Molai Forest (Jadav Payeng)

Jadav Payeng, known as the 'Forest Man of India,' began planting trees on a treeless sandbar near Majuli, Assam in 1979 and has tended the land ever since. His efforts created the Molai Forest, a self-sustaining reserve now home to elephants, rhinos, tigers and deer. The forest covers about 550 hectares, and Payeng received India's Padma Shri award in 2015.