St John's Cambridge Ecological Expedition to Kashmir 1983

In a first phase botanical and ornithological teams based in the Liddar Valley carried out intensive studies on the adaptation of 2 species of plant and one species of bird to various degrees of altitude in the area round Kolahoi. The second phase involved a trek through Zanskar to Leh to study the effects of lead pollution, but attempts to obtain samples of blood and hair from monks and local villagers were, not surprisingly, unsuccessful. Contact was however made with a 'doctor collecting medicinal plants for the Dalai Lama' in a project which they hope to continue.