a:13:{s:10:"channel_id";s:1:"2";s:10:"field_ft_2";s:4:"none";s:10:"field_ft_3";s:4:"none";s:10:"field_ft_4";s:5:"xhtml";s:11:"field_ft_31";s:5:"xhtml";s:10:"field_id_2";s:0:"";s:10:"field_id_3";s:12570:"<h1>
	Au Sable India LiveBlog</h1>
<h2>
	Thursday - January 31</h2>
<h3>
	<strong>Golden Jubilee Celebrations</strong></h3>
<p>
	Our host, Bishop Heber College, is celebrating 50 years of God&rsquo;s faithfulness in the life of the college this year. We just learned that while celebrations have been planned for throughout the year, they would be kicking off the festivities at the start of the new semester on January 4<sup>th</sup>. And, would our students like to take part in a flash mob dance planned for the celebration? It was a very quick &ldquo;yes.&rdquo; And if the enthusiasm displayed in practicing and planning for the dance is any indication, it&rsquo;s going to be great. There will be about 30 students dancing in all, including us. What a great way to participate in the life of this college and build relationships with fellow students.</p>
<h2>
	Friday - January 1</h2>
<h3>
	<strong>Happy New Year!</strong></h3>
<p>
	We just got back from ringing in the New Year in a most unique way: worshipping and praying with brothers and sisters in Christ for the blessings of the past year and for God&rsquo;s grace to be present in our lives in the year to come.&nbsp; I learned recently that my own Christian tradition held similar services once, and it is a ceremony I wish we would bring back.&nbsp; Instead of couching New Years in terms of countdowns and resolutions, it offered us the opportunity to reflect on the previous year&rsquo;s blessings and lamentations and look ahead with confidence in God&rsquo;s love for us.&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	The students dressed in their Indian best: saris purchased earlier in the day.&nbsp; And the excitement of the evening spilled out of the church after the service where we enjoyed meeting new people with handshakes and words of &ldquo;Happy New Year&rdquo; and ate refreshments.</p>
<p>
	Now off to bed!&nbsp; Tomorrow we travel to the coast.</p>
<h2>
	Monday - January 4</h2>
<h3>
	<strong>Fishermen</strong></h3>
<p>
	After some morning birdwatching, we moved in earnest to talk with fishermen, learn about the fishing trade, and explore how the Fisherman&rsquo;s Welfare Group plays a role in sustainable fishing at Point Calimere.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<h3>
	<strong>Dolphin Rescue</strong></h3>
<p>
	This evening we rescued a pink dolphin beached on the shores at Point Calimere! This course is starting to develop a penchant for wildlife rescue.&nbsp; Last year, we shook loose a sea snake caught in a fishing net in a mangrove forest. This year, we had just completed our studies of the coastal grassland and dune ecosystems and were basking in the soft glow of a late afternoon on the beach, when we saw through our binoculars movement of a pink and gray creature in the distance. We quickly confirmed that it was a pink dolphin, washed upon the shore.</p>
<p>
	The Bishop Heber faculty quickly called the Forest Department to send officials to rescue it. Since we were in a fairly remote area of the park, we waited almost an hour for rescue to come, during which time we were glued to our dolphin friend (&ldquo;it&rsquo;s still moving&rdquo;) and whispering silent prayers.</p>
<p>
	When help finally arrived, five men crossed the stream bank where we were standing in order to reach the shore were the dolphin lay. The waves were relentless, and their first and second attempts to help the dolphin over come them and swin back out to sea were thwarted. &nbsp;After 30 minutes of trying, the sun was getting too low and the dolphin was getting more stressed. We left it with prayers that the high tide would come quickly and allow it to return to the ocean where it belongs.</p>
<p>
	Update: We received word from the Forest Department this morning that the dolphin was not on the beach this morning, which likely means that it was able to swim away with the higher tide. Very happy our prayers were answered!</p>
<h2>
	Tuesday - January 5</h2>
<h3>
	<strong>Golden Jubilee Practice Makes New Friends</strong></h3>
<p>
	Today we returned from Point Calimere, and Golden Jubilee dance practice began again in earnest. This means many opportunities for getting to know fellow students at Bishop Heber College.&nbsp; So much fun seeing students from North America and Indian students from Bishop Heber having good conversations, sharing with one another, and building friendships!</p>
<h2>
	Wednesday - January 6</h2>
<p>
	<strong>Golden Jubilee Celebration</strong></p>
<p>
	Today marked the beginning of Bishop Heber&rsquo;s Golden Jubilee (50 Year) celebration. Here are some photos to mark the occasion, including our very own Au Sable students dancing alongside Bishop Heber students as part of a flash mob!&nbsp; Below are photographs of our morning worship service, opening of the celebrations, and the flash mob.</p>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="http://ausable.org/images/uploads/general/Chapel-Golden-Jubilee(3).jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 310px;" /></p>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="http://ausable.org/images/uploads/general/Daisy_Glenny.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 281px;" /></p>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="http://ausable.org/images/uploads/general/Jubilee_logo.jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 310px;" /></p>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="http://ausable.org/images/uploads/general/Jubilee-balloons.jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 310px;" /></p>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="http://ausable.org/images/uploads/general/Jubilee-Flash-Mob.jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 310px;" /></p>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="http://ausable.org/images/uploads/general/Jubilee-GrpShot.jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 310px;" /></p>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="http://ausable.org/images/uploads/general/Jubilee-Selfies.jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 310px;" /></p>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="http://ausable.org/images/uploads/general/Jubilee-Relton.jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 310px;" /></p>
<h2>
	Thursday - January 7</h2>
<h3>
	<strong>Thorn Forest Surprises</strong></h3>
<p>
	The thorn forest is quickly becoming a favorite stop because of its wildlife treasures. This year brought a common kestrel, myriad butterflies, and one of the four major snakes in India, the .&nbsp; Below, the snake observed and Dr. Daisy is photographing the kestrel.</p>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="http://ausable.org/images/uploads/general/Viper.jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 351px;" /></p>
<h2>
	Friday - January 8</h2>
<h3>
	<strong>All Things Tea</strong></h3>
<p>
	Since we set foot in India, tea has been a daily morning and afternoon ritual. Today, we had opportunity to meet with a chief manager of a local tea plantation to dive into the complete production of tea (from tree to cup) and engage in the challenging conservation and development questions facing tea production in Valparai. Mr. Chandra Kumar graciously spent the day with us and answered questions about how wildlife are managed and protected on their tea estate, what the most pressing challenges , how they care for and compensate workers, what measures they take for mitigating human-animal conflict, and a whole lot more.&nbsp; Here are a few photographs of our productive day:</p>
<h3>
	<strong>A Side of Gaur</strong></h3>
<p>
	Late afternoon, on our way to our second interview site to talk with tea plantation workers about human-animal conflict on tea plantations, and came across a herd of gaur (wild ox) making their way to the forest for the night.&nbsp; Never know what you&rsquo;re going to find here!</p>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="http://ausable.org/images/uploads/general/Gaur1.jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 310px;" /></p>
<h2>
	Saturday - January 9</h2>
<h3>
	<strong>Morning Surprises</strong></h3>
<p>
	Going for a short walk this morning, I came across this&nbsp;<em>kollam</em>&nbsp;artwork outside one of the houses in our neighborhood. It was undoubtedly made by the matriarch of the house in the early morning from white and red colored chalk (in the past, they used rice powder).</p>
<p>
	We encounter this front step artwork almost everywhere we go, but this morning it struck me how glorious it is that this form of public art is enmeshed in everyday life &ndash; new artists created through lessons from their mothers and new artwork born each morning. Can&rsquo;t tell which is more beautiful.</p>
<p>
	<img alt="" src="http://ausable.org/images/uploads/general/Kollam.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 622px;" /></p>
<h3>
	<strong>Great</strong></h3>
<p>
	Our student Renee awoke this morning to see the sunrise over the mountains and</p>
<h3>
	<strong>Leopard Pug Mark</strong></h3>
<p>
	Journeying to our study sites for the evergreen and montane grasslands and came across this leopard pug mark. Big things afoot?</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<h3>
	<strong>The Evergreen Strangler</strong></h3>
<p>
	As part of our evergreen forest studies this morning, we passed under the shade of one of the most impressive trees in the tropical forest: the strangler fig.&nbsp; The strangler fig has adapted to parasitize canopy trees throughout the tropics. The seed of the fig lands on a host branch, sends roots all the way down to the forest floor and branches all the way up and out of the host trees, and then grows around the host tree. The one we passed is about as impressive a specimen as one can find with roots reaching 30 feet below the cliff face to the soil below, soaring branches, and large buttresses at its base.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<h3>
	<strong>View from the Grassland</strong></h3>
<p>
	Studying at our grassland site, Akkamalai (&ldquo;Elder Sister Hill&rdquo;) with the evergreen and montane shola forests in the background:</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<h3>
	<strong>Tiger Census</strong></h3>
<p>
	So pleased to have our former student, and current post-graduate student in wildlife ecology, Griffith, tell us all about his participation in this year&rsquo;s Tiger Census for Annamalai Tiger Reserve, which is currently underway.&nbsp; Way to go Griffith!</p>
<h3>
	<strong>Parotha</strong></h3>
<p>
	Parotha (In North India, paratha) is a flakey, soft bread eaten with curries in India.&nbsp; It is a favorite&nbsp; Well, iIt turns out we are staying at the parotha mecca. The new chef at our hotel specializes in different types of paratha.&nbsp; We have been treated to sweet parotha, coin parotha (small coin-sized), banana parotha, egg parotha&hellip;.&nbsp; Today took the cake though. Chicken and beef-stuffed parotha. It is safe to say that we will be missing the fresh parotha when we leave Valparai.&nbsp; You can see a photo of our chicken-stuffed parotha &nbsp;and full spread below.</p>
<h2>
	Saturday - January 9</h2>
<h3>
	<strong>Sunshine</strong></h3>
<p>
	A Valparai morning on our way to learn about Neera Dam:</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<h3>
	<strong>UPASI</strong></h3>
<p>
	Surprised by another former student, Dr. Suresh(?), who works for UPASI, a tea research institute. Dr. Suresh and colleagues taught us about the major threats to tea in the area &ndash; primarily the rapid rise of new major pests due to climate change - and new developments in integrated pest management, which employs non-chemical ways of managing pests on tea plantations.</p>
<p>
	<strong>Elephant Search</strong></p>
<p>
	On our way to Neera dam, we caught wind from a few local residents of 13 elephants traveling through the area.&nbsp; Through four local boys, we learned that they were in a small evergreen forest patch, which is surrounded by tea estate. While our waiting for them to emerge or show themselves within the forest proved futile, it was an amazing testimony to the density evergreen forests.&nbsp; A thin strip of forest concealed a herd of 13 elephants of varying sizes.&nbsp; &nbsp;The search continues!</p>
<h2>
	Sunday - January 10</h2>
<p>
	<strong>Worship</strong></p>
<p>
	Just returned from Sunday worship in one of the rural villages surrounding Valparai.&nbsp; One of our professors, Dr. Gideon, is from Valparai, and his cousin serves as a pastor for a number of local churches in the area. We were privileged to attend one of them this morning.&nbsp; Upon arriving, we learned that most congregants were tea plantation workers, which felt fitting given our studies the past four days. &nbsp;Before leaving for church this morning, we read Revelation 7:9-10 as a class. This passage casts a beautiful vision of &ldquo;every tribe and people and language&rdquo; praising and glorifying God together in the coming Kingdom. What a joy it was then to be praising God together with our Tamil brothers and sisters in each of our own languages!&nbsp; We look forward to that moment in glory when we are worshiping God together again.</p>
";s:11:"field_id_31";s:0:"";s:10:"field_id_4";s:11:"{filedir_1}";s:8:"entry_id";s:3:"953";s:17:"original_entry_id";s:3:"953";s:14:"structure__uri";s:28:"au_sable_india_liveblog_2016";s:22:"structure__template_id";s:2:"13";}