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The
Gurukula
Botanical
Sanctuary
and
Garden
is
in
Peria,
in
the
Wayanad
district
of
Kerala.
To
reach
it,
you
have
to
travel
along
an
unpaved
road
from
Peria
for
a
couple
of
kilometers
through
a
jungle.
The
moment
you
enter
the
Gurukula
you
experience
the
tranquility
of
nature.
There
are
evergreen
forests
on
all
sides.
You
can
see
numerous
types
of
butterflies
and
birds,
like
the
winged
parakeet
and
Mountain
Imperial
Pigeon.
There
is
the
Niligiri
Langur,
the
sambar
deer
and
the
necked
mangoose.
It
is
home
to
nearly
2,000
species
of
plants
from
the
Western
Ghats
and
is
rich
in
fauna
and
flora.
But
there
is
a
whiff
of
danger
too.
There
are
more
than
20
varieties
of
snakes,
of
which
seven
are
very
poisonous.
In
the
Gurkula,
there
is
organic
farming,
animal
husbandry,
and
alternate
energy
mechanisms.
They
have
a
programme
called,
‘School
in
the
Forest’
where
schoolchildren
and
adults
live
and
work
in
the
sanctuary.
A
five-month
programme
costs
Rs
50,000,
which
includes
food,
accommodation,
instruction
and
travel.
One
man
looks
over
this
oasis.
He
is
a
German:
Wolfgang
Theuerkauf.
He
came
here
40
years
ago,
fell
in
love
with
the
place
and
stayed
on.
“On
my
travels
to
different
parts
of
the
world,
I
came
to
India
and
ended
up
in
the
Western
Ghats,”
says
Theuerkauf.
He
bought
a
patch
of
land
and
started
the
Gurukula
in
1981.
“As
this
area
was
encircled
by
forests,
no
one
was
willing
to
look
after
it,”
he
says.
“I
decided
to
do
so.”
And
Theuerkauf
fell
in
love
with
the
place.
“The
climate
is
fine
and
it
is
calm
and
peaceful,”
he
says.
Initially,
he
had
problems
communicating
with
the
locals,
but
he
managed
through
sign
language.
“As
for
funds,
my
family
in
Germany
also
helped
me,”
says
Theuerkauf.
“We
also
received
donations
from
some
organizations.”
But
today,
the
sale
of
coffee,
tapioca
and
spices
has
added
to
the
income.
About
10
acres
of
the
55-acre
sanctuary
is
a
garden
and
nursery,
while
the
rest
is
restored
forest
land,
fields,
and
grazing
areas.
In
1981
Theuerkauf
received
Indian
nationality
and
married
a
Malayali,
Leelama,
who
is
from
Periya.
They
have
a
son,
Santheeya
and
a
daughter,
Anna.
Santheeya
helps
his
parents
in
the
garden
while
Anna
is
doing
her
masters
in
psychology
in
Bangalore.
Suprabha
Seshan,
a
Tamilian,
has
been
assisting
Theuerkauf
for
the
past
16
years.
Now,
as
Director
of
the
sanctuary,
Suprabha
gives
classes
on
the
conservation
of
forests.
“Today,
nature
has
become
a
commodity
to
be
used
and
exploited,”
says
Theuerkauf.
“Commercialisation
and
consumerism
have
brought
the
fragile
eco
system
to
the
verge
of
destruction.
In
an
industrialized
city
or
a
country
you
may
get
all
the
luxuries,
but
no
peace
of
mind
or
physical
well-being.
I
always
prefer
places
like
this.”
A
few
years
ago,
there
were
no
discussions
about
conserving
nature
or
preserving
biodiversity.
“But
now
for
our
very
survival
it
is
necessary,
as
you
can
understand
from
the
changing
climate
of
Kerala,”
he
says.
Theuerkauf
says
that
nature
is
under
tremendous
pressure.
“Every
plant
and
living
organism
is
important,”
he
says.
“Our
aim
is
to
conserve
the
nature
and
preserve
the
disappearing
flora
and
fauna.
We
grow
the
plants
seen
everywhere
to
make
people
aware
that
these
are
the
plants
they
neglect.”
Theuerkauf
also
grows
fishes.
“My
aim
is
not
only
to
preserve
but
also
to
show
the
people
different
species
of
fish
too,”
he
says.
His
work
has
received
international
recognition.
The
International
Union
for
the
Conservation
of
Nature
has
labeled
the
Gurukulam
as
one
of
the
25
centres
of
bio-diversity
in
the
world.
In
2006
he
won
the
‘Whitley’
award,
the
biggest
environment
award
in
Britain
for
the
most
effective
conservation
efforts
around
the
world.
So
a
German
living
in
India
is
doing
his
best
to
preserve
eco
systems
in
one
corner
of
this
vast
country.
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