Two Indian Women Win 'Green Oscars' for Saving Rare Species

Two Indian women are proving that grassroots conservation can achieve what seemed impossible just years ago.

Parveen Shaikh and Barkha Subba won the 2026 Whitley Awards, known as the "Green Oscars," for their work saving endangered species in India. The UK-based Whitley Fund for Nature presented the awards at London's Royal Geographical Society, with Princess Anne and Sir David Attenborough celebrating their achievements.

Shaikh has spent years working along India's rivers to save the Indian skimmer, a distinctive bird with an orange bill that uses a unique fishing method. The species has lost 90 percent of its global population due to habitat destruction, pollution, and sand mining.

Her "Guardians of the Skimmer" project trains local communities to protect nesting sites along the Chambal river system. The results speak for themselves: nest survival rates jumped from 14 percent to 27 percent, and the local bird population doubled from 400 in 2017 to nearly 1,000 last year.

"It is small successes, like protecting a single nest, or a chick taking its first flight, which remind us that hard work pays off," Shaikh said. The award funding will help her expand conservation efforts to Prayagraj, where the Ganga and Yamuna rivers meet.

Meanwhile, in the wetlands of Darjeeling, Dr. Barkha Subba is protecting the Himalayan salamander, a rare amphibian scientists call a "living fossil." The species exists only in parts of India, Nepal, and Bhutan, facing threats from urbanization, tourism, pollution, and climate change.

As scientific adviser at the Federation of Societies for Environmental Protection, Subba has restored breeding sites and engaged tea garden workers, students, and local communities in conservation efforts. "Meeting a salamander is like meeting an emissary from ancient evolution," she explained.

The Ripple Effect

These two conservationists represent a growing movement of grassroots leaders across the Global South who are tackling biodiversity loss through science and community collaboration. The Whitley Fund for Nature has supported over 200 conservationists since its founding, recognizing that local communities are essential partners in protecting natural environments.

Their work addresses far more than just species protection. By restoring wetlands and river habitats, they're also fighting climate change impacts, protecting water resources, and creating sustainable livelihoods for local communities who depend on healthy ecosystems.

Sir David Attenborough reminded attendees that urgent action matters now: "We have to work now; the world won't wait." For both award winners, the recognition proves that dedication, scientific commitment, and community partnership can reverse even the steepest wildlife declines.