Earth Day Cat Chat – Snow Leopards and Conservation Education

Suraj Upadhaya was born and raised in Dolpa, the northern part of Nepal. As a youth, he was interested in science, but it was his participation in the Snow Leopard Ranger program that directed him toward conservation. When he and his classmates were asked about what they wanted to be one day, some would say a doctor and others an engineer, but Suraj’s dream was to become a forest ranger. He has been able to make that dream come true.

Suraj completed his undergraduate studies in forestry at the Institute of Forestry, Nepal, in 2012 and received a master of science degree in 2015 from the University of Kentucky. And in 2019, he was awarded a PhD in Integrative Conservation of Nature and Forestry from Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia.

Currently, Suraj is a postdoctoral research associate with Iowa State University where he is using the socio-ecological framework to understand the conservation behaviors of landowners. He is conducting research and teaching in the areas of socio-ecological systems and the human dimension of natural resource management.

Suraj is also actively participating in research in the Himalayas through his organization, Himalayan Conservation and Research Institute.

Suraj was joined by the Conservancy’s Outreach Manager Shavaun Kidd and Vice President Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson to chat about conservation education and its impact on snow leopard conservation.