Forest Comebacks, Insect Rhythms, and Farewell Field Days: Stories from the last week of our Summer Internship 2025

Week Five was the final week of the Summer Internship in the mountains of Kinnaur. As the last datasets were recorded and equipment packed, the interns balanced demanding fieldwork with quiet moments, noticing changes in both the environment and themselves.

During this last phase, the team wrapped up long-term studies, organised research materials, and gathered weeks of careful notes from field sites such as Mebar, Harang Valley, Eres Kutang, Ralli, and Saryan Vatika.

Documenting Ecological Succession: Forests Reclaim Former Fields

Anjali and Poonam spent the week finishing vegetation surveys in old agricultural fields, some of which had not been farmed for almost 25 years. Using 1m by 1m quadrants, they counted plants, took photos following scientific methods, and kept preparing herbarium specimens.

“As more time passes, you can actually see the land changing,” Anjali reflected. “Fields that were once cultivated are slowly turning into forests.”

They saw clear signs of ecological succession, as grasses gave way to shrubs, and shrubs slowly made space for young trees. They also noticed groups of species from the same genus, which gave clues about how plant communities rebuild over time.

The week also included careful documentation. They regularly changed newspapers in plant presses to keep specimens safe, sorted and catalogued photos, and did initial literature reviews for several species.

Despite some rain and power cuts, the work continued steadily.

“The camera battery died on our last day,” Anjali recalled. “But we managed to document the most important species just in time.”

One highlight of the week was a field visit to Harang Valley, where the team found Arnebia benthamii, a rare Himalayan plant valued for its ecological and medicinal importance.

“I had only read about it before,” Anjali said. “Seeing it growing in the wild felt like discovering a quiet treasure.”

Meanwhile, Poonam improved her skills in preparing herbarium sheets and taking scientific photographs.

“I can now prepare herbarium sheets on my own,” she shared. “And I’ve learned how to photograph plants in ways that make identification much easier later.”

She also noticed clear ecological differences between the types of land.

“Shrubs and trees seem much more abundant in ghasni areas compared to abandoned fields,” she observed. “But the older fallow lands are clearly transitioning.”

Tracking Winged Life: Insect Activity Across Time and Terrain

As the plant surveys ended, Shashwat finished his study on how insects come back to abandoned farm fields. He used random line transects in Saryan Vatika, Mebar, and Harang Valley to record insect diversity, collect specimens, and save samples for later.

Weather had a strong effect on his results.

“On sunny days, the fields were full of life,” he noted. “But rain and heavy clouds reduced insect activity significantly.”

He saw that different species were active at different times of day.

“Pollinators like bees are most active from morning to afternoon,” he explained. “Moths and many beetles become more active during twilight hours.”

At each site, he found blister beetles, bumblebees, butterflies, robber flies, ants, scarab beetles, and chrysomelid beetles interacting with many Himalayan plants.

Along with documenting species, the week helped him become more confident as a researcher.

“I’ve learned how to design ecological experiments and identify species in the field,” Shashwat reflected. “Working in tough terrain also teaches you resilience.”

Shivam had joined the programme to assist with plant–pollinator interaction studies, bringing fresh curiosity and thoughtful questions to the field. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, he had to step away from the internship midway. While his time with the team was brief, his presence added enthusiasm to shared learning moments and field discussions, and he remains a valued part of this journey.

Field Challenges and Small Successes

Week Five brought its own challenges. Light rain made the trails slippery, long walks tested everyone’s stamina, and power cuts made it hard to charge equipment and manage data.

But these challenges became important learning experiences for everyone.

“My stamina has really improved,” Anjali shared. “Walking long distances in the mountains feels easier now.”

Teamwork was essential for solving problems, like sharing equipment or finishing documentation before the batteries ran out.

Culture, Community, and Moments of Belonging

Beyond research, the interns also enjoyed meaningful cultural experiences.

In Mebar and Pangi, they witnessed local deity processions and attended the Dakhrain festival, observing rituals that reflect the deep connections between community life, spirituality, and the natural environment.

For many interns, this was their first time seeing the region’s living cultural traditions. It reminded them that landscapes hold stories beyond just ecological data.

As the internship ended, learning moved beyond the field and into public spaces. The interns presented their research at the Kacha Launch, a day-long event organised by the Saryan Vigyan Foundation with Zed Tells.

For many interns, it was their first experience sharing scientific findings with a live audience.

Charts, photographs, insect specimens, and herbarium sheets, once just field materials, became tools for storytelling. The interns gave presentations, set up an interactive stall, showed short videos, and talked with visitors about their mountain research.

“I was nervous at first,” Poonam admitted, “but when people started asking questions, it felt good to realise how much we had actually learned.”

The event brought together more than a hundred students, educators, activists, and community members. People moved between display tables and video screenings, where ecological findings sparked curiosity and conversation.

Visitors stopped to look at preserved specimens, asked about insect behaviour, and listened as the interns explained how abandoned fields slowly turn back into forests.

For the interns, the day marked a quiet but important change from being learners in the field to young researchers sharing knowledge with the public. By the end of the event, they felt their work belonged not just in reports and datasets, but also with the wider community whose landscapes they had studied.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

With the fieldwork in Kinnaur finished, the focus now shifts to analysing data, reviewing literature, submitting reports, and preparing for presentations and conferences.

The interns started as beginners learning to hold quadrants steady and became confident researchers who could identify species quickly. They leave with stronger skills, a deeper understanding of ecology, and a lasting connection to the mountain landscapes.

In the coming winter months, some interns will visit partner research labs for advanced, hands-on learning. These visits are planned to match their field projects, so the questions they explored in the mountains can grow further in top research settings.

This is a meaningful next step, moving from watching forests reclaim old fields to working in some of the country’s top scientific spaces, while carrying forward the same curiosity, care, and commitment to understanding nature.

Stay tuned for the final reflections from the Saryan Vigyan Foundation Summer Internship 2025, as these young researchers take their field experiences into new adventures.