Sanskrit teacher Suryamani Bhagat felt called to grassroots activism when she returned to fight for the forest near her home. She joined a group of Indigenous women to organize forest protection committees, and youth and women co-operatives, as well as launching the Jharkhand Save the Forest Movement. The women were able to persuade the government to implement a new Forest Rights Act, which allowed the Indigenous community to legally own and manage their forestlands. Now, forests in 45 villages are on the path of gradual rejuvenation. Photo credit: Global Greengrants
