Working within rural communities in Assam, India, Purnima Barman has grown an ‘army’ of approximately 10,000 women, who have come together to protect a species of bird which is under great threat. The Greater Adjutant stork was largely unloved in the past, with many thinking of it as an ugly, disease ridden pest. Habitat loss, poaching and even poisoning are the human activities which have caused it to rapidly reduce in numbers. But now, thanks to Purnima and the network of women she has grown, the bird is now seen as an icon in local culture, as the word spreads about the importance of conserving this precious, gentle giant.