WELCOME TO

THE NEEV PROJECT

EXPERIENCE THE STORY OF EVERY LANDSCAPE

Our Story

Hi, I’m Kanchi and I like rocks!

I started The Neev Project to bridge the gap between how we experience landscapes and how we understand them.

Most people encounter landscapes passively as scenic backdrops. But these environments are dynamic systems shaped by geological processes over millions of years. The Neev Project transforms this passive experience into an active one.

I've spent the last 2 years conducting field visits in Ladakh and Mumbai to create geo-cultural experiences, educational programs, and storytelling tools that help people interpret the landscape around them that goes beyond flaura and fauna.

From immersive travel experiences built for anyone and everyone in regions like Ladakh to curriculum design and guided field learning for nature guide and students, my work sits at the intersection of science + education + tourism.

My goal is simple: to make Earth science accessible, engaging, and meaningful, so that people can admire their favourite sceneries fully acknowledging the amount of work Earth put into making it.

Our Projects

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The Ladakh Pilot

The collision zone between the Indian continent and Eurasia runs across ladakh. It was this collision that formed the Himalayas and changed the history of life on Earth forever.

This immersive multi day experience takes you on an adventure through time, uncovering the powerful forces that shaped its dramatic terrain over millions of years. You will leave with a deeper connection to nature, a fresh perspective on the world’s landscapes, and the wonder of history etched in stone.

I'M INTERESTED

Geo-Culture walk in Mumbai

Many are familiar with human history of Mumbai. But what happened before the humans were here?

In this walk through Sanjay Gandhi National Park, we introduce you to rock more than 60 million years old who tell the story of ancient Mumbai.

I'M INTERESTED

There is more than one type of volcano!
#earthscience #theneevproject #geology #volcano #kitchen

GNEISS (pronounced nice) is a highly metamorphic rock. This one is basically granite, that’s been cooked so much by pressure and temperature, that its minerals start to separate into bands.

#geology #earthscience #theneevproject #himalayas #rocks

In geology scale matters
#earthscience #theneevproject #earthhistory #geology #utahphotographer

The Guryul ravine in Kashmir is a protected fossil park. It rocks record the worst extinction ever in earth history. And it has some really cool fossils 😁

#earthscience #theneevproject #geology #kashmir #extinction

My favourite mineral of all 🥰
#earthscience #mineral #geology #himalayas #rockhound
@naimish65 my cameraman 😁

This is what a Sunday geology reconnaissance trip looks like with The Neev Project team 🤭

#theneevproject #earthscience #minerals #geology #ladakh

Heres what climate adaptation looks like at 11,000 ft.
There’s been a lot of questions around how to adapt to melting glaciers. @acresofice has been working with people globally to automate ice reservoirs so that the people depending directly on glaciers for water have a helping hand
#glacier #climatechange #ladakh #geology #ice

Some heartbreaks happen over text. Others take hundreds of freeze–thaw cycles.

Water seeps into tiny cracks of rocks. When temperatures drop, it freezes and expands, slowly prying the rock apart. A type of physical weathering. Repeat this enough times and even a heart of stone can break 😉

#theneevproject #geology #mountain #weathering #earthscience

What’s your favourite type of weathering ?

Seeing this glacier left me in awe of how powerful and beautiful the Himalayas can be. This glacier is a life giver

#glacier #ladakh #geology #theneevproject

This glacier, sitting literally on the side of the road, is probably one of my favourite ever. In the one hour we were there it kept changing its colours and appearances. STUNNING!!

#glacier #suru #geology #theneevproject #ladakh

From a moonland to a lake city, NH1 takes you through 100 million years of geology and 1,000+ years of history in a single drive

Swipe through all 8 stops, and save this for your next Ladakh road trip!
Which stop would you add to this list? Tell us below

#nh1 #geology #traveldiaries #srinagar #leh

It looks like rocks like doing yoga too 😉
#folds #theneevproject #himalaya #geology #zanskar

Long before the famed Lamayuru Monastery and the Moonland existed, a drive up to Fotu La on NH1 towards Lamayuru on a summer morning, 30,000 years ago, would have led you to the beautiful sight of a high altitude azure lake.

What remains of that lake today, makes millions stop in their tracks along NH1 to take photos: the famous moonland landscape of Lamayuru.

It’s actually the light coloured fine sediments, called gompa mud/ markalak or Multani Mitti, that were once deposited below the beautiful azure lake of Lamayuru

Reference: Phartiyal, B., et.al, “sedimentation tectonics and climate in Ladakh, NW trans-Himalaya-with a special reference to the late quaternary period”

#multanimitti #lamayuru #nh1 #geology #ladakh

Karan joined our Decipher Himalayas trip and came up with this great analogy for plate tectonics ☕️🌏🛘

#earthscience #geology #platetechtonics #chai #theneevproject

8 days, a bunch of new geology facts, amazing food, jaw drawing views, strong tan lines, new friends and a completely different understanding of what a “rock” is.

We just completed possibly one of the first geo themed experiences of Ladakh and it was so special ☺️

Special thanks to @rinchenkalon at @thekyagar for making it happen 🥳

#geology #vacation #ladakh #kyagar #theneevproject

Throwback to when I was in Utah, US, looking at pristine layers and layers of sedimentary rocks stacked up as pages of book telling the history of the earth from 270 million years ago. Even your grandparents weren’t born then 😉

#deadhorsepoint #geology #earthscience #geologyrocks #utahphotographer

Man vs nature #geology #concrete
You won’t be believe the number of times I’ve picked up pieces of road tarmac or slag thinking “oo what a cool rock” only to find its maker is a mere mortal and not Mother Nature 👀
What’s the coolest man made “rock” you’ve found ?

If you’ve ever looked at a landscape and wondered “how did this even form?” this is for you.

8 days. Leh → Nubra → Pangong.
Led by me. Designed as a story.

Limited spots.

Apply through the link in bio or DM @thekyagar

A forest turned fuel 😁

#earthscience #theneevproject #geology #coal #energy

Geologists don’t take photos. They take measurements with aesthetics ✨

#earthscience #theneevproject #geology #scale #photography

Ever wondered what a sand dune looks like on the inside ? These beautiful petrified sand dunes at arches national park in Utah has some answers

#geology #dessert #sanddunes #earthscience #theneevproject

Meet Pumice! It’s volcanic, got huge pores and likes to swim 🪨

#earthscience #theneevproject #geology #pumice #volcano

Neev isn’t going anywhere! I’ll be covering more stories about the landscape before I see you in India this summer!
Thanks for sticking around as I try to navigate this new terrain ♥️🥹

#earthscience #theneevproject #geology #gradschool #columbia

How old are really India’s monuments? The geological building blocks of India’s culture were literally made in Deep Time.
Drop your fav monuments in the comments and we’ll tell you what rock it’s made off!

#earthscience #theneevproject #geology #tajmahal #redfort #golconda #rocks #history

Sources: Geological Society of India https://share.google/dEGgQf295AKcGv37k
https://richardigibson.substack.com/p/delhis-red-fort
https://hyderabad.telangana.gov.in/tourist-place/golconda-fort/

Volcanoes are basically Earth’s pressure cookers

Deep inside the planet, rocks melt into magma: hot, thick, and full of gas. When that pressure builds up, it has two choices:
☑️ Flow gently, like the Indian Deccan traps did or Hawaii’s lava rivers
☑️ Explode violently, like Mount St. Helens

The difference? It’s all in the magma recipe: How thick (viscous) or runny it is.

So whether you’re a calm, flowy type or an explosive fireball, remember, volcanoes are just Earth letting off steam 🌋

#earthscience #theneevproject #geology #earthhistory #geologyrocks #EarthScienceSimplified #VolcanoFacts #magma #lava #deccantraps #hawaii #pressurecooker #kitchenscience #PlateTectonics #STEMLearning #ScienceCommunication #volcano #sciencereels

This crystal might look ordinary until you realize it’s made of an ancient ocean. Halite, or rock salt, forms when seas evaporate, leaving behind beds of salt that eventually turn to stone.

And yes, sometimes it can be the same salt that ends up in your kitchen.
So the next time you season your food, just remember... you’re tasting a rock.

#TheNeevProject #HaliteStories #GeoCurious #RockSaltRealness #VanishedOceans #MineralsMatter #DeepTimeOnYourPlate #GeologyIsEverywhere

[ halite crystal, rock salt formation, geology of salt, ancient oceans, edible geology, mineral education, salty stories, everyday earth science, ladakh minerals, deep time insights ]

What if we told you that parts of Mumbai sit on fossil beds? Worli, now a bustling coastal neighbourhood, was once a thriving marine ecosystem millions of years ago. Fossils found here tell the story of ancient sea life that lived long before skylines and sea links.

And to truly connect with that past, we visited the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, where these stories are preserved in stone and showcased for all curious minds. NOTE: Unfortunately, the fossil is not yet on display but you can find images online and read all about it!

#TheNeevProject #MumbaiFossils #DeepTimeInTheCity #GeoHeritage #WorliFossils #CSMVS #UrbanGeology #StonesTellStories #HiddenHistory

[ mumbai fossil record, worli geology, ancient sea in mumbai, marine fossils india, museum visits for geology, chhatrapati shivaji vastu sangrahalaya, fossil education, city and stone, deep time storytelling, geology in urban spaces ]

Not all fossils are bone. Some turn into precious minerals.
Over millions of years, minerals like pyrite, calcite, or even opal slowly replace the original tissue, turning once-living creatures into geological works of art.

#TheNeevProject #FossilGlowUp #MineralFossils #DeepTimeMagic #GeologyIsArt #EarthArchives #TransformedByTime #CrystalCreatures

Not every bone becomes a fossil. In fact, most don’t.

For a fossil to form, nature needs the perfect conditions: rapid burial, low oxygen, and just the right kind of sediment. Then we let time do its magic. A trace of life, preserved by time, pressure, and patience.

#TheNeevProject #FossilFormation #DeepTimeStories #EarthArchives #PreservedInStone #GeoCurious #LifeInLayers #HowFossilsAreMade

[ fossil formation process, conditions for fossilisation, earth science education, deep time preservation, natural history facts, geology explainer, sedimentary magic, fossils and time, storytelling with rocks, ancient life clues ]

The Indus River is a life giver. It’s one of the oldest in Asia. Long before names and nations we are familiar with, it flowed, shaping valleys, sustaining civilizations, and carrying the memory of a vanished ocean.

In Ladakh, it runs wild and clear, tracing the scars of tectonic collisions and folding stories into every bend.

#TheNeevProject #IndusRiver #DeepTimeFlow #GeoHeritage #RiverStories #LadakhLandscapes #EarthHistory #AncientWaters #GeologyAndCulture

[ indus river ladakh, ancient river systems, geology of rivers, tectonic landscape, river born from collision, river shaping culture, deep time stories, earth science exploration, sacred rivers india, river history and heritage ]

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Reach us: theneevproject@gmail.com