Chitwan and tharu

As I watched the the Himalayan peaks meld into a sea of rural plains on my bus ride to Chitwan National Park in Nepal, I daydreamed about the wildlife sanctuaries in the national reserve, the lifestyle of the people in the countryside, and considered ways of sharing the experience with my Sustainability Club students back in Kuwait after winter break. Our discussions and conservation efforts that school year had extensively covered marine life in the Arab Gulf. We were inquisitive about whether our public awareness campaign would impact sustained change in our local community, and how other nations had been successful in transforming the public mindset. As I gazed out the bus window, I was curious to observe a nation who had been praised for its wildlife conservation initiatives, and was excited to return with tales of the trials and tribulations the Nepalese faced along their path to a create healthier planet.