By Claire Pomer, Harwood Union correspondent
Tonight, Thursday, May 30, a group of Harwood students will be presenting a mini documentary on Himalayan Conservation at the Big Picture Theater in Waitsfield. The showing, which is from 5 to 6:30 p.m., is free and open to the public. There will be a short discussion following the film.
This spring, from April 9 to April 30, a group of Harwood seniors traveled to Northern India for a cultural exchange.
“It’s partially a cultural exchange, to experience another culture and share ours with the students there, but it’s also to create the film about conservation in the Himalayas in collaboration with these students,” said Rowan Clough.
“It’s also a chance to get to see this country that I’ve heard a lot about,” Jack Myers added.
The students traveled from Delhi to Chaukori, where the Himalaya Intercollege (HIC) is located, the partner school for the trip. HIC aims “to make high quality primary education available to the rural children of the Pithoragarh district.”
The main goal of the trip was to focus on conservation. The Himalayas have a very delicate alpine ecosystem, and as the climate warms, it’s bringing extreme problems -- like a longer and more intense wildfire season. “The climate is similar to Vermont,” Clough said, “so to go and make connections about losing snow feels very relevant.”
Janelle Hoskins agreed, saying, “Filming this is less about sharing our story and more about what conservation means to the HIC students.”
