Sunil Harsana, nicknamed the ‘Pied Piper of Mangar Bani’, champions environmental conservation among children in the Aravali hills through the Mangar Eco Club.

In 2015, he founded the Mangar Eco Club, which uses hands-on learning methods such as birdwatching, nature painting, and building check dams to educate children.

The club’s activities, like ‘Pakshi Jeevan Ek Sangharsh’, let kids role-play as birds, teaching them about the impacts of human actions on ecosystems.

These interactive sessions aim to cultivate empathy and consciousness among children about their role in nature’s balance.

Sunil believes that fostering a bond between children and nature from an early age is crucial for long-term environmental stewardship.

Sunil warns that without proactive conservation, critical species like the endangered red-headed and Egyptian vultures could disappear from the local ecosystem.

His environmental education initiatives have influenced over 100 young individuals, some of whom actively participate in conservation through various roles.

Sunil has dedicated his life to conservation, influenced by his upbringing in the pastoral community of Mangar village.

He has confronted developments threatening Mangar Bani, engaging with authorities and media to protect the region’s ecological and cultural heritage.

Each year before the monsoon, Sunil and his team of kids also construct and repair traditional boulder check dams to prevent soil erosion and promote the natural regrowth of Mangar Bani’s forest.

“Mangar Bani stands as a vital lifeline for the Delhi-NCR region. They are the last remaining green lungs of the region and a crucial water catchment area that continues to recharge aquifers,” says Sunil.