ALAPPUZHA: When others talk about saving the forests to combat or, at the very least, mitigate the effects of climate change, G Devaki Amma of Kayamkulam chose to tread a different path.
Rather than save a forest, the 90-year-old from Kollakal, Puthiyavila in Kayamkulam’s Kandalloor panchayat decided to create one to save the Earth. And create she did.
It took her four decades and a fair bit of help, but the nonagenarian succeeded in transforming her 4.5 acres of land in Kollakal into a forest having over 3,000 plants and trees. Her efforts towards creating a woman-made forest earned her the Union government’s recognition, and she was named recipient of the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2018. Almost a year later, on March 8, 2019, then President Ram Nath Kovind presented her the award during a function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
“Agriculture has been my passion from a young age. My family owned acres of land, including paddy field, and I engaged in farming with my parents right from my childhood. Later, I started planting trees on the land near our house,” she said.
Among the 3,000 plants and trees in Devaki Amma’s ‘Kollakal Thapovanam’, are more than 1,000 common, rare, endangered and biologically important species of trees that sustain a variety of organisms.
Musk trees, star trees, mahogany and others grow in the forest’s sandy soil and natural environment. It also has an array of medicinal plants, fruit-bearing trees, and tuber crops. The forest also has ponds and often plays host to a variety of native and migratory species of birds, the Paradise flycatcher and Emerald doves among them.
Though she is 90, Devaki Amma continues to plant saplings and take care of the forest. She also takes classes for children who visit her ‘Thapovanam’ on study trips. According to Devaki Amma, the support from her children, grandchildren and their families in her efforts gives her the energy to continue.
After presenting the Nari Shakti Puraskar to Devaki Amma, then President Ram Nath Kovind praised her on social media saying, “Her contribution towards the environment has been a driving force of change and has raised awareness and consciousness of people.”