“I shall continue to plant till the day I die. Jadav Payeng has built a forest larger than Central Park by himself since 1979. The diligent arborist transformed an eroding wasteland into a tropical paradise for both man and beast. The 550-hectare forest is home to around 115 elephants, rhinos, deer, and tigers.

Payeng wishes to restore the lovely trees that formerly blanketed his native island of Majuli and adjacent Jorhat. Agricultural growth and human influence have devastated his home’s natural beauty, but Payeng is doing his share to restore the ecology.

He’s a guy on a mission, and he demonstrates how tiny actions every day may build up to big changes over time! “I tell them that taking down my trees will earn you nothing,” he said. “Chop me first, then cut my trees!”

Watch the video below and learn more about how such a great man as Jadav Payeng was able to make a big difference in our environment. Truly, for a man with a compassionate heart and strong dedication, nothing is impossible, not even transforming a bare sandbar into an abundant and green forest!