Purnima Devi Barman's life changed in 2007 after witnessing the destructive act of cutting down a tree home to endangered greater adjutant storks. Although faced with hostility from her community, she became determined to protect these birds. After years of dedication and leadership of the Hargila Army, a group of over 20,000 women committed to conservation, the population of storks in Assam surged from just 450 to over 1,800 by 2023, changing their status from endangered to near threatened and integrating the bird into local culture.
For the first time, I felt the importance—the call of nature, she says. From that day, my mission started.
Thanks to Barman's work, the stork was moved from endangered status under the International Union for Conservation of Nature's classification to near threatened.
The network of the Hargila Army is ever expanding, not just in Assam but also throughout India and now Cambodia.
Be it clothing, songs, or celebrating baby showers for new chicks, says Barman, this bird is now a part of our tradition and culture.
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