For Just Rs 20, This Udupi Nursery Is Helping Locals Grow Mini Forests

As the monsoon arrives in Karnataka’s Udupi district, a small nursery run by the state’s Social Forestry Department opens its gates to the public, offering indigenous plant varieties for as little as Rs 20.

We got in touch with Siva Sankar, co-founder of Magadha Vana, a farm stay in Udupi’s Hebri Taluk, to learn more about this initiative.

“Towards the end of May or the first week of June, the gates of this nursery are open to the public. People can walk in, submit their details, pick up any variety of saplings, and plant them on their premises,” Siva shares.

Every year — without fail — Siva and his team visit this nursery to pick up saplings for their Magadha Vana farm, which now boasts over 25 varieties of indigenous plants.

“Mango, jackfruit, bamboo, cane, wax apple or rose apple trees, and red sanders are a few varieties we picked up this year from the nursery. We planted them on our farm,” he adds.

It has been seven years since the team at Magadha Vana began visiting this nursery. Today, they have planted over 100 trees and created a forest on their premises.

“No hybrids, no fancy or expensive plants — we purchased these saplings for just Rs 10. The best part is, they don’t even need much care or costly manure — just space to grow,” says Siva.

“Planting indigenous trees builds ecological diversity, and with that, one can create a forest true to its soil,” he adds.