Conservancy Director Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson speaks about snow leopard conservation, and Tshiring Lhamu Lama presents her incredible work for snow leopards and her community of Dolpo, Nepal, at the WCN Spring Conservation Expo in April of 2023.

Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson, executive eirector, speaks on behalf of the Snow Leopard Conservancy at the Fall 2022 WCN Wildlife Conservation Virtual Expo. Her presentation features videography and photography by photographer and citizen scientist Tashi Ghale. It highlights the work being done by several of our partners in Nepal:

• Rinzin Phunjok Lama, conservation biologist with the Third Pole Conservancy and recipient of the Rolex Award for Enterprise in 2021, is working to protect snow leopards and the unique mountain biodiversity through ecological surveys and community outreach, including the mentorship of students in ecology.

• Tshiring Lhamu Lama, snow leopard conservationist, works with local communities along with her sister Sonam Lama to mitigate human predator conflict by changing attitudes toward snow leopards. They are doing this by introducing livestock management methods that reduce depredation such as FoxLights light deterrent systems. Tshiring and Sonam are inspiring other women and young people to take an active role in conservation.

• Kamal Thapa has been working through the Conservancy’s Darwin Initiative toward a better coexistence between snow leopards and the local people.

Also highlighted is the launch of the Conservancy’s One-Health Veterinary Pilot Program in Nepal. Workshops were held in the spring of 2022 collaboratively with International Veterinary Outreach, Mountain Spirit, and the San Francisco Zoo.

Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson, vice president, speaks on behalf of the Snow Leopard Conservancy at the Fall 2021 WCN Wildlife Conservation Virtual Expo. She is joined by the Conservancy’s education director, Darla Hillard, and our partners Rinzen Phunjok Lama, conservation biologist with the Third Pole Conservancy and executive member of Mountain Spirit, Nepal; Tashi Ghale, wildlife photographer and field biologist, Nepal; Maria  Azhunova, director elect of Land of Snow Leopard Network (LOSL) & executive director of the Baikal Buryat Center of Indigenous Cultures, Mongolia; and founding members of LOSL, Buyanbadrakh Erdenetsogt, Mongolia, and Altantsetset Tsendendamba, Mongolia.

Almagul Osmonova, Land of Snow Leopard Network country coordinator for Kyrgyzstan, participates in the Local Hands roundtable discussion on behalf of the Conservancy at the WCN Wildlife Conservation Virtual Expo in April 2021. Together with her partners from other local NGOs, Ms. Osmonova works to protect snow leopards and their habitats by engaging local communities, teachers, and students in education and awareness-building activities.

Dr. Rodney Jackson and Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson, vice president of the Snow Leopard Conservancy, speak on behalf of the Snow Leopard Conservancy at the WCN Wildlife Conservation Virtual Expo in October 2020.

Dr. Rodney Jackson and Maria Azhunova, director elect of the Land of the Snow Leopard Network, speak on behalf of the Snow Leopard Conservancy at the WCN Wildlife Conservation Expo in October 2019.

Dr. Rodney Jackson speaks on behalf of the Snow Leopard Conservancy at the WCN Wildlife Conservation Expo in October 2014.