Major in English

mini
Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:35:19 +0000

The modern hugging trees movement dates from March 26, 1974 in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand, North India, when a group of women headed by a woman named Gaura Devi, hugged a group of ash trees slated for being chopped down to be made into tennis rackets. From there the movement.

(There was, however, a previous tree hugging movement in Rajasthan, India in 1730, about which I have written as well.) I met Gaura Devi and the area tree hugging leader Chandi Prasad Bhatt (still a friend) in 1977, and published an article in early 1979. Another article was published at the same time by my friend Mark Shepherd in Co-Evolution Quarterly.) Hugging trees comes from the Garhwali word “Chipko”, which means “embrace”.

Did I mention that my English major fed my love of reading fine literature that I have retained for more than 40 years?

In our own little ways, English majors change the world! and occasionally get paid to do it.