I am in my last year of law school focusing on environmental law. My appreciation for the environment is rooted in my experiences as an American of Indian descent. I grew up all over the US (having moved over 10 times) which has given me deep respect for the protection of nature and wildlife in the diverse ecosystems of the US. My Indian heritage has inspired my passion for the environment as my mother taught me the cultural values of living in-sync with the planet and protecting it for continued life on earth. As a kid, we used to visit my family in India and each trip I'd collect National Geographic magazines to take in a suitcase to my grandfather given his limited mobility and his desire to experience the world. As we'd read the magazines together, he used to share cool facts and tell me stories that sparked my love for storytelling. Modeling his passion for exploration, I am inspired to tell stories in the hope that I can spark interest in the curiosities of our natural world for others like he did for me.
My 2020 Storyfest entry was inspired by a lecture by GW Law Professor Robert Glicksman where he discussed the Endangered Species Act, a bipartisan effort to legally protect vulnerable species at risk of extinction. Professor Glicksman explained why we should care about an endangered specie and each specie's importance to our ecosystem and even our economy. This lead my desire to write about the importance of species in a bipartisan manner, such that those who may not otherwise be interested in species conservation might find a reason to care and "Wait! Before [they] squish a bug..." or think twice before dismissing an organism that might otherwise actually be important to their own life or their greater community.
My work with Planet Forward while in school has further fueled my desire to share environmental stories and inspire others. After graduation I plan to leverage my passion for the environment and my legal education to marry science with lawmaking through storytelling in order to move environmental law forward.
The Galápagos Islands are famous for being the inspiration of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. These days, legal mechanisms protecting the ecosystems surrounding the islands themselves are also evolving. Keep reading
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