Shillong: Patrick A Rogers, an American travel writer and researcher, who passed away on March 21, left behind for posterity, valuable documents that he had prepared on the botanical ‘engineering’ wonders of the globally known living root bridges of Meghalaya.He died of cardiac complications at Shnongpdeng, a riverside village near the India-Bangladesh border in Dawki, known for its crystal-clear Umngot river.Rogers had authored ‘The Green Unknown: Travels in the Khasi Hills’. He had pioneered the ‘Living Root Bridge Project’, which focused on mapping and preserving the root bridges in the hill state.“The Living Root Bridges community of Meghalaya mourns the loss of Patrick Rogers. Patrick was not just a visitor to Meghalaya, he became deeply connected to our land, our forests, and our people. Through his dedication, writings, and years of exploration, he played an important role in bringing global attention to the living root bridges and helping the world recognize their value,” CM Conrad K Sangma had said.
