From building roads to connecting souls

MYP 4 went on a 5-day field trip to Jim Corbett National park on the 2nd of February. We stayed in Camp Syatt, Uttarakhand and did several activities such as trekking, jungle safari, and a lot of volleyball. 

For our Service as Action activity, we helped construct parts of a road to a local school, the state of which was unusable during the rainy season, according to the locals. To construct the road, we split into two groups, one responsible for the breaking down and placing of the rocks and the other group was responsible for mixing the mortar. We took turns doing this tiring activity and we were proud of our result – a concrete road for many years to come.

Our IDU assessment for this year was to inquire about the relationship of biodiversity between flora and the effects of human interference. We were divided into groups and each group created a documentary to assess whether the impacts of humans were beneficial or detrimental to the Jim Corbett Park and the buffer zone around the reserve. Through the disciplines of Math and Science we looked at the biodiversity of the park and the camp surroundings and used trigonometry to find the height of trees and measured the range of plant species using quadrants. Our findings were then recorded as a documentary using filming techniques which we experimented with on-site. 

Though we already had an inkling about the impact of humans on the environment around Jim Corbett, it was an eye-opener to also see the close relationship locals had with their environment and the pride they took in showing us their home.

Anhad Singh Kalra and Muhammad Ali Malik for MYP4