A Global Conservation Leader Coming to Cornell: Dr. Purnima Devi Barman

Join us for an inspiring presentation featuring Dr. Purnima Devi Barman, a Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health Distinguished Speaker, as she shares her work and passion for advancing wildlife conservation and community livelihoods. The Hargila Army—How Women Are Saving a Stork—and Transforming Conservation in Assam Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 4:00–5:00 pm Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Lecture Hall 4 Pizza and beverages provided for the first 100 attendees! Please register here. Affectionately known as the “Hargila Baideu” (Stork Sister), Dr. Purnima Devi Barman is an internationally recognized conservation biologist and founder of the Hargila Army, a women-led grassroots movement that has transformed public attitudes toward the endangered greater adjutant stork and helped drive a remarkable recovery of the species in Assam, India. Through community action, education, culture, and compassion, Dr. Barman has united thousands of women to protect the greater adjutant stork while creating new economic opportunities for women and strengthening community livelihoods, catalyzing a globally recognized model linking biodiversity conservation with women’s empowerment. Her extraordinary contributions have earned her numerous international honors, including the UNEP Champion of the Earth (2022), Whitley Gold Award (2024), TIME Women of the Year (2025), and National Geographic Explorer and Wayfinder Award (2026), as well as India’s prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar. Don’t miss an inspiring hour with a global conservation leader whose work demonstrates the power of locally led conservation to deliver lasting benefits for both wildlife and people. Please register here.