India, June 27 -- What was once a barren rooftop in Delhi's Vasant Vihar has been transformed into a thriving urban jungle by 23-year-old conservationist Aman Sharma. Spread across 1,500 square feet, his terrace is now home to over 500 native plants, providing a refuge for more than 200 bird species, along with 25 species of butterflies and other pollinators.

It all began in 2020, when Sharma spotted a pair of bulbuls nesting near his home. He recalls, "The idea took shape during the Covid-19 lockdown. I love being out in nature, birdwatching, but stepping out wasn't an option back then. So, I thought, why not create a place of my own?"

And so, Sharma set out to build a self-sustaining ecosystem by planting flowering and fruit-bearing s...