Snow Leopard Conservancy -- Who We Are (Our Partners)

Public Awareness

Snow Leopard Conservancy (SLC) operates within CAT – Cat Action Treasury, (www.felidae.org) a nonprofit fund for the conservation of wild cats in their natural habitats. CAT supports projects endorsed as high priority by the IUCN – World Conservation Union’s Cat Specialist Group. CAT is an IRS-certified nonprofit 501 (c) (3) public charity. All donations are fully tax-deductible.

Fundraising capacity and institutional support is provided by:

Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) (http://www.WildNet.org) based in Los Altos, California. WCN is the first organization to focus on funding, supporting and developing the next generation of “conservation entrepreneurs” – independent, innovative conservationists who are creating and implementing new strategies for saving endangered wildlife and habitats. Like their counterparts in business, successful conservation entrepreneurs dare to bring new thinking to old problems.

Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), Paris www.acted.org. ACTED is an apolitical, and non-confessional international relief agency active on 5 continents in 14 countries. ACTED develops about 160 projects a year in emergency relief, food security, health and populations, economic development, natural disaster prevention, and cultural promotion.

American Himalayan Foundation (AHF) (http://www.himalayan-foundation.org/), based in San Francisco, California with a field office in Nepal, is dedicated to helping the people and ecology of the Himalaya.

Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) (http://www.ntnc.org.np/acap.php), Nepal, is widely acknowledged as a pioneering effort in community-based conservation and development. ACAP operates under the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), which is dedicated to promoting, conserving and managing nature in all its diversity, balancing human needs with the environment on a sustainable basis for posterity.

Australian Himalayan Foundation (AHF), (http://www.australianhimalayanfoundation.org.au) Sydney. The Australian Himalayan Foundation's vision is, simply, a better life for the people of the Himalaya. This is achieved through improvements in education, health & medical service, and environment & sustainability.

Chinese Academy of Forestry A multi-discipline, comprehensive and public interests research institution affiliated with the State Forestry Administration. The Academy is principally engaged in forest research of applied sciences while conducting research to address the scientific and technological issues that bear overall, comprehensive, crucial and fundamental magnitudes as well as to serve the needs of forestry modernization.

Dolpa Educational Social and Environmental Reservation Team (DESERT), Nepal (http://www.friendsofdolpa.org/) DESERT is a non-governmental organization, founded in 1993, with ambitious education and conservation projects dedicated to providing opportunities for Dolpa children (in particular) and to preserving the natural and cultural environments found in the region.

Ecotourism & Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS) (http://www.sikkiminfo.net/ecoss/) is comprised of members who are dedicated to community self-reliance and have a mandate to achieve the goals of sustainable development in the fields of ecotourism and conservation.

Fauna & Flora International China (http://www.fauna-flora.org/qinghai.php) On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, Fauna & Flora International is encouraging nomad communities to view wildlife conservation as a means to improve livelihoods and protect their unique culture.

Hushey Village Conservation Committee. Pakistan, Comprised of six members, the Committee was established in 1997, in partnership with the IUCN-Pakistan Biodiversity Conservation Project. The Committee is responsible for controlling unlawful hunting of wild animals and birds in the Hushey Community Conservation Area.

International Snow Leopard Trust (ISLT) (http://www.snowleopard.org/), based in Seattle, Washington, is dedicated to the conservation of the endangered snow leopard and its mountain ecosystem through a balanced approach that considers the needs of the people and the environment.

International Trust for Nature Conservation (ITNC) (http://http://www.ntnc.org.np). London. The ITNC is a British registered charity founded in 1980 by A.V. Jim Edwards and a group of like minded people united in a determination to try and protect parts of the world where wildlife is threatened by human activities.

Japanese Wildlife Research Center The Japanese Archipelago enjoys a rich diversity. Intensive land use due to heavy population has resulted in conflicts between human activities and nature. We must strike a balance between them and we need technology for it. The Japan Wildlife Research Center was founded to develop art, science and policy to keep the coexistence between human society and nature.

Kalpavriksh (http://www.kalpavriksh.org/) Kalpavriksh is a magical tree in Indian mythology which fulfills people’s wishes. Kalpavriksh, the Non-Governmental Organization, believes that a country can develop meaningfully only when ecological sustainability and social equity are guaranteed and a sense of respect for, and oneness with, nature and fellow humans is achieved.

Khangchendzonga Conservation Committee (KCC) (http://www.sikkiminfo.net/ecoss/kbr.htm), Sikkim, is a community based organization comprised of representatives of community and stake holders in tourism enterprise. KCC works for the conservation of natural and cultural resources, to mitigate negative impacts of tourism through skill development training, micro planning, awareness campaigns, monitoring of natural resources, and advocacy for appropriate policy changes.

Khunjerab Village Organization (KVO). Pakistan, KVO refers to a coalition of seven villages with 307 households, located along the Karakoram Highway, near Pakistan's border with China. Also nearby is the 877 square-mile Khunjerab National Park. KVO cooperates with Park authorities, WWF-Pakistan, IUCN-Pakistan and the Snow Leopard Conservancy on management issues in the Park and buffer zone.

Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG), promotes ecological and sustainable development which harmonizes with and builds on traditional culture in Ladakh, India.

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, (Steve Zachary, Education Specialist). Between 1997 and 2000, the U.S. Dept. of Interior was involved in the Partnership for Biodiversity in Nepal’s far western Dolpo District. Over several working visits to Nepal, Steve developed an abiding interest in the country and a continuing commitment to assist with its conservation challenges.

Manang Youth Society (http://www.destinationmanang.com/) Nepal. A not-for-profit group comprising young Manangi professionals working to improve the living standards of villagers in Manang. Established in 1999, the society has been involved in setting up and running educational and health projects in Manang district. Society members have been the main organizers of Destination Manang 2004, aimed at highlighting the cultural and wildlife viewing attractions of this part of the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Mongolian Academy of Science Forty-nine scientific organizations comprise the Academy, including five technological, three natural, five agricultural, four medical, and fifteen social science institutions and centers, as well as ten research, experimental and production corporations. A catalog of Mongolian mammals, birds, fish and insects has been made. One hundred nineteen new and previously unknown medicinal plants have been discovered.

Mountain Institute (TMI) (http://www.mountain.org/), Washington, D.C. A scientific and educational organization, TMI is committed to preserving mountain environments and advancing mountain cultures throughout the world. TMI supports field initiatives in the Andes of South America, the Himalaya of Asia, and the Appalachians of North America.

Mountain Spirit, (MS), Nepal, is dedicated to making the mountains a better place to live, work and visit by improving the quality of life and empowering the local people to make their own decisions and determine their own destiny. MS specializes in training field workers in applying APPA in sustainable development, protection of the environment, and human capacity-building. With staff from Himalayan mountain communities, they have participated in diverse community-based projects in Nepal, Sikkim, and Tibet.

Murgab Ecotourism Association (META)
(http://phiproject.free.fr/specialecotourism.htm) operates in the heart of Tajikistan’s famed Pamir Mountains, home to Marco Polo Sheep. Established by ACTED, with assistance from UNESCO in 2004, the organization’s goal is to promote a sustainable socio-economic dynamic of ecotourism in the East Pamir, focused around natural and cultural resources conservation as well as self-mobilisation, and based on high community participation.

Muse (http://www.spitiecosphere.com/about_us_partners.htm), India. The Muses, in Greek mythology, were the nine goddesses or spiritual guides who inspired creativity. Muse today is an NGO working on issues pertaining to the development of sustainable livelihoods, environment and culture conservation, policy advocacy and women’s empowerment in the Spiti valley for over 6 years. The organisation was formed in the summer of 2002 by a group of individuals whose passion for the mountains and sustainable development inspired them to come together for this endeavour.

National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) (http://www.ntnc.org.np), Nepal, is dedicated to promoting, conserving and managing nature in all its diversity, balancing human needs with the environment on a sustainable basis for posterity. Its Annapurna Conservation Area Project is widely acknowledged as a pioneering effort in community-based conservation and development.

The Rocky Mountain Cat Conservancy (RMCC) (http://www.catconservancy.org/), is dedicated to promoting wild cat conservation through research and community stewardship. Involving school children in non-invasive camera trapping of mountain lions is a key of this newly established organization.

Shimshal Nature Trust, (SMT), (http://www.mockandoneil.com/shimshal.htm) (http://www.brocku.ca/geography/faculty/d_butz/shimshal.php), Pakistan, engages in tasks related to community economic, social, cultural, educational, and environmental development; working as a link between internal (village) and external organizations; cooperating with all religious, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations working for the welfare of the local people; organizing and strengthening common causes and efforts of village level organizations.

Snow Leopard Network, (SLN) (http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/), is charged with coordinating the efforts of researchers and conservationists working across the snow leopard's vast range. The network will exchange information and collaborate on projects through its member organizations, with the goal of maximizing limited resources and minimizing duplication of effort.

Society for Environmental Education, (SEE), Pakistan, is an association of primary, middle, and high school teachers in the Gojal district of Pakistan's Northern Areas. It is headed by Aziz Kahn, a dynamic teacher at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Morkhun Village.

Technology Applications Team (TAT), U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, U.S. Department of the Interior. This four year cooperative agreement for “Biodiversity Conservation in Central Asia” focused on collaborative field surveys with range country scientists, emphasizing camera trapping and exploring other non-invasive techniques for assessing snow leopard populations. Local wildlife professionals were trained in rapid assessment and survey techniques.

Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.org) Collaboration through the Dept. of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, with the Chinese Academy of Forestry, to examine the distribution, evolution, and status of mammals in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Dr. Jan Janecka leads the program within Dr. William Murphy’s laboratory, where he is conducting research on the evolution of mammals.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), France. http://www.unesco.org. UNESCO’s program, Cultural and Eco-tourism in the Mountainous Regions of Central Asia and in the Himalayas, is part of a program to assist the 190 Member States in preparing their cultural tourism policies while reconsidering the relationship between tourism and cultural diversity, tourism and intercultural dialogue, and tourism and development. In this way, UNESCO proposes to contribute to the fight against poverty, protection of the environment and mutual appreciation of cultures. An interdisciplinary project, drawing on the expertise of international NGOs and tourism professionals in the seven participating countries, the project is making a practical and positive contribution to alleviating poverty by helping local communities to draw the maximum benefit from their region’s tourism potential, while protecting the environmental and cultural heritage of the region concerned.

Wildlife Protection Department of Jammu and Kashmir State, and especially the staff of the Ladakh office in Leh.

WWF-Nepal (www.panda.org/about_wwf/) provides support to several important snow leopard protected areas, such as Shey-Phoksundo National Park where Rodney Jackson conducted the world’s first radio-tracking study of snow leopards in the early 1980’s.

Xinjaing Conservation Fund, China, A network of local NGOs coordinating input into national and international processes and facilitating sustainable environmental development in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. XCF aims to improve the rights of vulnerable groups (elders, women, children, ethnic groups), raising public awareness of environmental protection, implementing conservation projects in order to promote the establishment and development of a harmonious civil society in Xinjiang.

Outreach and Other Organizations

Calgary Zoological Society, Canada (http://www.calgaryzoo.org) The Conservation Fund of the Calgary Zoological Society supports projects at the Zoo, locally and internationally. Brian Keating, Head of Conservation Outreach, says of the Snow Leopard Conservancy, “We believe our relationship with people like you will help keep our zoo visitors, staff and Trustees better informed and better connected to important research like yours.”

Crushpad Wine (http://www.crushpadwine.com/) By bringing winemaking to the city, augmenting it with education and support, and taking care of the time-consuming parts, Crushpad Wine wants to enable anyone with a serious interest in wine to participate in the magic of winemaking.

Discovery Initiatives (www.discoveryinitiatives.co.uk/discover/trip/India/Snow_Leopard_trek) aims quite simply to give the traveler exceptional wildlife encounters and privileged insight into the natural world, across the world.

Geographic Expeditions (http://www.geoex.com) is professionally committed to the cultural and environmental well-being of the places they visit. GeoEx follows expertly designed on-the-ground practices, seeking to create inspirational experiences for guests and students, and supporting a variety of institutions that further these ideals. GeoEx is a partner with the SLC in offering Special Snow Leopard Treks.

Himalayan Homestays (http://www.himalayan-homestays.com/) Try a Himalayan Homestay while trekking in the mountains of Ladakh, India, and help local communities to improve their lives and environment. Himalayan Homestays is a joint project of Snow Leopard Conservancy, The Mountain Institute and UNESCO.

Traveling with KarmaQuest Ecotourism and Adventure Travel (http://www.KarmaQuests.com) is much more than a holiday adventure, it is experiencing a new culture and way of life from the inside out. It is helping to conserve the natural environment, endangered wildlife, and our world’s rich cultural heritage by supporting conservation and sustainable tourism. It is about learning from studied and local experts in the field and on location. KarmaQuest is a partner with the SLC in offering Special Snow Leopard Treks.

Sebastopol artist Molly Eckler (www.mollyeckler.com) created the Snow Leopard Conservancy’s beautiful logo, letterhead and business cards. Visit Molly’s website to see examples of her work commissioned by the Pt. Reyes National Seashore Association, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, City of Sebastopol, and California Coastal Conservancy – and her award-winning baby T-Rex T-shirt design.

The Sierra Endangered Cat Haven (http://www.cathaven.com/) is an innovative park dedicated to the preservation of wild cats set in 100 scenic acres on the edge of the Sequoia National Forest, 15 miles west of King's Canyon National Park, California.

From Temple Art Studio (www.tibetcolor.com) comes the work of Terris Temple and his wife Leslie Nguyen Temple. From 1992 to 1997, Leslie and Terris worked at the request of Tsurphu monastery in Tibet to create two traditional Buddhist thangkas – sacred paintings or appliques – to replace the treasured images (one measuring 108x70 feet) lost during the Cultural Revolution. Terris is the first westerner to have studied and practiced the art of Tibetan Thangka painting in Nepal from 1966 to 1975. First trained in art therapy, Leslie traveled and worked in Asia before focusing on the study of Tibetan thangka painting. She uses silks and brocades blended with painting, based on techniques found in Eastern Tibet.

Rob and Barb Dicely of Wild Cat Education and Conservation Fund (http://www.wildcatfund.org/) travel to schools, events and corporations with (to mention just a few) Chandra, a clouded leopard, Oksana, a siberian lynx, and Asha, a snow leopard, who represent their wild relatives and shares the message of conservation.

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