Tulsi Gouda: Conserving the wisdom of the forest in every little seed
About 80 years old
Honnali village, Ankola Block, Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka
Introducing Padma Shri Tulsi Gouda as an environmentalist is akin to calling a mango ‘some fruit’. While the description is accurate, it does not come close to capturing the true essence of the “Walking Encyclopedia of the Forest.” Gouda has dedicated her life to reviving and conserving her ancestral forest land in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. Born into the Indigenous Halakki tribe in a small village deep in the heart of the Ankola taluk, she grew up in the jungles amid lush greenery and has vivid memories of the trees that looked mighty when she was little. As the years wore on, deforestation and unregulated land use took their toll on the region, threatening its biodiversity and the very essence of her childhood memories. But Gouda stood resolute, as she has been since she was old enough to stand.
“ Grow the forests,with its trees and plants. Without them, there is no air and no shaade. nothing will exist. We absolutely need forests."
She began working as a day labourer alongside her mother at a local nursery in the Honnali village. Never having learned to read or write, her education took place among the plants and seedlings in the nursery. She worked for 35 years with the Karnataka Forestry Department as a day labourer before she was offered a permanent position. By that time, she had developed a deep-rooted connection to the land and felt a responsibility to protect it, nurture it, and continue learning from it.
Gouda has spent decades raising awareness about the importance of conserving forests. She founded the Barka Collective, which focuses on protecting the forests in the Western Ghats by planting native species and preserving their habitats. She believes that by restoring the forests, communities can also restore the balance of the ecosystem and protect the biodiversity of the region. She is the mother to hundreds of thousands of trees, medicinal shrubs and native plants in her realm.
She also initiated a campaign to revive the local traditional practice of Beeja Prapti - a seed exchange system that dates back centuries. This practice involved the exchange of seeds between farmers to diversify crops and ensure food security. Gouda’s efforts helped preserve traditional farming methods, which are inherently sustainable, as well as fostered a sense of community and unity among local farmers. The success of the Beeja Prapti campaign led to the formation of the ‘Beejotsava’ festival - an annual celebration of traditional farming practices and indigenous biodiversity across Karnataka.
For her unwavering labour of love, Gouda has received numerous awards and accolades, including the United Nations Champions of the Earth award (2021), the Karnataka Rajyotsava award (1999), and, of course, the Padma Shri (2020). But for her, the highest honour is the one that the forests have granted her: they speak to her in ways even she cannot explain. The “Tree Goddess,” as she is also known, can identify the ‘mother tree’ of every species in the forest - a superpower that has served well to conserve seeds and propagate native species for the future.
The octogenarian shows no signs of slowing down. She continues to work tirelessly to protect her beloved forests and the communities that depend on them. Recognising the vital necessity of passing down traditional ecological wisdom to younger generations, Gouda actively interacts with school children in her taluk, guiding them to reconnect with nature. She encourages them to appreciate and value the significance of forest preservation and imparts the skills and knowledge needed to plant seeds and nurture saplings of native species for a greener and healthier future. She is a shining example of how every modest step has the potential to bring about a significant impact and a reminder that the power to protect our planet lies within each of us.
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