was Tulasi who was instrumental in collecting the seeds of many species and growing them in the nursery, so that the diversity of our forest is restored,” says Reddy.</p><p>He adds that her keen observation of nature, traditional knowledge, commitment and compassion made her a household name, not just in Karnataka but across the world over.</p><p>Shivananda Kalave, an environmental writer, cites an example of Tulasi's impact: “Figs have a complicated germination process. However, Tulasi found a way to produce hundreds of saplings that could be cultivated across the region. She used to create an elevated bed of fertile soil above the ground, mix it with rich manure and water before sowing the seeds collected from a mother tree,” he says.</p>.<p>Her indigenous methods are still being practised by the forest department to cultivate critically endangered and native plants of the region.</p><p>Tulasi prioritised looking after saplings, he adds. “She knew that if the seeds were taken care of, the trees would grow on their own. She knew precisely how much water or fertiliser should be provided to each plant so that its dependency on humans in the wild is lower,” says Kalave.</p><p>Tulasi’s efforts in conservation earned her a Padma Shri award in 2020.</p><p>Coming from the Halakki tribal community, she had the knowledge to identify the mother tree of hundreds of species. Mother trees are important, as they have higher chances of procreation in the forest.</p><p>Tulasi has planted over 300 species of medicinal plants that have since been used to treat ailments within her village and others in the district.</p><p>Over the years, Tulasi emerged as an “ambassador and role model” for nursery workers, says Kalave. She highlighted the rich natural knowledge in tribal communities. There is a need to find many more Tulasi Gowdas in the state, he adds.</p>
