Faculty Profile: Biocultural Diversity in Nepal
Get to know one of our faculty trip leaders, Abe Lloyd!
Abe is currently teaching classes at Western Washington University, and has led the Biocultural Diversity in Nepal program the last few years, starting in 2017.
What’s your academic background?
I have a bachelors in Natural Resource Management and my masters in Ethnoecology with a focus on Indigenous food system management. My teaching typically touches on themes related to natural history, ecology, ethnobotany, and place based learning.
What inspired you to teach this course?
I first went to Nepal with the Peace Corps in 2003 as a recent college graduate. I was assigned to Langtang National Park and found myself studying the flora and supporting villagers trying to improve their livelihoods through “home-stay” tourism.
Years later in 2013, when I started teaching college students, I realized that my experiences in Nepal had been pivotal to developing my worldview, my sense of self, and a better understanding of what I could contribute to the world. I started to think about ways I could pass similar transformative experiences on to Western students.
Two years later a catastrophic earthquake shook Nepal and I feared for the lives of my friends and the families that hosted me in Langtang. That’s when I earnestly started planning my return and developing the Biocultural Diversity of Nepal study abroad program.
What keeps you coming back?
It has been thrilling to reconnect with old friends, and see that my students are indeed finding rewarding perspective from the challenges, adventures, and cultural moments that make Nepal such a special place to study.
Any favorites from Nepal?
Tibetan circle dancing is definitely a favorite. Men and women form opposing crescents and take turns singing verses as they follow each other around in a circle. The Tibetan harmonies fill the cold mountain air with a spiritual magic that warms the soul and the complex rhythms are hypnotizing. It’s no wonder that they often dance all night during special lunar festivals.
My favorite plant is the Snow Lotus. It is so densely covered with soft white hairs that it looks like a cotton ball and it grows higher in the mountains than just about any other plant.
When it comes to food I love Sel Roti, Tibetan bread, and samosas. The bananas in Nepal are also incredible!
If you’re interested in getting to know Abe (or perhaps trying a Nepalese banana) apply to study abroad in Nepal!
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Our decision-making processes throughout the pandemic have been grounded in our values. We have been intentional in our approach to stay true to our mission. This year, we have continued to implement strategies to connect our network through peer-peer learning, hone our model for change and community-driven development, and tackle challenging issues like climate change.