Reclaiming Nature: The Story of the Hargila Army | Dr. Purnima Devi Barman | TEDxAIIMSBhubaneswar

Описание: In this powerful and deeply moving talk, Dr. Purnima Devi Barman, internationally renowned wildlife biologist, Whitley Gold Awardee, Nari Shakti Puraskar Awardee, UNEP Champions of the Earth Awardee and founder of the Hargila Army, shares how a bird once considered a bad omen in Assam became a symbol of pride, culture, and conservation. Faced with hostility and resistance, she chose empathy over enforcement, mobilizing thousands of rural women to protect nesting trees, rescue fallen chicks, and weave the Greater Adjutant Stork into their traditions, songs, and textiles.
What began as one mother’s instinct to protect vulnerable life grew into a 20,000-strong grassroots movement that transformed mindsets and revived a near-threatened species.
This talk is not just about saving a bird, it’s about community, courage, and the extraordinary power of women-led change.
Because when nature wins, we all win. Dr. Purnima Devi Barman, known fondly as the “Stork Sister”, is an internationally acclaimed wildlife biologist and conservationist from Assam, best known for her pioneering work in protecting the Greater Adjutant Stork (Hargila).
Blending science with grassroots activism, Dr. Purnima founded the Hargila Army, a force of over 20,000 women across more than 45 villages in Assam, that mobilizes local residents, especially mothers and grandmothers, to protect nesting trees, rescue fallen chicks, and celebrate the bird as part of their cultural identity. This unique approach has led to a remarkable rise in the Hargila’s population.
For her extraordinary contributions, Dr. Purnima Devi Barman has received numerous national and international honours, including the prestigious UNEP Champions of the Earth Award, both the Whitley Award as well as the Whitley Gold Award (Green Oscars), the Nari Shakti Puraskar, and recognition among Time Magazine’s Women of the Year 2025. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx