Annual yarsagumba rush leaves Dolpa classrooms empty

Most students, parents, and even teachers have headed to the highlands in search of quick cash from the prized caterpillar fungus.

Come yarsagumba (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) harvesting season in Dolpa, a remote mountain district in Karnali province, and classrooms fall silent. Students, their parents and even teachers, head to the highland meadows to cash in on the prized caterpillar fungus.