Summer at Woodstock – Himalayan Environment and Natural History
Summer at Woodstock’s Himalayan Environment and Natural History course serves to introduce participants to the Himalayan subtropical and temperate ecosystems in the vicinity of Woodstock School through an exploratory experience.
Through this course, participants will learn about the animals and plants that are found here, their linkages with each other and their importance to the environment, as well as the challenges they face with a changing climate. The participants will also be introduced to basic documentation and data collection techniques, and encouraged to devise a rapid survey of the local ecosystem, culminating in a short presentation to report their findings and analysis.
Highlights and learning
It is hoped that this exercise will instill in the participants an appreciation for the unique biodiversity of this middle Himalayan ecosystem, its ecological importance, the threats it faces and possible solutions, as well as basic ecological research methods to better understand these issues for themselves.
Age range – 14-18
On Campus Session
June 7 to June 18, 2021
Fee for on campus session: INR 135,000 + 18% GST
Application fee: INR 2,000
Faculty
Suniti Bhushan Datta
Suniti Bhushan Datta is a consultant wildlife biologist, mountain/wilderness skills instructor and nature educator, from Dehra Dun, India.
Prior to graduating with a Master’s degree in Wildlife Sciences from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, Suniti worked as a guide and consultant at Ranthambhore, Pench and Bandipur-Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.
Subsequently, he has conducted field research on the distribution and occupancy of large mammals, in and around the Shivalik landscape of Uttarakhand. He consults with the Uttarakhand Forest Department and NGOs on issues related to community eco-tourism, wildlife law enforcement and human-animal conflict management, and assists with annual bird and wildlife surveys, and nature guide capacity-building. He also works freelance with schools and youth groups to instil wilderness skills, inculcate an appreciation for the natural world, and encourage sustainable practices amongst trekkers and visitors to the Himalaya. He has authored a best-selling book on the birding sites around the Doon Valley. He is a qualified Wilderness First Responder.
Along with a passion for wildlife and the outdoors, Suniti has diverse interests that include trekking and mountaineering, astronomy, survival and navigation, military history, aviation and photography. He is an avid endurance road cyclist and mountain biker.