For eight days in April, we will join the Kali River on her journey as she meanders and roars, nourishes and gets fed. While our itinerary is the same as our Kali River Expedition, this particular trip is one of a kind.
Pug marks on a Kali River beach.
Accompanying us on this very special trip will be someone who knows the Kali River intimately, someone who will help us interpret the landscape, the river-scape, and the cultural and historical aspects of the river corridor. Emmanuel Theophilus (“Theo”) of Himalayan Ark has lived and played in the upper reaches of the Kali basin for the past 26 years. He has done research work on the Kali River watershed and on high altitude wetlands with WWF-India and has been a visiting professor in Environmental Studies at Williams College (USA) and at Acadia University (Nova Scotia).
Fisherman on the Kali.
Theo’s knowledge of the river will help us understand river ecology within the context of what we are seeing. For example, we will stop at various confluences, big and small, and speak about how the energy cycle (trophic levels, or the food-chain) builds up with stream-orders. We will overturn cobbles and pebbles to see the life under them, and interpret what this means to the food chain. We will witness how every little stream contributes critically to what the river is. We will be gesturing to processes, cycles, and how the river is the circulatory system of the earth.
A Nepali village.
We will speak of forest ecology, the transition of forest types as we go down river, and how forests are configured in the Himalaya and why. We will also speak of how they are habitat for a myriad of life, and how they interact at a basin level. We will also touch on Forest History.
Woman in Nepali village.
In addition, we will bring along readings for our evenings around the campfire. We will encourage questions of all that was encountered during the day, and explore possible answers together.
Theo’s presence on this trip is a genuine treat and we look forward to having him help us deepen our understanding of the river as we move along it.
We invite you to join us for this very special trip. The trip runs April 23-30 and is a confirmed departure. Get in touch today: adventure@expeditionsindia.com.
Photo credits: Emmanuel Theophilus