Meet The Padma Shri Tribal Environmentalist Known As ‘Encyclopedia Of Forest’

A 72-year-old tribal woman from Karnataka named Tulsi Gowda was conferred the Padma Shri award for her contribution to protecting the environment. 

Barefoot and dressed in traditional attire, Tulsi Gowda received the Padma Shri from President Ram Nath Kovind. She is estimated to have planted in the range of one lakh trees in Karnataka on her own.

But did you know that she is known as the ‘Encyclopedia of Forest’ and ‘Tree Goddess’ for she not only has vast knowledge about the flora but helps grow and protect them? How the Padma Shri awardee attained this title is a story that will inspire you to think about the environment.

Also, read: Meet The Forest Man Of India Who Single-Handedly Created 1360 Acre Of Forest In Majuli

Tulsi Gowda was born in 1944 into the Halakki tribal family within the Honnalli village in Karnataka. Her family was poor, and her father died when she was only 2, causing her to begin working alongside her mother as a day laborer at a local nursery at the age of 12. It was around the same age when she was married off to an older man named Govinde Gowda.

But she continued to work amongst the plants. Gowda was responsible for caring for the seeds to be grown and harvested at the Karnataka Forestry Department. She never received a formal education but developed a pretty good knowledge of diverse plants and herbs.

Tulsi Gowda’s dedication and talent impressed the department, and so after serving for 35 years on a daily wage, she was offered a permanent position. She then worked at the nursery for 15 more years before she finally retired at the age of 70. All these years, Tulsi contributed and worked directly to combat afforestation efforts by the forest department by using her traditional knowledge of the land that she gained through first-hand experience.

It is a mystery how Tulsi Gowda gathered her knowledge of the forest. When asked, she says that she cannot explain how but it is as if she can “speak the language of the forest.” Perhaps her instincts can be traced back to her tribe, the Halakki Vokkaliga, who have a deeply rooted heritage where the matriarchy is connected to nature and cares for the land.

Today, at the age of 72, Tulasi Gowda continues to nurture plants and share her vast knowledge with the younger generation to promote the importance of environmental conservation and how to find and care for seeds.

Gowda has also championed women’s rights within her village. When a Halakki woman was threatened with a gun after an altercation, Tulsi came to her aid, stating that she would “protest fiercely if the perpetrator of the crime isn’t punished.”