Butterflies and Bees of the Indian Himalayas : More Field Work!

Today we took a leisurely walk through the Nashula forests on our way to our research site. The forests are full of biodiversity. The Cedar trees are native to the Himalayas and stretch way up into the sky and provide a shady canopy for smaller shrubs and herbs. The forest reminded me a bit of the redwood forests in Northern California because they are so green and lush with vegetation. Ferns and woody shrubs like salvia grow along the steep slopes under the shade of the tree canopy.

The cedar trees provide the forest with a shady canopy.

Ferns and woody shurbs of the forest floor.

Small herbs

Our hotel owner, Rajinder, led us on the beautiful nature walk. His ancestors have lived in the Himalayas for centuries and he is very knowledgable about the forest and Hindu culture.

Our guides Rajinder and Dr. Pradeep

The trail eventually led to an ancient Hindu temple nestled in the forest. The temple dates back to 1200 AD and is still in use by the local people.

We had to remove our shoes before walking up the steps to the small wood and stone temple. We were fortunate because a priest was there, and we were able to observe the priest performing his daily prayers. He rang bells, chanted, and made blessings with water. He also blew a conch shell. It was very fascinating to observe.

Steps leading to the temple

I removed my shoes before heading up to the temple.

Views of the temple

Priest praying inside temple

The temple had beautiful wood carvings that were painted in bright shades of yellow, red, and green.

Outside the temple there was a large stone planter where basil was growing. In addition to cows, basil is considered sacred in Hindu culture. It isn't used too much in food, but it is used in drinks like tea. Dr. Pradeep told us that all Hindu homes are encouraged to keep basil growing in their homes.

Basil

After visiting the temple we made our way through the forest to our research site. We settled on a steep slope covered in lush grasses and tall cedar trees.

Research site

Our job was to first plot a 50 x 50 meter site in the forest, then within that plot we marked a 10 x 10 meter site where we measured tree girth and measured the size and quantity of tree saplings and seedlings. Next, we measured a 5 x 5 meter site and counted shrubs. Finally, we measured out a 1 x 1 meter plot and counted every blade of grass and herbs.

Field work