Padmaja Rathore leads Bagheera’s Camp, a place that combines wildlife protection with community empowerment. This is her journey of restoring the land and empowering local communities.

Her journey into conservation began early, influenced by her parents’ lessons about the lengths people go to protect their land. “When people ask me what I do, I say I live," Padmaja reflects, her identity intertwined with her mission to protect nature.

In 2006, Padmaja founded Bagheera’s Camp as a Wildlife Social Enterprise & Community Reserve. This unique fusion of hospitality and conservation aims to teach locals, especially tribal communities, sustainable practices while offering visitors a deeper connection to the land.

She realised that merely building a homestay wouldn’t solve the larger issues of tourism’s impact and industrialisation. “The locals respect the ecosystem; it’s the tourism industry encroaching on the land,” she says, highlighting the core issue affecting Godwar’s environment.

Padmaja initiated Rewilding Jawai to revive the region’s drying wetlands. Working alongside her father, an expert in water management, she helped recharge groundwater, ensuring water retention in Jawai year-round.

The land’s revival included reintroducing native plants like Rohida and Palaash to heal the soil and restore balance. “These efforts are not about human intervention for intervention’s sake, but allowing nature to heal itself,” Padmaja emphasises.

Her approach is centred on collaboration. "When you start talking to people, they might think you’re mad, but you’ll find others just as mad, ready to help you realise a dream." Her work includes engaging communities like the Raika tribe in conservation efforts.

Padmaja’s work also focuses on endangered species like the Indian Sloth Bear and Indian Bustard. Through rewilding efforts and safe tourism, she helps protect their habitats, ensuring that conservation goes hand in hand with community involvement.

She also makes sure that women are empowered by teaching self-defence, leadership, and skills in conservation. "Women rally together to protect their environment," she shares, reshaping rural gender dynamics in Rajasthan.

She also runs the Raj Dadisa Badan Kanwar School of Self Study, offering skill training to tribal communities, equipping them with the tools to protect their environment and sustain their heritage.

Padmaja’s dedication to community empowerment extends to collaborating with schools as well. Her TEDx talk inspired students to plant 325 trees, now cared for by Rewilding Jawai. "Working with kids and young people is inspiring because they understand the importance of active participation."

‘Our ancestors managed to carve out a water catchment in a place called ‘Marudhar,’ meaning the land of the dead. “They made it livable. We can do it too,” she says, reflecting on people’s ability to make the impossible possible.

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