Memories of a River

Steve and Raghav discuss the Em2 river modelling table

“When we stop the water flow or create a diversion, somehow the water finds a way back to the original channel.” Raghav said. “It is like the water has memory.”

Raghav is a shy guy but when he begins to talk about his experiences of using the river modelling table, his words flow; he comes alive.

Our Em2 river modelling table has been on-loan to Azim Premji University’s School of Climate Change and Sustainability (SCCS) in Bengaluru since November 2021. They have been using it during their annual November landscape-themed Festivals Of Life to engage with the primary school students on campus for the activities. The first event was called Rivers of Life. This was followed by Forests of Life, then Mountains of Life and this year it was Oceans of Life. Recently, Harini Nagendra who leads SCCS has said that there will be one recap of all of the Festivals of Life and that will conclude the series.

Raghav, originally from Chhattisgarh, applied to help as an intern with the first event. His organisational skills and appetite to learn led to him becoming a fixture in the festival team headed by Kunal Sharma.

Kunal (left) checks the table while hydrology and flooding expert Vivek Ganesh tells Steve about his experiences using it for education

I asked the team to pose for a few photos and Kunal said: “we are all shy, basically.” But a little cajoling on my part and with the help of the table, we soon had conversations building. We took turns to pose around the table, talking about the experiences of each of the team as we moved around.

We discussed how we can create some different scenarios. I suggested that by adding a thinner bore tube to the inlet, we could create a tributary. This immediately sparked a new direction to the chat.

I added: “What if we create a dam on the table and then fill a sponge with water and squeeze it next to the dam? To simulate a cloudburst over a glacial lake.”

Raghav added that: “the students have seen that much of the water is in the landscape, so they get the idea of underground water. We also created a huge river island in one session and then watched it get eroded. We talked to the kids about Majuli island (in Assam, the world’s largest riverine island) and the issues faced by those who live there.”

Hazeem said: “we get the chance to watch the birth of a river and to see how energetic it is.”

Steve and Aswathy discuss meanders

While Aswathy Arun and I followed the development of meanders on the table, she told me: “one of the key highlights for me was that the kids could see the river as it was: alive.”

My impression of the team is that far from being shy, they exude energy and purpose. Over the four annual, two-week festivals, 200 students each day have been privileged to get their hands on the table and to be guided by this superb team. Yep, that is more than 11,000 kids who have got their hands dirty, who have had a glimpse into how rivers function.

While it has been a bonus for Mahseer Trust that the table has been in use and reaching new students, we would like it to go further afield. Our first use of the table - on a road trip – was how we originally expected it to be used. We didn’t foresee it being a static fixture in a building. Indeed, immediately after taking it on the road, we hatched a plan for the table to be set-up in the back of a minibus so that it could even go into remote villages. Places where memories may not be made through school education but access to the memories of elders is an important fact of life.

During the extended loan to APU, the table did manage a road trip, this time to Kuvempu University in Lakkavali, in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. This place is close to the source of the Bhadra river; a prime mahseer river. If ever a place has been built within the cradle of mountains where rivers spring to life, it must surely look like this.

Kuvempu University campus high in the Western Ghats - image under CC3.0

I spoke to Rakshit G Hosamani, a doctoral student in the Environmental Science Department of the School of Earth Resources, about the visit.

"Students usually connect more through visual and hands-on learning." He said. "The river modelling table truly captured their attention."

Many of the responses were exactly as we expected: "students are amazed to see river processes happening before their eyes; they all start to ask questions, often well in advance of the levels we would expect."

I didn't need to push to get answers from Rakshit. "The practical demonstration helped students understand concepts so much quicker. Even students from rural schools interacted fully and understood the model. They all participated with great enthusiasm."

But how do we spread this learning further? Luckily, Rakshit had the answer.

"One moment that stands out in my mind was when a student asked 'can I record a video of this so I can share and explain about it to my family and friends?' Of course I agreed."

It was clear that Rakshit and the visit of the table had made some lasting memories for students in a small part of the Key Biodiversity Area known as the Western Ghats, a place where so many mahseer rivers develop their own characters as they plunge west, or steadily drain to the east like the Bhadra river.

Kids get their hands onto the table and simply play. Sometimes they teach themselves better that way...

Finally, the table had to return to APU for another Festival of Life. The team were prepared to create magic in the eyes and brains of future university students.

“A river takes millions of years to form. We compress that time.” Said Raghav. From a single straight line in the middle of the table, it takes about 30 seconds for meanders to form. It is easy to understand the process but can younger children compute what this means on a real landscsape level? He went on to consider the ‘bigger picture’.

Steve and Raghav discuss how to make changes to the water flow

“We get the kids to ‘play gods’. I would say to them: “you are god looking down on the landscape from above. Think of the scale. How can you create a mountain in this scale? When you have done that then I can add the river.”

Twists and turns, erosion and deposition, braiding, river cliffs and backwaters all brought to life at the flick of a switch.

When I caught up with Harini during a recent awareness event in Bengaluru, she impressed upon me that the river modelling table had really brough an extra dimension. That the staff had engaged just as much as the visitors.

Shashwat DC from the Community and Engagement team had plenty of video to share of kids and adults alike enthralled by the table.

All of the APU team spoke to me about how the chance to work on the table had added to their own understanding of river function. Raghav told me: “we saw things happening on the table and all said “what is that thing happening? Then we would visit a river and see the very thing that we didn’t understand before. It helped us to consider those forms and functions that were invisible to us before but now are very obviously formed by the power of flowing water.”

All parts of the campus are named after significant parts of the Kaveri river

The SCCS area of the APU campus is river themed. While walking back from an excellent lunch in the student canteen, Raghav and Hazeem showed me the sign boards. All points in the area are named after notable landmarks on the Kaveri river. Raghav also talked with excitement about the tree planting, which is all native species, many of them fruiting species. On the southeastern outskirts of one of India’s most manic megacities, the campus is a haven of calm where students have access to the best standards of education.

It is lucky for us that our river modelling table has been a part of that education for so many but it will soon be time to move on. It was lucky for me that I got to visit the campus and meet the team before we have to move the table.

We had a plan for the table to move to Kerala. Unfortunately the planning for the joint APU/KUFOS event broke down and the idea was cancelled. It has been our dream to allow some of our closest colleagues to experience the table for themselves. We still hope to move the table to KUFOS. We hope that the upcoming wetland interpretation centre at Vembanad Lake may play host to the table for some time.

After that, it would be great if we can move it to Wayanad for a few days and invite staff from the Forest Department to come and have an immersive experience about how their own fragile rivers are shaped.

One day soon we will help them to build new memories; memories of water and the shaping of mahseer rivers.

Steve with the School of Climate Change and Sustainability Festival of Life coordination team

It is our dream to have our Em2 river modelling table mounted permanently in the back of a minibus. If you can help us to source a vehicle (something like a Force Traveller in 4020 wide-body size, preferably on Karnataka or Kerala plates) please get in touch.

We would also love to help other parts of India have access to an Em2. If you know a college or NGO who would use one, then we can help with lesson planning and advice. We can also help with the ordering process but first take a look at: Em2 where you can find more information and videos of tables in action.