Son vows to carry forward Saalumarada Thimmakka’s legacy

Renowned environmentalist late Saalumarada Thimmakka’s son has vowed to carry forward her legacy. 

Umesh B N, Thimmakka’s adopted son, told DH: “She has achieved a great feat in her lifetime. She has asked me to carry forward her mission and always look after the environment, and that is what I’ll do.” 

Environmentalist and former Indian Forest Service officer, Yellapa Reddy recalled coming across the inspiring story of Thimmakka as the environment secretary in 1992-93. 

“Back then, Dr Balakrishna Gowda was one of the first to come across the trees she had nurtured and he was mighty impressed. He gave me an official report on her, and I had recommended her for the Indira Priyadarshini Award, which she won,” he recalled. 

Thimmakka’s story serves as a reminder that “a small gesture is good enough to make a global impact,” Reddy said. 

“You don’t need to be part of any big organisation or have a huge funding, all you need is good intent. With her good intent, Thimmakka ended up creating an ecosystem of ‘Vata Vrukshas’ (Ficus benghalensis). She helped several animals and birds by lovingly nurturing these trees,” he said. 

For many, this remains a stand-out feature of the environmentalist. “She was never focused on solely taking care of plants. But also on what species are most essential to aid wildlife and birds. That’s a great outlook to have about environmental conservation,” said Akshay Heblikar, director of Eco Watch. 

Reminiscing about Thimmakka’s vigour to protect nature, B K Singh, retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Karnataka, said: “Watering trees as far as 10 km from her house and protecting them is not an easy task. But she has made it possible. She would not hesitate to quarrel with people who damage trees... It requires passion and dedication in an individual, and she has exactly demonstrated it.”