Saalumarada Thimmakka

Indian environmentalist who planted and nurtured 384 banyan trees over 80 years

Saalumarada Thimmakka, born in 1911 Karnataka, transformed barren highways into green corridors without formal education or resources. After facing infertility, she and her husband Chikkanna began planting banyan saplings in 1948, creating a 2.8-mile tree line maintained through daily 4km walks with water pots.

Her 'Ficus children' became a model for community-led ecology. Thimmakka's method involved using thorny bushes as natural fences—an innovation later adopted by India's forestry department. Despite poverty, she rejected corporate sponsorships, insisting on grassroots stewardship.

Awarded the Padma Shri in 2019, she inspired the Plant for the Planet initiative. At 110+, she still advocates for tree adoption over birthdays. Her story proves how individual environmental action can achieve systemic impact, merging traditional wisdom with modern sustainability goals.