Noted environmentalist Saalumarada Thimmakka passes away

RENOWNED environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee Saalumarada Thimmakka passed away on Friday, November 14, at the age of 114 in Bengaluru. 

Her last rites will be held with full State honours. 

Thimmakka was a global icon known as the "Mother of Trees" (Vriksha Maathe in Kannada) for planting and nurturing over 8,000 trees throughout her lifetime, including 385 banyan trees along a 4.5-km stretch of highway between Hulikal and Kudur in Karnataka. 

Her extraordinary contributions to environmental conservation earned her numerous accolades, including the Padma Shri in 2019, and the Government of Karnataka appointed her as the state's Environmental Ambassador in 2022. 

She received no formal education and worked as a casual labourer in a nearby quarry. Her work has been honoured with the National Citizens' Award of India. Her work was recognised by the Government of India and she was conferred with Padma Shri in 2019. 

A US environmental organisation based in Los Angeles and Oakland, California, has named Thimmakka's Resources for Environmental Education after her.  

Central University of Karnataka has announced an honorary doctorate for Thimmakka in 2020.