Participation Type
Experiential Presentation
Presentation #1 Title
An Appalachia Abroad: Connecting to International Mountain Cultures in India's Uttarakhand
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This experiential presentation is the culmination of a study abroad trip to the Garhwali mountain region in India’s Uttarakhand, located within the base level Himalayas. Students from Appalachian State University spent eighteen days in-country travelling in the Garhwali region into the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve’s outer core. In addition to trekking, the students participated in home stays, cultural exchanges, and religious ceremonies with locals from the villages of Lata and Reni. Students connected the Uttarakhand's cultural traditions, the growing development of a handicraft trade, local tourism development, environmental activism, natural resource management practices, and the struggles and triumphs in establishing autonomy, to that of the Appalachian region.
By connecting to the local culture and comparing their experiences to the Appalachian region, students used comparative mountain study's methodologies to recognize the problems and solutions surrounding sustainable development have commonalities across the globe. India's Uttarakhand and Appalachia have a common heritage and common goals for the future. Connecting the two regions provide opportunity for furthering the goals of sustainable development on regional, national, and global scales. In addition, the partnerships established from the study abroad provide new social capital for the Appalachian region and the possibility of long-term comparative mountain study opportunities and partnerships.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Kelsey Krepps is a graduate student at Appalachian State University pursuing a double masters degree in both Appalachian Studies (MA) and Technology (MS) with a focus on sustainability within the region. She is an avid naturalist and has worked with nonprofit organizations in both northern and southern Appalachia to establish sustainable development practices through eco-tourism, natural resource management, and renewable technologies.
Conference Subthemes
Environmental Sustainability, Diversity and Inclusion
An Appalachia Abroad: Connecting to International Mountain Cultures in India's Uttarakhand
This experiential presentation is the culmination of a study abroad trip to the Garhwali mountain region in India’s Uttarakhand, located within the base level Himalayas. Students from Appalachian State University spent eighteen days in-country travelling in the Garhwali region into the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve’s outer core. In addition to trekking, the students participated in home stays, cultural exchanges, and religious ceremonies with locals from the villages of Lata and Reni. Students connected the Uttarakhand's cultural traditions, the growing development of a handicraft trade, local tourism development, environmental activism, natural resource management practices, and the struggles and triumphs in establishing autonomy, to that of the Appalachian region.
By connecting to the local culture and comparing their experiences to the Appalachian region, students used comparative mountain study's methodologies to recognize the problems and solutions surrounding sustainable development have commonalities across the globe. India's Uttarakhand and Appalachia have a common heritage and common goals for the future. Connecting the two regions provide opportunity for furthering the goals of sustainable development on regional, national, and global scales. In addition, the partnerships established from the study abroad provide new social capital for the Appalachian region and the possibility of long-term comparative mountain study opportunities and partnerships.
