Padma Shri awardee, Indian environmentalist Tulasi Gowda, passes away

KARWAR: Padma Shri awardee Tulasi Gowda, an environmentalist from Honnali village who dedicated her life to nurturing nature and fondly known as ‘Encyclopedia of the Forest’,  passed away at her residence today. She was 86 years old and had been suffering from age-related ailments.

Tulasi Gowda was known for her remarkable work in planting and nurturing over 30,000 saplings every year. She had planted and taken care of lakhs of trees throughout her life.

ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಗಿಡಗಳನ್ನು ನೆಟ್ಟು, ನೀರೆರೆದ ಅಂಕೋಲಾ ತಾಲ್ಲೂಕು ಹೊನ್ನಳ್ಳಿಯ ಪರಿಸರಪ್ರೇಮಿ ತುಳಸಿಗೌಡ ಅವರ ನಿಧನದಿಂದ ದುಃಖಿತನಾಗಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಜೀವನ ನಿರ್ವಹಣೆಗಾಗಿ ಅರಣ್ಯ ಇಲಾಖೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ದಿನಗೂಲಿ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿದ್ದ ತುಳಸಿಗೌಡ ಅವರು ನಿವೃತ್ತಿಯ ನಂತರವೂ ತಮ್ಮ ಪರಿಸರ ಕಾಳಜಿಯಿಂದ ವಿಮುಖರಾಗದೆ ಗಿಡನೆಡುವುದನ್ನು ಮುಂದುವರೆಸಿ, ಪದ್ಮಶ್ರೀಯಂತಹ… pic.twitter.com/bmuHrbnjmc

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) December 16, 2024

Tulasi Gowda hailed from the Halakki tribal community. After losing her husband at a young age, Tulasi Gowda joined the Forest Department as a daily wager to support her two children, Subraya and Somi. She is survived by four grandchildren.

While working in the Forest Department, she took care of the plants and trees without expecting any salary. She also collected seeds from the forest and created saplings, which she then planted in the forest, silently contributing to the green revolution.

Her remarkable contributions were recognized by the Government of India and various organizations. In 2021, she was honoured with the Padma Shri, the nation’s fourth-highest civilian award.

ವೃಕ್ಷ ಮಾತೆ ಖ್ಯಾತಿಯ ಪರಿಸರಪ್ರೇಮಿ ಪದ್ಮಶ್ರೀ ತುಳುಸಿಗೌಡ ಅವರು ಇಂದು ನಿಧನರಾಗಿರುವುದು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ದುಃಖದ ವಿಷಯ.

ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಗಿಡಗಳನ್ನು ನೆಟ್ಟು, ಪೋಷಿಸಿ, ನೀರೆರೆದು ಹಸಿರು ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಯನ್ನು ಹುಟ್ಟುಹಾಕಿದ್ದು, ನಿಸ್ವಾರ್ಥ ಪ್ರೇಮದಿಂದ ನಮ್ಮ ಪರಿಸರವನ್ನು ಹಾರೈಸಿದ್ದರು. 6 ದಶಕಗಳ ಪರಿಸರ ಸೇವೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ ಇವರು ಇಡೀ ಸಮಾಜಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾದರಿ.… pic.twitter.com/qbh48bJGpc

— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) December 16, 2024

She is known as the ‘Encyclopedia of the Forest’ for her unparalleled ability to identify the mother tree of any species; she remains an inspiration to the farming community and environmentalists alike.