Tillotama Shome Instagram – Aamina Ismail a naturalist at @forsythlodge The dragonfly and Damselfly Lady. Her presence ( like Nipuns) moved me deeply. I share this post specifically for all the young women who want to fly a path lesser known against the tide of things. Surrounded by wildlife enthusiasts, Aamina began her journey with the little helicopters that whiz by us, which we sometimes call the dragonflies. Captivated and intrigued by their exquisite hues and patterns of behaviour. It was dragonflies and damselflies that first introduced her to the realm of animals. In her own words ‘These tiny little marvels all around me continue to give me the drive and inspiration to be outside. I get to visit the forest practically every day because I work as a naturalist at Forsyth Lodge. To be honest, there are many days when I don’t feel well emotionally, but once I enter the jungle, I have no idea how I manage to forget all of my problems. every day is like playing an intellectual game.I can’t even begin to express how much the jungle gives me in terms of adrenaline rush. That, I believe, is what inspires me each day. Sometimes, even after pushing myself, I still feel like I’m falling behind in this competitive world. Despite my happiness in this line of work, society does not yet view it as a legitimate profession. I’m not sure why more people don’t think this job is on par with any other in India. People still want their children to work as engineers or doctors. As a female naturalist in this field, I have encountered numerous challenges both before and after joining and even my family was unable to accept this at all. This is the most most challenging career I’ve had chosen, so I believe I need to work even harder to prove to them that I made the right decision.luckily satpura national park is such an amazing place where even the jungle has lady guides and drivers . In the jungle, every lady is treated equally like the other men. They treat us with such incredible respect and consideration. I’m overjoyed that I choose to work in Satpura as my first central Indian park.” #womeninspiringwomen #wildlife #walkonthewildside