How old does a person have to be to enact radical positive change in the world? A preteen known to some as the “Indian Greta Thunberg” has answered that question for nearly half her life. At the age of 12, Prasiddhi Singh has already planted over 150,000 trees in India, and has no plans of stopping at this already impressive number.
Singh is considered India’s youngest environmental leader. After being personally affected by a cyclone at just 7 years old, she began following her passion for environmentalism by replanting “fruit forests,” in the hopes that they would eventually be able to provide protection from future storms. This idea has yielded far more than just trees—it’s also given hope to many populations in India and beyond.
“Fruit forests” are Singh’s environmental specialty, and they follow a relatively simple but ingenious business model. By planting a variety of trees that yield fruit, these forests create biodiverse landscapes. These landscapes, in turn, are viable not just for reforestation, but also to provide protection and relief for food-insecure populations.
The concept has become popular around the country, and Singh has drawn in numerous volunteers to help plant her fruit forests. A majority of them hail from Tamil Nadu, Singh’s home state.
By the age of 8, Singh reported to the Times of India that she’d planted over 10 fruit forests with the help of volunteers. It was also at this age that she received her first award (and India’s highest civilian honor for children) in 2021 for her reforestation efforts, the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraska.
Now aged 12, Singh’s experiences and accolades have grown alongside her. She’s planted numerous fruit forests, begun the arduous task of restoring lakes and mangroves throughout India, and spoken at a variety of events, including TEDx programs and UN Climate Change summits. Singh also founded the Prasiddhi Forest Foundation, and most recently, was named the June 2025 Young Planet Leader.
The Prasiddhi Forest Foundation was founded in 2018, and seeks to teach and inspire environmental reforestation and conservation efforts through workshops, events, and classes. The foundation centers itself around a “3G Network,” a clever play on a technological term that actually places emphasis on “generating” your own oxygen, “growing” your own food, and “gifting” these efforts to the community.
Prasiddhi Singh’s remarkable journey is just beginning, and shows that age is no barrier to making a difference. Through passion, purpose, and persistence, even the youngest of individuals can inspire the world, and plant the seeds for a more sustainable and supportive future.
To learn more about Singh's work and foundation, visit the Prasiddhi Forest Foundation website.
At only 12 years old, environmentalist Prasiddhi Singh has already planted over 150,000 trees in her native India.
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Singh's efforts began when she was just 7 years old, after suffering from a devastating cyclone.
The environmentalist's “fruit forest” approach to reforestation in India offers a sustainable and supportive solution that protects at-risk populations in more ways than one.
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In 2018, Singh launched a foundation aimed at spreading sustainability awareness and practices. And this month, she was named the June 2025 Young Planet Leader.
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Watch her Young Planet Leader video below:
Sources: 12-Year-old Girl Plants 150,000 Trees in India, Becoming a Reforestation Leader; Prasiddhi Forest Foundation
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