Indian wildlife is like a book, where every page tells a story of ecosystems, culture, and survival. From the whisper of a tiger to the flutter of migratory birds painting the skies with color, India’s wild spaces are truly magical.

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But you know what’s even more inspiring? The way communities are stepping forward — rolling up their sleeves and taking the lead to protect and revive the country’s natural heritage.

From villagers becoming protectors of biodiversity to indigenous groups turning into grassroots changemakers, people across Assam, Nagaland, Jharkhand, and Odisha are restoring what was once lost — not just planting trees but rebuilding entire habitats. 

Here are five powerful, community-led innovations that are rewriting the playbook of wildlife conservation in India.

Hargila Army (Assam)

Led by wildlife biologist Dr Purnima Devi Barman, the Hargila Army, also known as the Stork Sisters Movement in Assam, has rescued the Greater Adjutant Stork from the brink of extinction.

In 2007, the population of these storks had dropped to fewer than 450, and the species was on the verge of disappearing. But through years of community-driven conservation, the Hargila Army helped revive their numbers and restore hope for the species.

Leading a force of over 10,000 rural women, Purnima and her team are not only protecting stork nests but have also transformed the bird’s image — from being seen as a bad omen to being celebrated as a symbol of pride and positivity in Assamese culture.

Key highlights

• Through her campaign, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reclassified the Greater Adjutant Stork from endangered to near threatened in December 2023.

• From just 450, the number of storks in Assam has now quadrupled to around 1,800. 

• By mobilising thousands of rural women, she is also empowering them with livelihood opportunities and turning them into conservation leaders.

• In recognition of the Hargila Army’s inspiring community-led efforts, The Whitney Fund for Nature honoured Purnima with the 2024 Whitney Gold Award.

• Looking ahead, the Hargila Army aims to expand its network of women volunteers from 10,000 to 20,000 and hopes to boost the stork population to 5,000 by 2030.

Yaongyimchen Community Biodiversity Conservation Area (Nagaland)

The Yaongyimchen Community Biodiversity Conservation Area in Nagaland was created to protect local biodiversity, especially the migratory Amur Falcons that roost there.

Formed in 2012 through a collaboration between the villages of Yaongyimchen, Alayong, and Sanglu, the initiative was led by church worker and conservationist Nuklu Phom, a member of the Phom indigenous community.

Phom has been instrumental in uniting communities to conserve forests and adopt sustainable livelihoods in his ancestral region. 

Key highlights

• Under his leadership, the 10 square km of Yaongyimchen Community Biodiversity Conservation Area (YCBCA) was established, and communities banned hunting and switched to sustainable livelihoods to protect biodiversity.

• The number of roosting Amur Falcons at YCBCA rose dramatically from about 50,000 to around 1 million after the conservation initiative began. 

• Nagaland’s community-conserved areas (CCAs), now include over 407 CCAs covering more than 1,700 km², with 88 % of Nagaland’s forests under community/private ownership and many CCAs enforcing bans on tree-felling and hunting. 

• Phom won the Green Oscar, the 2021 Whitley Award for mobilising village communities from hunting to wildlife conservation. 

Wildlife Watchers by The Grasslands Trust

Wildlife Watchers is a community-based conservation initiative launched by The Grasslands Trust to empower residents, farmers and herders to monitor and protect wildlife in non-protected grasslands and scrublands.

This programme is currently active in Purandar, Pune, and aims to expand to other semi-arid and rural regions across India.

Volunteers are trained as “citizen scientists” and equipped with field kits (torch, cap, water bottle, local language field guide) and a custom mobile app to record wildlife sightings.

To motivate participation, verified reports earn volunteers incentives such as binoculars and camera traps.
Key highlights

• Within just six months of launch in Purandar, 350 verified sightings were documented, covering over 60 species, including the Indian grey wolf, hyena, Bengal fox, and jackal.

• Around 40 active watchers are now engaged across multiple villages. The initiative is bridging the gap between scientific research and communities by turning locals into wildlife stewards. 

• It is helping fill critical data and policy gaps on wildlife outside protected reserves, areas often overlooked in India’s conservation landscape.

• The success of the model shows how grassroots participation can make conservation more inclusive, informed, and sustainable for both people and wildlife.

Aadivasi Welfare Foundation

An Indian non-profit that’s helping tribal communities lead the way in sustainability by growing forests, creating green livelihoods, and empowering locals to protect both people and the planet.

Their key focus lies in six J’s– Jungle (Forest), Jal (Water), Jameen (Land), Jalwayu (Climate), Jaanwar (Wildlife), and Janjaati (Tribes). 

Founded in 2018, its core activities include large-scale tree planting, habitat restoration, and providing education and healthcare and employment opportunities to rural tribal communities.

Key highlights

• Over 7.9 million native trees planted across tribal-dominated states — restoring degraded land, rebuilding wildlife corridors and mitigating human-wildlife conflict.

• Around 1 lakh saplings were planted in the fringe areas of the Simlipal Tiger Reserve (Odisha) to revive the tiger habitat. 

• Beehive and honey-bee farming initiatives launched in tribal villages (e.g., Nachibera, Jharkhand) to boost pollinators, support food security and generate incomes.

• Sustainable fisheries projects: tribal families in Odisha now benefit from fishpond systems (Rohu, Mrigal, Katla) that provide both nutrition and livelihood while enhancing aquatic ecosystems.

Nature People Network (Chattisgarh)

This initiative began in 2025, focusing on restoring about 1,048 hectares of community-owned forest land in the Kota Block of Chhattisgarh, India.

The community is working with seven local villages and their gram panchayats to convert degraded ecosystems, monoculture plantations and invasive species zones back into native savannah and forest landscapes. 

Wildlife conservation is central, the restored land supports habitat connectivity for large species such as Asian elephants, tigers, leopards, and sloth bears, strengthening wildlife corridors.

Key highlights

• Removing invasive species and reintroducing native vegetation to rebuild functioning ecosystems and support biodiversity. 

• Creating wildlife corridors that allow large mammals to move safely across the landscape by reconnecting fragmented forest patches and restoring habitat continuity.

• Empowering local villagers to lead restoration efforts, take ownership of forest management, and benefit from sustainable livelihoods on the restored land.

With every nest protected, every corridor restored, and every forest brought back to life, these communities aren’t waiting for someone else to act; they’re doing it themselves for a greener future.

Sources

‘Hargila Army: how 10,000 women saved India's rarest stork’ by Discover Wildlife

‘Hargila Army, The Stork Saviours’ by Pashoo Pakshee

‘Nature People Network: Rewilding Community-owned Forests in India’ by GRA team for Global Rewilding Earth, Published on 19 June 2025.

‘Tackling Climate Change Through Community-Led Conservation’ by Aadiwasi Welfare Foundation, Published on 27 March 2025.

‘Local and vocal, community watch bridges the gap between research and wildlife’ by Mihir Godbole and Prerna Sethiya for Mongabay, Published on 25 July 2025.

‘Indian “Green Oscar” winner Nuklu Phom envisions a Biodiversity Peace Corridor’ by Money Control

‘Indian “Green Oscar” winner Nuklu Phom envisions a Biodiversity Peace Corridor’ by Sahana Gosh for Mongabay, Published on 24 May 2021