Uttara Kannada: ‘Vriksha Mata’ Tulsi Gowda, renowned for her environmental contributions, has passed away at the age of 86.

Tulsi, who was suffering from age-related ailments, breathed her last yesterday at her residence in Honnalli, Ankola taluk of Uttara Kannada district.

She is survived by her children Subraya and Soni. Last rites will be held today following the traditional customs of the Halakki community in Honnalli.

Known for her humble demeanour, she walked barefoot and dressed in tribal attire to receive the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2021. Her dedication to afforestation and conservation earned her the title of “Vriksha Mata” (Mother of Trees).

Tulsi is credited for planting more than 30,000 trees and cared for nearly 1,00,000 trees in Karnataka on her own. She was known as the ‘Encyclopaedia of Forests’ and by her tribe as the ‘Tree Goddess’ because of her knowledge of the forest.

According to UNESCO, she is known for her self-taught ability to identify the mother tree of every species in the forest. Mother trees are significant because of their age and size with the most connected nodes in the forest. These underground nodes are used to connect mother trees with saplings and seedlings as the mother tree exchanges life-giving nutrients. She is an expert in seed collection and extraction of seeds from mother trees to regenerate and regrow entire plant species.

Born in 1944 into Halakki tribal family in Karnataka, Tulsi did not receive formal education. She lost her father at the age of 2 and worked alongside her mother as day labourer for 35 years until she was offered a permanent position at Forestry Department in recognition of her work towards conservation and knowledge of botany.

Her contributions have strengthened one community reserve, 5 tiger reserves, 15 conservation reserves, 30 wildlife sanctuaries and these afforestation efforts helped the Forest Department in using traditional knowledge sustainably.