Student Profiles – Tyler Hounshell

June 30, 2016 by artsciweb

Tyler Hounshell

During the summer of 2015, Tyler Hounshell had the opportunity to research and study abroad in India through Columbia University’s Summer Ecosystem Experiences for Undergraduates (SEE-U) Program. He was chiefly stationed in the state of Karnataka known for its natural beauty of the Western Ghats and its information technology sector located in Bangalore, its capital city. Through this program, Tyler studied poverty, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development in urban, rural, and remote mountainous locations – all with varying demographics.

For the first half of the trip, he took two classes: Conservation Biology of India and Field Methods in Ecology to satisfy the sustainable development portion of his major. The classes were taught in Bangalore with seminars given by researchers from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), an environmental conservation non-governmental organization (NGO). For the second part of the program, Tyler traveled to Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve. There he studied local conservation initiatives in indigenous communities that share their backyards with wildlife and, yes, even Bengal Tigers.

The final part of the journey took place in Coorg, a rural area known for its coffee and ecotourism. Monsoon season was in full force by this time; it rained every day. While in Coorg, Tyler completed a research project in which he conducted a disaggregated cost-benefit analysis of Sai Sanctuary, a privately protected reserve, while incorporating its ecosystem services. He was able to produce an article and had the opportunity to present the results at ATREE.

Here are Tyler’s reflections on his summer in India. “I can’t really describe it, but the culture there is just different. This quote, from a friend I met, sums it up: “Happiness is not happy unless it’s shared.” I really miss the little things, too. For example, I’d be walking down the street and see a mosque on one block, a Hindu temple on the next, and a church on the next. Then I would see a Jain man tiptoeing on the sidewalk so not to step on the tiniest of insects. There, most people do not say “hey” every day like we do in America. They say it with their eyes, their smile, or a little shake of the head. There is just a vast amount of diversity and understanding and depth that I wish we possessed here in the United States. I felt like I only scratched the surface on my journey. Ultimately, I would like to go back to India before I graduate and continue my research in sustainable development.”