Poonthalir nursery in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, has been collecting and nurturing saplings of native plants for the past two decades. Kavitha and Bharathidasan, who manage the nursery, are motivated by the pressing need to bring back the abundance of native vegetation that once flourished in our cities, and the pivotal role of seed conservation in achieving this. There isn’t a plant that Kavitha can’t name, while Bharathidasan has a background as a wildlife conservationist focusing on vultures.

The nursery was set up by Arulagam, a nonprofit that conducts nature conservation efforts across South India. What sets it apart is that the team educates customers about the significance of each plant. The nursery has partnered with several organisations to support restoration and afforestation efforts, including Kumaraguru Institutions, where a college nursery has been set up to allow students to learn about plants through a hands-on approach. The nursery’s projects are made a reality by its modest team of ten employees.

Kavitha and Bharathidasan are now laser-focused on their plans for the future, including setting up similar nurseries across the state. They also aim to nurture 2,000 saplings each of threatened flora species listed by the Tamil Nadu Government.

In a time when rapid urbanisation and widespread planting of exotic species threaten to wipe out the diversity of native flora from our cities, Kavitha and Bharathidasan are beacons of hope, their work becoming more crucial than ever before.