1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Hey, this is any and Samantha and welcome to stuff 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,559 Speaker 1: I never told your prediction of iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 2: And for today's feminists around the world, we're talking birds words. Well, 4 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 2: we're talking about an Indian zoologist whose activism is in 5 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 2: pursuit to save species of storks that are on the 6 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 2: verge or we're on the verge of extinction. We're talking 7 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 2: about doctor Pernima Devi Barman. And with a little bit 8 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 2: of a content warning, we're not talking much about abuse 9 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 2: of animals, but there is kind of mention about I 10 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: guess misunderstanding of birds and an yeah, like it is 11 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 2: about the extension of birds and her trying to stop that. 12 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 2: So there's a little bit of all little conversation about 13 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 2: what happened to some of the birds that she got 14 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 2: really upset about. So there you go. Heh. So doctor 15 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:05,399 Speaker 2: o'barman's love and fascination with birds started in childhood after 16 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:07,479 Speaker 2: being sent to live with her grandmother at the age 17 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 2: of five, she was introduced to the creatures of the 18 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 2: nearby wetlands, where her grandmother would take her when she 19 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 2: would get upset. There she began her journey for her 20 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 2: love of different birds. She told the un environmental program. 21 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 2: I saw storks and many other species. She her grandmother 22 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 2: taught me bird songs. She asked me to sing for 23 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 2: the egrets and the storks. I fell in love with 24 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 2: the birds, and in another interview she did with mybirdbuddy 25 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 2: dot Com, she tells more of how she got so 26 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: interested in birds. She said, my grandmother had a solution. 27 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 2: She was a farmer, so she took me to help 28 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 2: in the fields, and that's when I saw the storks. 29 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 2: I didn't know at the time that this was her geela, 30 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 2: but they were everywhere in the pettyfields in the backyards. 31 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 2: And to keep me busy, my grandma asked me to 32 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 2: count the birds and taught me some songs, songs that 33 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 2: would never go away. She saw how the solution to 34 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 2: connection with nature help me forget to be sad, and 35 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 2: I became normal. I've been obsessed with birds since. 36 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: She would later go on to get her masters in 37 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: zoology and then to pursue her PhD studying greater at 38 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: jutant storks. From the same interview with my birdbuddy dot Com, 39 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: she says, I am from a village where this didn't 40 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: happen often at the time, but I eventually got my 41 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: masters in zoology. Whilst I was doing my masters, I 42 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,079 Speaker 1: was very inspired by two professors who told us about 43 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: conservation how to contribute, so I started volunteering at organizations 44 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: and going bird watching. Meeting the bird watching community. One day, 45 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: the professor said he was in a restaurant and had 46 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: asked for chicken, but they gave him stork meat to 47 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: cheat him. He was given hargeela meat. So that story 48 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: had an impact on me. I realized I had to 49 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: do something for my childhood friends, so I decided my 50 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: PhD would be on them. I got a volunteer position 51 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: at an NGO called Aranyak. But by this point my 52 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: parents just wanted me to get married. They loved me 53 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: a lot, but they said, but you know, you can 54 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 1: still do all of this if your husband allows it. 55 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: It is tradition. I don't blame them. It is just 56 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: because they are worried about what their relatives, neighbors and 57 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: so on will think. I actually met my husband at 58 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: aaron Jak. He is also a conservationist. His family members 59 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: approved of my family and we were married within one month. 60 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 2: Right and later she started her study on the greater 61 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 2: adjutants and According to Wikipedia, the greater Adjutants are a 62 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 2: quote large stork listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List. 63 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 2: It has a global population of eight hundred to twelve 64 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 2: hundred mature individuals, with the majority of these individuals six 65 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 2: hundred and fifty eight hundred found in Assam, India. In 66 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 2: a psalm, this bird lives in close contact with urban areas, 67 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 2: nests and privately owned trees, and scavenges at rubbish dumps. 68 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 2: As a result, the greater adjutant is threatened by pollution, 69 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 2: habitat loss and failing of nesting trees and a bit 70 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: more detail. Here's a quote from all about Birds dot com. 71 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 2: In India, the greater adjutant is now confined to the 72 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 2: northeastern state of Assam, their last stronghold. Elsewhere, small populations 73 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 2: persist in Cambodia's northern plains. The species is endangered. One 74 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 2: of the rarest storks in the world. According to the 75 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 2: International Union for Conservation of Nature, only eight hundred to 76 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 2: twelve hundred adult Greater adjutants remain, most of them in Assam. 77 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 2: Over the past century, these birds have been in a 78 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 2: steep decline, but in studying this species, Barman has noticed 79 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 2: a change in the stork's behavior. Greater adjutants are now 80 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 2: increasingly leaving the rural wetlands where they have historically nested 81 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 2: and becoming village dwellers. 82 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: And in two thousand and seven, Barman made a difficult 83 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: decision to suspend her studies to actively work to preserve 84 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: the greater adjutant species. Here's some more from that All 85 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: about Birds article quote. One day in two thousand and seven, 86 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: Barman watched in horror as nine baby storks fell to 87 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: the ground when a villager chopped down a nest tree. 88 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,559 Speaker 1: When she tried to stop the villager, she was taken 89 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: aback by his anger. I told him how how important 90 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: these scavenger birds are for our environment, and about the 91 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 1: fact that they are so endangered, Barman recalls. He retorted 92 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: in anger, saying that he couldn't keep these birds there 93 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: just because I was doing my PhD. He ridiculed me 94 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: and asked me to stay and work at his house 95 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: as a cleaner to clean up the mess created by 96 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: the birds. As other villagers gathered around her at the 97 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: fallen nest street, she asked for their help in taking 98 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:27,479 Speaker 1: the baby storks to a rescue center. At a nearby zoo. Instead, 99 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: the villagers started teasing and frightening the already injured little birds. 100 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 1: They laughed at Barman, ridiculing her and asking her if 101 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 1: she wanted to eat the baby birds on her way home. 102 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: It was an incident that could have discouraged her from 103 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: enlisting locals in an effort to save the storks, but instead, 104 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: Barman marks it as a turning point that led to 105 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: a lot of good and necessary change. 106 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 2: Right and this is when she began to realize she 107 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 2: needed to educate her community of the ecological importance of 108 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 2: these storks in order to enlist their help to preserve them. 109 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,919 Speaker 2: That same article continues. Barman recognized that in order to 110 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,359 Speaker 2: enlist residents in a greater adjutant conservation, she first needed 111 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 2: to make the stork a symbol of local pride. So 112 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 2: she made a huge personal sacrifice, stepping away from her 113 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 2: PhD studies to dedicate herself to shifting people's attitudes. Barman 114 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 2: started by reaching out to several women in the villages, 115 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 2: speaking to them about the importance of these birds and 116 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 2: their dwindling population. She chose women as the first point 117 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 2: of contact for her conservation outreach. Effort because she felt 118 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 2: the women in these villages don't often get a chance 119 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 2: to weigh in on social issues and within their families, 120 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 2: women can serve as the gatekeepers. 121 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: And with that she grew an army of women to 122 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: be part of these gatekeepers slash protectors. The army is 123 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,559 Speaker 1: now called the Hargila Army and the number has grown 124 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 1: from a few hundred to over ten five hundred members today. 125 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 1: Here's a bit more information from Wikipedia about it quote. 126 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 1: The name comes from the Sanskrit word for bone swallower. 127 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: This group has over ten thousand members, including four hundred 128 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 1: local Assamese volunteers. Their goal is to remove all obstacles 129 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 1: that prevent Greater adjutant conservation. This movement has been credited 130 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: with empowering marginalized women and giving them a voice in 131 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: local conservation issues. Barman and the Hargila Army also actively 132 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: rescue and rehabilitate injured Greater adjutant nestlings. Villagers place nets 133 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 1: around nesting trees to catch nestlings if they fall out 134 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: of trees on windy days, especially during monsoons, and injured 135 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,679 Speaker 1: nestlings are given medical treatment rehabilitated at a local zoo 136 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: then released by the community. Barman has also developed an 137 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: artificial breeding platform for the greater adjutant, which was successfully 138 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: used to hatch a nestling in twenty nineteen. 139 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 2: And just as the bigger significance of what they're doing, 140 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 2: these stores have also been hunted down for their feathers 141 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 2: obviously their meat and being used at this time, and 142 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 2: a lot of like I wish if you have time, 143 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 2: go go get pictures of these because they're amazing, amazing, 144 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 2: and the women they have hats, they have hats, they 145 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 2: have hats of the shape of these works I want 146 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 2: to have. I need to go volunteer so I can 147 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 2: get one of these hats. So they've done some amazing work. 148 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 2: And when she was talking about having these women as 149 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 2: a part of this group, you was talking about the 150 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 2: fact that they have a spiritual connection and understand the 151 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 2: importance of why they need to continue with these species 152 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 2: and why extinction is so bad overall ecologically and yeah, spiritually, 153 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:37,559 Speaker 2: they really have the stepth of understanding. She was talking 154 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 2: about a festival that happened during the Bahagavad Gita processional 155 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 2: in her village. So having like a real connection and 156 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 2: understanding to it and why she felt like the women 157 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 2: were able to really grasp on to this movement. So 158 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 2: it's beautiful in general. And yeah, since the beginning of 159 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 2: the program, the number of nests around the area went 160 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,079 Speaker 2: from twenty eight to more than two hundred and fifty, 161 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 2: making it the largest breeding of storks around the world. 162 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 2: Of course, doctor Barman's work has brought on many accolades 163 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 2: to her name, including but not limited to, a Whitley 164 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:13,439 Speaker 2: Award also known as the Green Oscar, the Leadership Award 165 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:17,840 Speaker 2: twenty fifteen from the Conservation Leadership Program, the UNDP India 166 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 2: Biodiversity Award in twenty sixteen from the United Nations, and 167 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 2: has been honored with the UN Environmental Programs twenty twenty 168 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:29,200 Speaker 2: two Champions of the Earth Award in the Entrepreneurial Vision category. 169 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:31,559 Speaker 2: And I believe she has gone back into the PhD 170 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 2: to finish her work and complete her thesis already, So 171 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 2: I'm excited to know more about this I've never heard of. 172 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 2: I've seen the pictures of the stories before. I think 173 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 2: I think like I remember them because they are very distinct, 174 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 2: very distinct looking birds. But to see what they have 175 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 2: done and what she has done in order to protect 176 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 2: them is amazing. 177 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, that is really really cool, and we've talked about 178 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: that before the importance of including traditionally marginalized people in 179 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 1: these kinds of conservation efforts. So I love this and 180 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: I would love to come back to it in the meantime. Listeners, 181 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 1: If you have any suggestions for this segment, or any 182 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: additional resources, thoughts, whatever, you can email us our emails 183 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: stef Media mom Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can 184 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 1: find us on Twitter at mom Stuff podcast, or on 185 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: Instagram and TikTok at stuff Whenever told You. We have 186 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:20,559 Speaker 1: a tea public store where you can get some merchandise, 187 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:22,959 Speaker 1: and we have a book you can get wherever you 188 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: get your books. Thanks as always too, our super producer Christina, 189 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: our executive producer Maya, and our contributor Joey. Thank you 190 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: and thanks to you for listening. Steffan never told You 191 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: inspection of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, 192 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: you can check out the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts Regular 193 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.