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The PEOPLE

Vani Murthy

Vasundhara Mitra Green Teacher

She is an inspiration to all composting and gardening enthusiasts as a TEDx speaker, renowned composting enthusiast, and urban farmer moving towards a low waste lifestyle. Her Instagram handle @Wormrani says it all - she is a major sustainable and zero waste influencer with two hundred thousand followers on Instagram as she motivates youngsters and children, amongst others, to manage waste sustainably in urban spaces through her short, peppy, and informative videos. As a founding member of SWMRT, the Solid Waste Management Round Table in Bengaluru, she has organised several campaigns, such as Swacha Graha, 2 Bin 1 Bag, Trashonomics, and others, focusing on waste management decentralisation.

Her thriving garden is filled with a variety of plants and herbs, including Brahmi, rosemary, basil, curry leaves, vegetables, and fruits. Composting pots are neatly stacked alongside these greens, away from direct sunlight or strong winds. Monkeys, squirrels, crows, and other birds find refuge in her terrace garden. She is nice enough not to see them as a threat and is happy to have them benefit from her plants.

Aside from solid waste and the environment, she is also encouraging women to relax from stress.  It's no surprise that she was given the Inspirational Woman Achiever Award in 2021. And she attributes all of this to being in touch with nature - her healthy and environment-friendly lifestyle is evident as a result of her choices and her desire to be in tune with nature! Her catchy videos have also gained a fan base among children who enjoy watching a hungry caterpillar eat its way to glory, for example - and this is what distinguishes her as she can help them connect with nature through her simple language and quirky updates!