Smt. Thimmakka from the Indian state of Karnataka is noted for her work in planting and tending to 284 banyan trees along a 4 km or 2.48 mile stretch of highway. She received no formal education and worked as a casual labourer in a nearby quarry. Her husband was a cattle herder. The couple used to carry four pails of water for a distance of 4 kms to water the saplings. They were also protected from grazing cattle by fencing them with thorny shrubs.
She has been given the name “”Saalumarada”” which means ‘Line of trees’ in Kannada. Her work has been honoured with many awards including the National Citizen’s Award of India. A U.S. environmental organisation based in Los Angeles and Oakland, California called Thimmakka’s Resources for Environmental Education is named after her.