We all know that the forests of the world are being cut down at alarming rates. Deforestation contributes to climate change, loss of biodiversity, and new emerging diseases. I was fortunate to take advantage of my recent trip to India to visit a re-forestation project in Imphal, Manipur.  One man, Moirangthem Loiya, initiated a project 20 years ago to plant thousands of trees, and convert a barren hillside into a verdant subtropical rainforest. I had the honor of being able to visit this forest with the intention of beginning some scientific work there. I have been studying deforestation and avian diseases for a long time, but this will be an opportunity to explore how a new forest affects the birds and their parasites. Imphal is the capital of Manipur, near the border with Myanmar. The Meitei language is dominant and the place seems very far removed from mainland India. They use rupees, but otherwise, it seems like a very different country: there has been a movement for Manipur independence for many years. I got to taste foods of Manipur, and explore Imphal in a short but memorable trip. I met wonderful people, and gave a seminar at the university. My host was Sumanth Kuduvalli, an award-winning wildlife filmmaker. I planted a tree in my father’s memory and saw forests in different stages of reforestation. It is really time that I begin some work in India, and this is a project of optimism, where wildlife is coming back, and people are reversing humanity’s damage. India is now the country with the highest population. There is basically no space left, so any efforts to preserve nature are exceedingly important.

I was in India to attend a wedding, and also spend some time with relatives in Delhi and Goa. The wedding was an incredible Punjabi event, with live singers and dancer, plus of course vast amounts of delicious culinary delights. However, Delhi is smoggy and chaotic: this is raw humanity, a city of 33 million people struggling to mean something. Goa on the other hand was sublime.  Warm sea and sunsets. I hope to be back to India soon, I always feel surprisingly at home.