Conservation Biologist Kamal Bawa to Lead Boston Conservation Walk on August 30
Legacy 250 event will feature the conservation biologist discussing biodiversity, wildlife and environmental challenges
BOSTON— Conservation biologist Kamal Bawa, Ph.D, will lead a community walking discussion on biodiversity and conservation in Boston on Sunday, Aug. 30, as part of a Legacy 250 program connecting environmental issues with the history of India-U.S. relations.
The event, titled “Walk with the Giants,” will take place from 2 to 3 p.m., beginning at the benches opposite 217 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston.
Bawa, co-founder of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Boston, will discuss biodiversity, conservation, human-wildlife coexistence and environmental challenges facing India and other parts of the world.
The program will take place among life-sized elephant sculptures that are part of The Great Elephant Migration, a public-art and conservation initiative. The sculptures were created by artisans in India using lantana, an invasive plant that has spread extensively through Indian forests.
ATREE has worked with Soliga communities in southern India to address the spread of invasive lantana while supporting livelihood opportunities through lantana craft.
The elephant sculptures represent real wild elephants from southern India and were created in collaboration with The Real Elephant Collective. The project also incorporates research by The Shola Trust on individual elephants and the communities that live alongside them.
Andy Kalambi, chairperson of ATREE USA, will also participate in the event.
“Walking among these elephants offers a powerful reminder that conservation is ultimately about the relationship between people, communities, and the natural world,” Kalambi said. “We hope this experience inspires people—especially young people—to see that protecting biodiversity can also strengthen livelihoods and build connections across cultures.”
The event is being organized by Legacy 250, a national initiative marking the 250th anniversary of American independence and highlighting historical and contemporary connections between India and the United States.
“There is something wonderfully symbolic about this story,” said Kanchan Banerjee, founder and convenor of Legacy 250. “An invasive plant from the forests of India is transformed by Indian artisans into magnificent elephants, which then travel across America carrying a message of conservation.”
Banerjee added that the elephants also offer an opportunity to reflect on the long-standing relationship between India and the United States as America marks its 250th anniversary.
Organizers said families, students, young people and members of the broader community are encouraged to attend.
Event: Walk with the Giants
Date: Sunday, August 30, 2026
Time: 2–3 p.m.
Meeting point: Benches opposite 217 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
