Conservation in the Himalayas: A look at the interaction between conservation and urbanisation in Ghandruk, Nepal

This past winter I had the amazing opportunity to spend three weeks volunteering at Project Abroad’s Himalayan Mountain Conservation Project in Ghandruk, Nepal through Union's Klemm Fellowship. Ghandruk is a small village in the Annapurna region of Nepal which has been rapidly developing due to tourism. It is therefore an excellent place to observe how conservation practices can be integrated for sustainable development in rural communities. During the three weeks, I participated in various wildlife monitoring activities as well as endangered species, bird and butterfly surveys. The survey information was recorded and provided to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) for further study. During my time in Ghandruk, I was also able to interact with a lot of villagers including my host family which, gave me an invaluable insight into their hopes,dreams and fears in a rapidly urbanising environment.