| Ecologists are trying to undo environmental damage in rain forests, deserts, and cities. Can their efforts succeed even as Narendra Modi pushes for rapid development?  Photograph by Bharat Sikka for The New Yorker “India, like much of the rest of the world, is in ecological tumult,” Dorothy Wickenden writes, on ecological restoration, also known as “rewilding,” in the second most populous country in the world. Rewilders aim to undo some of the damage that humans, “the most invasive species,” have caused. But how? “The only thing everyone agrees on is the value of trees,” Wickenden writes. “Guilt-absolving” projects to plant trees have garnered government support and flashy media coverage, but they have low success rates, and the trees often fail to survive. In contrast, rewilders pursue thoughtful, but less scalable, ideas based on thorough understandings of local ecosystems—which struggle to gain the attention of governments and donors. Wickenden traces the history of environmentalism in India back to the original tree-huggers, and travels through the country with the rewilder Pradip Krishen, an unexpected environmental leader, trained in neither botany nor ecology, whose work has “emerged as a showcase for restoring biodiversity to ravaged places.” Krishen’s winding life story—which includes a period of collaboration with the writer Arundhati Roy, a midlife crisis in which he learned the names of species of trees, and the writing of a best-selling book called “Trees of Delhi”—is its own tale of growth and restoration. —Jessie Li, newsletter editor Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » | 
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