In Muthukulam, Alappuzha, Kerala, a small backyard slowly became something far larger than anyone could have imagined. Over four decades, Kollakkayil Devaki Amma nurtured it into a thriving forest spread across about 4.5 acres, now known as Kollakal Thapovanam. In 2026, at the age of 92, her extraordinary work earned her the Padma Shri for Environment and Afforestation.
Devaki Amma was born into an agricultural family and spent much of her early life close to the soil. She worked in paddy fields and shared her love of plants with her husband, Gopalakrishna Pillai, a teacher. He would often return from his travels carrying seeds or saplings, further nurturing the family’s connection with nature.
Then, in 1980, life changed dramatically. A serious car accident left Devaki Amma bedridden for three years. When she recovered, she could no longer return to the physically demanding work she had done in the paddy fields. For someone whose life had always been connected to farming, it was a painful loss.
But she found another way to stay close to the land. She began planting saplings around her home. One became another. Then another. What began as a small act gradually turned into a decades-long commitment. Devaki Amma continued planting and nurturing trees, working with the soil and making use of traditional knowledge. Her family supported her, and the effort eventually transformed their land into a dense, living ecosystem.
Today, Kollakal Thapovanam contains more than 3,000 trees and plants, with rare, indigenous and medicinal species among them. Kerala Tourism has documented more than 200 species in the forest, while more recent reports describe its rich biodiversity and its importance as a habitat for birds, butterflies and other small fauna.
Devaki Amma also developed practical ways to keep the forest alive. In the challenging coastal soil of Alappuzha, she used organic manure, nurtured saplings before transplanting them and developed rainwater conservation systems to sustain the greenery through dry periods.
The forest eventually became more than a private homestead. Students, researchers and nature enthusiasts visit Thapovanam to learn about plants, biodiversity and grassroots conservation. Devaki Amma has also shared seeds and seedlings with schools, colleges and households, encouraging others to grow native and medicinal plants.
Her work had been recognised long before the Padma Shri. She received the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award in 2002/2003 and the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2018, along with several Kerala-level environmental honours.
People began affectionately calling her “Forest Grandma” for the forest she patiently nurtured around her home. The name later became part of her national recognition too, with the Government of India describing Devaki Amma as “Forest Grandma” when announcing her Padma Shri in 2026.
There was no large organisation behind it, no grand environmental campaign; just a woman, a piece of land and decades spent quietly caring for trees.
