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Kerala Team Emerges as ‘Rainforest Gardeners,’ Safeguarding Endangered Plants

Kerala, India – July 1, 2025 — In northern Kerala, an all-female team of “rainforest gardeners” at the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary is cultivating a living “Noah’s ark” for endangered plant species from the Western Ghats—a UNESCO-recognized biodiversity hotspot.

• Founded in 1981 by German-turned-Indian conservationist Wolfgang Theuerkauf, the sanctuary has expanded from 3 ha to 32 ha, now nurturing over 2,000 native species, including rare orchids, ferns, succulents, and carnivorous plants ie.shafaqna.com+4theguardian.com+4studocu.com+4.

• The core team of 20 local and Indigenous women, many without formal scientific training, have led conservation, restoration, and education initiatives for decades ie.shafaqna.com+3theguardian.com+3studocu.com+3.

• Led by Laly Joseph, who joined at age 19 and now heads plant conservation, the group has pioneered low-intervention restoration techniques—allowing degraded lands around the reserve to naturally rejuvenate ie.shafaqna.com+2theguardian.com+2studocu.com+2.

• Today, the site serves as a genetic reservoir: it houses over 200 fern species and 110 of the 140 Impatiens species native to southern India theguardian.com+1studocu.com+1.

Why It Matters

• Offers a successful model for grassroots conservation driven by women and Indigenous communities.

• Acts as a living seed bank, preserving sensitive flora in a region increasingly vulnerable to urbanization, deforestation, and climate change.

• Demonstrates innovative restoration by enabling nature to self-heal—reinforced by minimal human intervention.