Alappuzha: In a remarkable story of resilience and love for nature, Kollakkayil Devaki Amma of Kerala transformed a personal tragedy into a lifelong mission of environmental conservation. After a serious car accident left her bedridden and unable to return to farming, she began planting trees around her home. Over the decades, her efforts grew into a thriving 4.5-acre forest containing more than 3,000 trees.
Born around 1934 in Muthukulam in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, Devaki Amma developed an interest in plants and gardening from an early age, inspired by her grandfather. She later married Gopalakrishna Pillai, a teacher, and spent much of her life working in paddy fields, cultivating rice. Her life took a dramatic turn in 1980 when she was involved in a serious car accident. The injuries left her bedridden for three years. Even after recovering, she was unable to return to the physically demanding work she had once done in the paddy fields.
Instead of giving up her connection with the land, Devaki Amma turned her attention to planting trees in her backyard. What began as a small gardening effort gradually expanded into something extraordinary. Devaki Amma continued planting and nurturing trees, eventually transforming her property into a 4.5-acre forest.
Today, the forest is home to more than 3,000 trees and a wide variety of plant species, including mahogany, mango, tamarind, pine and several other native and rare varieties. Her green haven has also become a habitat for numerous birds. Species such as Amur falcons, bluethroats, black-winged stilts, paradise flycatchers and emerald doves have been reported in the area, turning the forest into a vibrant ecosystem.
Devaki Amma worked for more than 35 years to develop and maintain the forest, largely through her own efforts. She relied on traditional and sustainable practices, including the use of cows, buffaloes and oxen for agricultural activities and the harvesting of rainwater. Her work demonstrates how individual efforts, sustained over several decades, can create an ecological legacy. What started as a response to an inability to continue farming eventually became a forest that supports biodiversity and provides a green refuge for birds and other living organisms.
Devaki Amma’s dedication to environmental conservation has earned her recognition at both the state and national levels. She received the Social Forestry Award from the Alappuzha district and the Bhumitra Puruskar from Vijnana Bharati. The Kerala government also honoured her with the Hari Vyakti Puruskar.
At the national level, she received the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award for her contribution to afforestation and environmental conservation. She was also honoured with the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar, recognising her exceptional contribution and inspiring work. The Nari Shakti Puraskar was presented to her by then President of India Ram Nath Kovind.
Devaki Amma’s story is more than that of a woman who planted thousands of trees. It is a story of how adversity can lead to a new purpose. When an accident prevented her from continuing the work she had known for years, she found another way to remain connected to the soil.
Over decades, individual saplings became a forest, and a personal passion became a contribution to Kerala’s ecological heritage. Her 4.5-acre forest stands as a reminder that environmental conservation does not always begin with large institutions or ambitious projects. Sometimes, it begins with one person planting a single tree and patiently caring for it year after year. For Devaki Amma, that simple act eventually grew into a forest of thousands of trees, and a legacy that continues to inspire generations.
