Aarna, a teenager with a mission

A two-time TEDx speaker, she has won awards and accolades, including appreciation letters from SAIVAC and UNEP. The Delhi born is still studying in high school, but with her undying grit and determination she enabled impactful action and important conversations as an environmentalist about the significance of trees.

During Covid, the shortage of oxygen was an impending threat and Aarna’s grandfather succumbed to the disease due to the lack of it. This traumatic experience triggered the zeal to bring about change. As an 11-year-old at that time, she started planting trees at the Mehrauli-Badarpur road in Delhi. Over a span of a year, she started the Youth Environmentalist Club to promote this campaign at a larger scale. From planting the first sapling in her backyard with her mother to planting more than 7,500 trees across the country, she has come a long way. “I feel that leaves are able to express the same emotions as that of humans! They exhibit happiness, sorrow, excitement and so many other emotions. It has become a habit to have a little chat with my plants before I plant them,” she said fondly, on talking of her passion for trees.

A child with such love for the environment and the dedication to steer the ship of change is exactly what our planet earth needs. Aarna’s plantation drives have been successful across the country and her constant drives to save the environment have been creating impact in several countries such as Canada, USA, Switzerland Qatar and Maldives as well. Her One of the most successful drives was the Kavus Conservation Drive conducted to save the mangroves of Kerala, due to pollution and other climate adversaries. Her Youth Environmentalist Club has also spread this initiative in places with far more weather complications, just to contribute in the fight to conserve the lushes of the world.

The stereotype exists that people who care for the environment are paranoid about it, which is why they adopt extreme practices. Whereas, it is the undertaking of simple and basic actions that can create huge impact on our surroundings, says Aarna Wadhawan, Environmentalist

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As a student who has academic commitments and a clear passion for saving the environment, she has managed to excel in all and reach places beyond geographical boundaries to achieve her goal. Aarna also invented Ecosteria, a portable solar powered UV lamp for sterilization that has been used in hospitals in rural areas, where there is erratic supply of electricity, helping facilitate treatments.

She has been working to educate the masses and clear the misconceptions around people who want to save the environment. “The stereotype exists that people who care for the environment are paranoid about it, which is why they adopt extreme practices. Whereas, it is the undertaking of simple and basic actions that can create huge impact on our surroundings. Things like planting a single tree in your yard and nurturing it everyday, taking a cloth bag to the market to carry your groceries and not disposing unwanted and hazardous substances in water bodies is very important,” she explains.

Aarna is constantly raising her voice to make people aware that we need to act to save the environment as there is no planet B. If we do not act now, we will not survive, is the powerful message she delivers with action than just words.

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