Giving life back to the rainforest
Founded in 1981 by Wolfgang Dieter Theuerkauf, Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary is a success story for the conservation of rare and endangered plant species of the Western Ghats.
At 75 acres the Sanctuary fosters myriad rainforest plants, from buttressed trees to epiphytes, tubers, lianas, mosses, legumes and grasses. Between its habitat restoration programme and plant conservation programme, it is home to over 2,000 plant species. It is run by a small group of horticulturalists, naturalists and educators who work to rehabilitate threatened plant species and restore habitats motivated by the devastating loss of biodiversity in the Western Ghats.
Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary employs and trains women of the local, rural community, where economic opportunities are scarce.