This session is led by Dr. Rachelle Gould, an Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont. Rachelle will start us off by exploring how conservation education is more than creating awareness, and more than information delivery. The session will discuss how the core goal of conservation education is to develop informed, active citizens who feel empowered to create change. Throughout the session the group will discuss considerations, ideas, and sample learning activities that can help to develop informed, active members of society.
Session 1.1: Introduction to Education Conservation
For this Session we have the pleasure to invite the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL) Network. LOSL is part of a groundbreaking collaboration between western and indigenous science and has two overriding goals: reviving ancient conservation practices and creating pathways for Indigenous Cultural Practitioners to be coequal partners in research and planning for the conservation of snow leopards.
The network is striving to help the GSLEP governments understand and embrace the snow leopard’s spiritual nature and fundamental place in indigenous practices as well as to share knowledge of the spiritual and cultural importance of these cats and the imperative to embrace this knowledge in securing landscapes for their preservation. LOSL received the Disney Conservation Hero Award in 2020, recognizing local citizens for their commitment to save wildlife, protect habitats, and inspire their communities to take part in conservation efforts. The Snow Leopard Conservancy facilitates Land of Snow Leopard and provides technical and fiscal support. This Session will focus on introducing the indigenous ways of learning and teaching in snow leopard landscapes, with a special focus on two of LOSL’s programs: 1. learning from elders and 2. teaching in nomadic communities.
Session 2.1: Introduction to Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL)
Session 2.2: Aksakals and youth for the snow leopard and its habitat
Session 2.3: Snow Leopard Day in the Altai, Russia
Session 2.4: Nomadic Nature Trunk Program for Mountain Eco-System Conservation
The challenges presented by the current environmental crisis require a diversity of perspectives and capacities to achieve human well-being and biodiversity outcomes that are equitable and just. However, the scientific community is still missing essential perspectives from women scientists.
There is evidence of a large and persistent gender gap across a number of levels. For example, as an indicator of representation, a 2021 study showed that women represented only 11% of the top-publishing authors in over a 1000 leading journals in ecology, evolution, and conservation between 1945 to 2019. In the most recent period (2005-2019) there is progress but slow (18% vs 13% in the 1990-2004 period). Within those figures there remains further underrepresentation of women and scientists from the Global South. The research publication gap in the snow leopard conservation community has not yet been assessed in detail. It may however be facing a similar trend. Women’s contribution to snow leopard science is broader and individuals and organizations are making efforts to empower women scientists across the snow leopard range and world.
In this webinar we will be hearing from women scientists who have been working on snow leopard science – Dr. Bermet Tursunkulova, Imogene Cancellare & Dr. Manvi Sharma – and involved in work that supports women in participation and decision making. They will highlight gaps and challenges they see for women in science and discuss strategies for building scientific capacity and creating a supportive community for snow leopard researchers. Dr. Justine Shanti Alexander, the Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Network, will facilitate the panel discussion. She has been actively involved in snow leopard research and conservation for a number of years and brings further perspectives from the SLN network.
Opening the webinar we first hear from the panelists, each with a five-minute presentation, where they set the context of their work and highlight key issues. This will be followed by the panel discussion facilitated by Dr. Justine Alexander for twenty minutes. This will be followed by an open interaction with the audience. Please bring your ideas and questions with you to the
About our Guests
Dr. Bermet A. Tursunkulova
Dr. Bermet A. Tursunkulova is the Director of Development at the American University of Central Asia and Fundraising and PR Consultant for the Snow Leopard Trust. She is also Associate Professor at the International and Comparative Politics, holding PhD in Political Science from Kyrgyz-Slavonic Russian University and MA degree in International Relations and European studies from Central European University. Dr. Tursunkulova has published in East European Politics, Central Asian Survey, International Higher Education Journal and other. Her research interest focuses on transition politics, electoral politics, color revolutions and politics of globalization.
Apart from her academic career, she has an extensive project coordination and management experience in international educational programs and successful fundraising experience for the II World Nomad Games and the Snow Leopard Trust. She is a former Deputy Minister of Education and Science, she has also served as an Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic. While advising the office of the Prime Minister she was a member of the Taza Koom Working Group to introduce digital reforms and cybersecurity in the country, including advocating for digital skills.
Imogene Cancellare
Imogene Cancellare is a PhD Candidate at the University of Delaware, USA, working with the NGO Panthera on snow leopard genetics. Her research focuses on understanding the ecological and evolutionary patterns that impact snow leopard population connectivity range-wide. She has been involved in many US-based efforts focused on increasing capacity for women in STEM, including science communication on social media, university programs for young women in science, and published research on addressing public stereotypes of scientists.
Dr. Manvi Sharma
Dr. Manvi Sharma is a Research Associate with the Nature Conservation Foundation, India. Her research interests include behavioural ecology and population biology of predator-prey systems. She uses a diverse set of tools to understand the ecological consequences of predator-prey behaviour and movement on population dynamics and disease spread. She is currently based in Bangalore, where she also plays ultimate frisbee for her team.
Date/Time
Tuesday, September 28th, at 17:00-18:15 Bishkek time
If you have never used Zoom before, we recommend that you try the link 10 minutes before the start of the lecture.
Please feel free to write questions in the comment area and there will be time for questions/discussion at the end of the talk.
Please note that the session will be recorded and later featured on the SLN website. If you have concerns about this please let us know before the session.
October 6th, 13th & 20th, 2021
18:00-20:00 Bishkek time
Encounters with snow leopards can take many forms. They can range from rare sightings of one or more snow leopards, coming across injured snow leopards or instances or coming across cubs that may appear abandoned. It can also involve snow leopards killing livestocks in pastures and corrals. Although snow leopards are mostly elusive, these encounters do occur across the snow leopard range and at times can be very stressful for both the people and snow leopards involved. Responses can result in the loss of life or freedom for the snow leopard. Appropriate responses that minimize harm and promote the long term coexistence of people and snow leopards still need to be more widely known, shared and put into practice.
The aim of this course is to provide hands-on guidance to help plan ahead for such situations and help resolve potential conflict situations without posing avoidable risk to humans or animals. This module brings together recent experiences from across the range and from multiple organisations to share good practices and discuss pros and cons of different ways of responding to such encounters, including approaches to minimising livestock depredation.
The Bishkek Declaration 2017, endorsed by the 12 snow leopard range countries, recognises that threats to snow leopards are on the rise and that there is a need to develop policies and build capacity at multiple levels. This initiative, focussing on sharing experiences and building capacity for managing snow leopards in unusual or conflict situations, hopes to contribute toward this goal. This module is being organised in coordination with thanks to the support of the GSLEP Program Secretariat. We also thank the Snow Leopard Conservancy, Snow Leopard Trust, Snow Leopard Foundation Pakistan, Nature Conservation Foundation for contributing to this module.
Photo by Behzad Larry
About the course
Session 1: Recommendations on how to manage unusual snow leopard encounters
In 2020 the Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Program (GSLEP) developed a policy brief on managing snow leopards in unusual or conflict situations. The guidelines in the policy brief are based on the most up-to-date information and scientific evidence. During this session the authors will outline the recommendations for how to manage snow leopards killing livestock in the pastures, killing livestock in corrals and when an injured snow leopard or cubs are encountered. The authors will also share information on how to handle situations where snow leopards have been caught by villagers after attacking livestock as well as possible means to handle snow leopards that repeatedly attack the same corral.
Session 2: Strategies for minimising snow leopard depredation
The Snow Leopard Conservancy and Snow Leopard Trust, in collaboration with other organisations and governments have developed a number of livestock depredation mitigation tools. During this session the team will share experiences in applying these tools and working with communities, with the goal of addressing root causes leading to depredation and measures that maximise community acceptance. We will also discuss approaches for cost-sharing and ongoing adaptive monitoring and management. The Session will be an opportunity to discuss a range of different techniques and engagement mechanisms and to learn from participants on what tools are being used in their areas and can be improved.
Session 3: Shared practices from across the snow leopard range
A series of case studies from India, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Pakistan gives unique insights on how encounters take place and vary. While the principles of responding to encounters are set out, understanding local context is vital for tailoring any effective responses. This includes looking at the different stakeholders involved, their interests and histories as well as local beliefs and policies in place. This session will showcase how responses have often had to deal with very sensitive issues within an often highly political setting. The session emphasises exchange of experiences and views with the intention of calibrating and grounding the previous session discussions.
Meet the Resource Team
Ali Nawaz
Ali Nawaz PhD has 20 years of field research experience, spanning over diverse geographical regions in Pakistan, and has 50 scientific articles and over 30 management reports to his credit. His primary focus is on understanding ecology, co-existence, and conservation issues of the carnivore community in northern Pakistan. Dr Nawaz has worked intensively with the mountainous communities in alleviating human-carnivore conflicts and promoting acceptance of large carnivores.
AJAY BIJOOR
Ajay Bijoor supports conservation efforts in the regions of Ladakh and Spiti valley in India. Over the last eight years, he has worked on setting up, running and monitoring community-conservation efforts in these regions. This effort aims at trying to create conditions conducive for conservation. More recently he has also been facilitating the process of building capacity for community-based conservation in snow leopard range countries.
orjan johansson
Orjan Johansson PhD is a member of SLN’s Steering Committee. He is a senior conservation scientist at the Snow Leopard Trust and has worked with snow leopards since 2008. He is based at Grimso wildlife research station in Sweden and has previously worked with several other large carnivores including mountain lions, wolves, lynx and wolverines. His research evolves mainly around snow leopard ecology and behaviour. Orjan devotes a lot of his time to a snow leopard study in Tost Mountains, Mongolia.
ranjini murali
Ranjini Murali PhD has over ten years of experience working in snow leopard landscapes. Her PhD focused on understanding how local communities use and value ecosystem services from these landscapes. She is currently a conservation scientist at the Snow Leopard Trust and is an international staff on the GSLEP secretariat. As a part of her role she helps coordinate the effort and manage the database on unusual encounters for GSLEP.
shafqat hussain
Shafqat Hussain, PhD Founder of Project Snow Leopard, now part of the Baltistan Wildlife Conservation Development Organization (BWCDO) of which he is the Board Chair. Shafqat is a professor of anthropology at Trinity College, Hartford, CT. He is a Rolex Award for Enterprise laureate, a recipient of the United Nations Equator Prize and was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer. In December of 2019 he published the book The Snow Leopard and the Goat: Politics of Conservation in the Western Himalayas.
DEEPSHIKHA SHARMA
DeepshikhaSharma is a conservation practitioner with the Nature Conservation Foundation, India. For the past 2 years, she has been working alongside local communities to conserve snow leopard habitat. She is building volunteer networks in the landscape to create awareness and strengthen conservation action.
rodney jackson
Rodney Jackson PhD is a renowned snow leopard researcher and conservationist who led the first radio-collaring study of snow leopards in western Nepal in 1981-1985 that made it to the cover story of the June 1986 National Geographic Magazine. He has published widely, with his accomplishments including leading / co-authoring all IUCN Red Data List evaluations completed to date. Rodney’s special interests rest with engaging and empowering local communities to address conservation issues, notably livestock depredation and related human-wildlife conflict. He pioneered initiatives at corral predator-proofing, community-based tourism (Himalayan Homestays), camera trapping, non-invasive scat genetics (with Dr. Jan Janecka and associates) and use of drones for censusing prey species. A Founding Member and first Conservation Director of the International Snow Leopard Trust, in 2000, Rodney co-founded the Snow Leopard Conservancy (SLC), followed by the SLC-India Trust (now an independent NGO). He received a Masters degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1970, and his PhD from the University of London in 1996. A Rolex Award for Enterprise Laureate, Rodney is widely recognized internationally and within snow leopard range countries for his 40 year + commitment to furthering conservation of this iconic species. (www.SnowLeopardConservancy.org).
KOUSTUBH SHARMA
Koustubh Sharma PhD has been involved in active research and conservation since 2001. He has been working with the Snow Leopard Trust since 2007, and currently serves as the Assistant Director of Conservation Policy and Partnerships. Since 2014, he is deputed as the International Coordinator of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystems Protection Program (GSLEP) at its secretariat in Bishkek. At the GSLEP Program, Koustubh works with a small team with support from international organizations to coordinate this unique alliance that brings together governments of the 12 snow leopard range countries, Non-Government Organizations and Conservationists. At the Snow Leopard Trust, he assists in implementing research, conservation, training and building collaborations across several countries.
Photo by Snow Leopard Conservancy
Date/Time
Wednesdays October 6th, 13th, 20th 2021: 18:00-20:00 Bishkek time
Planned Schedule
2 hour online Zoom Seminars take place Wednesday of the month, October 2021
Additional group work, assignments or readings are likely to be organised by the trainers
Please note we expect all participants to attend the complete set of Wednesday Seminars as they are interconnected and build on each other
Details of each specific Seminar topic will be shared approximately 5 days beforehand; including any expected preparations by participants.
Please note that all sessions are recorded and then made available online through the SLN youtube channel. By participating in these online sessions you automatically agree to authorise recording of audio and visual content presented during the live event and consent to subsequent use of the recording in the public domain by SLN. If you have any concerns please contact us.
Deadline for Applications
September 29th, 2021. Please note places are limited so please do not delay in applying.
Applications closed- Contact Rakhee if you are interested to attend.
As part of this module, Sessions 3 and 4 were conducted by the Nature Classrooms team – Connecting learning to the Natural World – A Nature Classrooms Approach
This 2 part interactive workshop was led by Vena Kapoor, Roshni Ravi and Mythreyi Kumaraswamy from the Nature Classrooms team at Nature Conservation Foundation. We discussed how we can work closely with schools, teachers and educators to develop age appropriate and locally-culturally relevant nature learning resources to enrich and support existing school curricula for Environmental Studies.
The sessions highlighted how we can provide opportunities to develop empathy, love and wonder while exploring and building active connections with the natural world. The workshop included discussions on nature learning pedagogy and tools, demonstrations on inquiry based learning and examples of resources that Nature Classrooms have designed.
More details about the Nature Classrooms project can be accessed here.
Across the range, snow leopards and people share space. Engaging with local communities is essential for snow leopard conservation. Community based programmes tend to engage with men largely due to social norms and existing power structures. This often results in excluding women, who are important stakeholders and form almost 50% of the adult population, from conservation action and decision making.
In this webinar, we explore how to better engage women in conservation programs across the snow leopard landscape. We hear examples from existing programs that specifically target women and discuss how conservation programs can themselves shift social norms around gender equality (positively or negatively). We also examine the key role of policy in transforming community based programs through incorporating gender sensitive approaches.
We will be hearing from conservationists across the snow leopard range- Bayara Agvantsaaren, Dr. LuZhi and Rashmi Singh– who are working at different levels to engage women in snow leopard conservation. Each of them will highlight a particular aspect of their work that highlights the opportunities and challenges in promoting women’s role in community based conservation. Dr. Charudutt Mishra, the Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Trust, will facilitate the panel discussion. Charu has been a pioneer in community based conservation and brings a special perspective around how to make a difference at the ground level.
We hope to see you, all members both men and women, at this very special webinar and look forward to drawing on your experiences and insights during the discussion. This webinar is Part 1 of a Webinar Series focussing on the role of women in snow leopard conservation and science.
About the Webinar
Opening the webinar we first hear from the panelists, each with a five-minute presentation, where they set the context of their work and highlight key issues. This will be followed by the panel discussion facilitated by Dr. Charudutt Mishra for twenty minutes focusing on opportunities and identifying strategies and priorities for engaging women in conservation programmes. This will be followed by an open interaction with the audience.
About our Guests
Bayara Agvantsaaren is the Executive Director of Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation and Mongolia Program Director, at the Snow Leopard Trust. “I have been working as a snow leopard conservationist since 1998 when I co-found Snow Leopard Enterprises Program which offers income generation to women rural herders who share mountain with these elusive cats. It has been amazing 20+ years career journey to work with different aspects of conservation. I am privileged to be able to help both snow leopards and local people.” shares Bayara.
Professor Lu Zhi is a conservation biologist in China whose work covers multiple-disciplinary researches and bridging academic research and practices, in order to seek solutions for conservation and sustainable development in China and to promote China’s positive role in the world. She has studied ecology and conservation of endangered species in southwest China and on the Tibetan Plateau, such as the giant panda, the snow leopard, the blue sheep, the Tibetan brown bear and the Przewalski gazelle, as well as their interactions with human activities. In recent years, she focuses on mechanisms of coexistence between human and nature. She leads conservation initiatives on community-led conservation and citizen sciences in both rural and urban contexts based on economic incentives, cultural values and policy improvements. She involved in conservation policy making at regional and national levels, and is an active member of international conservation discussions.
Rashmi Singh is a PhD Scholar at the School of Human Ecology, Ambedkar University and Associate Editor for Pastoralism– research, policy and practice Journal. Her PhD work explores the politics of rangeland conservation in the Himalaya using an interdisciplinary approach. Her primary research interest includes disciplines of pastoral studies, rangeland conservation and animal geography. In the last nine years, she has worked extensively on the social dimensions of wildlife conservation across India. Her ongoing research has highlighted the importance of including pastoralists in the policy formulation, wildlife conservation, and management of rangelands. She is intrigued by the pastoral indigenous knowledge system and believes that long term regional studies are crucial for reconciling pastoral livelihood and rangeland conservation goals.
Date/Time
Tuesday, September 21st, at 17:00-18:15 Bishkek time
Location
We regret to inform you that this Webinar has been postponed until further notice
Please note
If you have never used Zoom before, we recommend that you try the link 10 minutes before the start of the lecture.
Please feel free to write questions in the comment area and there will be time for questions/discussion at the end of the talk.
Please note that the session will be recorded and later featured on the SLN website. If you have concerns about this please let us know before the session.
Climate change is perhaps the overarching threat to snow leopards and their habitat. Knowledge about its impact on the species, its habitat and the people who share that habitat is growing but still remains incomplete and fragmentary. As our understanding of climate change impacts changes over time the Snow Leopard Network hopes to bring together experts and resource persons together to open up perspectives and share ideas for the way forward.
Join us as we bring together practitioners and scientists from across the snow leopard range to share the latest thinking and evidence that is emerging on this key issue. We are particularly pleased to welcome Rinjan Shrestha, XiangYing Shi and Tserennadmid Nadia Mijiddorj who share some of the latest research findings on how climate change is influencing snow leopard habitats and people’s livelihoods in Nepal, Mongolia and China. The presentations are followed by a discussion facilitated by Sibylle Noras, a former SLN Steering Committee Member, on how we can use different approaches to gain a clearer picture of climate change influences.
Across the snow leopard range, people and snow leopards share space. A supportive constituency of communities and individuals is paramount for the conservation of the snow leopard. Environmental education is one means of building support and creating awareness amongst children, young people and adults for the long term. It is the process of creating knowledge of the environment; strengthening pro-environmental values among children; motivating young people to participate in environmental protection; and through a process of empowerment find solutions for environmental problems. It involves the continued strengthening of positive values among people towards snow leopards and the environment. Children’s environmental education is particularly important as children are the future environmental custodians and also have the capacity to influence present household pro-environmental behaviours.
While the importance of conservation education for coexistence is evident, conceptualising and implementing a conservation education module can be a lot more challenging. What are the goals of the conservation education programme? What are the most effective ways for children to learn? How can conservation education programmes be tailored to create impactful, long-term change? How can we incorporate place-based knowledge into our programmes?
In this module on conservation education these questions and more will be discussed, hosted by SLN-GSLEP and brought to you thanks to the support of other conservation education partners. Participants will be introduced to the theory and basics of conservation education, build skills so that conservation education can be made more effective, and exposed to conservation education programmes in the snow leopard landscape. Do join us for this exciting and interactive module!
Photo by Nature ClassroomsNomadic Nature Trunk Program in Mongolia. Photo by Land of the Snow Leopard Network.
About the course
Session 1: Introduction to Conservation Education
Wednesday September 8th, 18:00-20:00 Bishkek time
This session will be led by Dr. Rachelle Gould, an Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont. Rachelle will start us off by exploring how conservation education is more than creating awareness, and more than information delivery. The session will discuss how the core goal of conservation education is to develop informed, active citizens who feel empowered to create change. Throughout the session the group will discuss considerations, ideas, and sample learning activities that can help to develop informed, active members of society.
Session 2: Land of the Snow Leopard Network
Wednesday September 15th, 17:00-19:30 Bishkek time
For this Session we have the pleasure to invite the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL) Network. LOSL is part of a groundbreaking collaboration between western and indigenous science and has two overriding goals: reviving ancient conservation practices and creating pathways for Indigenous Cultural Practitioners to be coequal partners in research and planning for the conservation of snow leopards.
The network is striving to help the GSLEP governments understand and embrace the snow leopard’s spiritual nature and fundamental place in indigenous practices as well as to share knowledge of the spiritual and cultural importance of these cats and the imperative to embrace this knowledge in securing landscapes for their preservation. LOSL received the Disney Conservation Hero Award in 2020, recognizing local citizens for their commitment to save wildlife, protect habitats, and inspire their communities to take part in conservation efforts. The Snow Leopard Conservancy facilitates Land of Snow Leopard and provides technical and fiscal support. This Session will focus on introducing the indigenous ways of learning and teaching in snow leopard landscapes, with a special focus on two of LOSL’s programs: 1. learning from elders and 2. teaching in nomadic communities.
Session 3 & 4: Connecting Learning to the Natural World – A Nature Classrooms Approach
Wednesdays September 22nd, 29th, 18:00-20:00 Bishkek time
In this 2 part interactive workshop, led by Vena Kapoor and Roshini Ravi from the Nature Conservation Foundation, we will discuss how we can work closely with schools, teachers and educators to develop age-appropriate and locally-culturally relevant nature learning resources that enrich and support existing school curricula for Environmental Studies. The sessions will highlight how we can provide opportunities to develop empathy, love and wonder while exploring and building active connections with the natural world.
The workshop will include discussions on concepts like shifting baseline syndrome, nature deficit disorder, demonstrations on inquiry based learning and examples of modules we have designed and created that can be weaved into textbook topics. Through a short project participants will also brainstorm, create and pilot their own nature learning resources suited to their specific teaching-learning contexts. More details about the Nature Classrooms project can be accessed here
Photo by Nature ClassroomsKids celebrating Snow Leopard Day in Tajikistan. Photo by Land of the Snow Leopard Network
Meet the Resource Team
Rachelle Gould is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work involves primarily social science and the humanities, and some ecology. She is an Assistant Professor of Sustainability and Global Equity at the University of Vermont. Her research explores the relationship between people and ecosystems and focuses on: (1) lifelong and life-wide environmental education and learning; (2) environmental values, including Cultural Ecosystem Services and relational values; (3) how issues of equity, inclusion, and justice permeate environmental issues. She has taught Environmental Education at the University Vermont for over five years.
Tungalagtuya Khuukhenduu (Tunga) is a founder, director at the Nomadic Nature Conservation, Mongolia, NGO. She serves as the country coordinator of the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL), an International Network Organization. Tunga has an extensive professional background in science and conservation awareness. She played a major role in creating Nomadic Nature Trunk Program, for different-ecosystem conservation program. This program has produced and distributed mobile classrooms for rural schools, communities throughout Mongolia. In particular, she has developed environmental conservation curriculum based on participatory and game-based lessons, which are for specific ecosystems and endangered species. Since 2019, the Trunk Program has also been implemented to the stakeholders in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Buryatia and Altai Republic and Mongolia for the purpose of conserving snow leopard, a sacred cat species.
Kuluipa Akmatova is one of the most qualified and foremost researchers of traditional knowledge in Kyrgyzstan. With an educational background in history and sociology obtained from the Kazan University in the Russian Federation, Ms. Kuluipa has managed to become one of the pioneers in studying and documenting traditional ecological knowledge in Kyrgyzstan and has contributed significantly to its revitalization. She has immense experience in community mobilization and engagement, training, and rural development. Since 2017, she has been leading the PF “Rural Development Fund” and actively participating in civil society development. Say, she is a member of the Governing Council of the World Union of Spiritual Practices, a member of the international network of snow leopard defenders LOSL, a member of the Supervisory Board of the Agency for Community Development and Investment of the Kyrgyz Republic. Currently, Mr.Kuluipa promotes the ILC Asia CBI-6 Platform on Locally-Managed Ecosystems with its 16 member NGOs. She serves as a country coordinator of the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL).
Almagul Osmonova is a Director of Taalim-Forum pubic foundation in Kyrgyzstan. She has experience in teaching at schools and lecturing at universities. For the last 10 years, her NGO is actively promoting ethno-environment education; developing educational materials, teachers’ methodologies, organizing workshops for teachers, and publishing books for children with the focus on local environment, biodiversity and cultural heritage. With the support of SLC, the informal network of teachers called Eco-Bilim (Eco-Knowledge) was established to support teachers from mountain regions to learn and discuss the issues of protecting mountain ecosystems, how to use new methodologies and approaches in environment education at schools. Rural Development Fund and Taalim-Forum are working with school children in the mountain regions, which includes organizing summer camps, festivals, theatrical performances, and different school activities and projects together with trained teachers. Teachers’ training includes learning innovative methodologies and approaches engaging children in conservation. Almagul serves as a country coordinator of the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL).
Lyubov Ivashkina lives in Gorno-Altaysk (Russia, south of Western Siberia). Environmental journalist. For many years she worked in the editorial office of the republican radio and in the editorial office of the republican newspaper “Star of Altai”. As a journalist, he closely cooperates with nature conservation organizations of the Altai Republic: these are the Altai Nature Reserve, the Katunsky Nature Reserve, the Saylyugemsky National Park and the natural parks of Gorny Altai. As a journalist and photographer, he has been collaborating with WWF (World Wildlife Fund) for many years. Together with the Foundation for Sustainable Development of Altai (FSDA), she took part in organizing the first children’s festival in the Altai Republic “Day of the Snow Leopard”. Lyubov continues to provide informational support for festivals and other events to preserve the snow leopard in the Altai Republic and the LOSL network countries on the pages of the site http://www.pero-altay.ru/. She serves as a country coordinator of the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL). Today, as a member of the international network, LOSL, together with local spiritual leaders and employees of specially protected natural areas, continues to work among the local population to preserve the snow leopard in the Altai mountains.
In the Pamir Mountains, the main threat to snow leopards is conflict with herders. Qurbon Alamshoev has more then ten stories about snow leopards being released back into the wild after being captured by villagers. These snow leopards had killed the herders’ livestock. With Qurbon providing information on the importance of snow leopards in the ecosystem and their cultural significance through the popular Snow Leopard Day Festivals, villagers chose to release these snow leopards rather than retaliate and kill them. Qurbon serves as a country coordinator of the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL).
Vena Kapoor is an Ecologist and Nature Educator. She heads the Nature Classrooms project that is currently developing a well-researched, trialled, tested nature learning activities, modules and curriculum for primary schools in India using education theory and pedagogical practices. She also conducts workshops, talks, walks for adults and children to introduce them to the fascinating world of insects, spiders and nature around them. Vena holds an MPhil in Conservation Leadership from the University of Cambridge, UK and a Masters in Ecology from Pondicherry University.
Roshni Ravi is an educator with a Masters in Counselling Psychology from TISS, Mumbai. She spent several years teaching in an alternative school in Bangalore, India where she taught Language, Environmental Studies and Social Science. She has a keen interest in teaching-learning that is curiosity-driven, child-centred, experiential and wellbeing focussed. As part of Nature Conservation Foundation’s Nature Classrooms project she works with primary school teachers and educators to co-develop nature learning resources and experiences across diverse learning spaces.
Date/Time
Wednesdays September 8th, 22nd, 29th 2021: 18:00-20:00 Bishkek time
Wednesday September 15th, 17:00- 19:30 Bishkek time
Confirmed availability to attend all the four online seminars of a given module
Number of participants is limited to 25
Planned Schedule
2-2.5 hour online Zoom Seminars take place Wednesday of the month, September 2021
Additional group work, assignments or readings are likely to be organized by the trainers
Please note we expect all participants to attend the complete set of Wednesday Seminars as they are interconnected and build on each other
Details of each specific Seminar topic will be shared approximately 5 days beforehand; including any expected preparations by participants.
Please note that all sessions are recorded and then made available online through the SLN youtube channel. By participating in these online sessions you automatically agree to authorise recording of audio and visual content presented during the live event and consent to subsequent use of the recording in the public domain by SLN. If you have any concerns please contact us.
Deadline for Applications
August 31st, 2021. Please note places are limited so please do
not delay in applying.
About our Guests
Bayara Agvantsaaren 
Professor Lu Zhi 
Rashmi Singh 
Rachelle Gould is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work involves primarily social science and the humanities, and some ecology. She is an Assistant Professor of Sustainability and Global Equity at the University of Vermont. Her research explores the relationship between people and ecosystems 
Tungalagtuya Khuukhenduu (Tunga) is a founder, director at the Nomadic Nature Conservation, Mongolia, NGO. She serves as the country coordinator of the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL), an International Network Organization. Tunga has an extensive professional background in science and conservation awareness. She played a major role in creating Nomadic Nature Trunk Program, for different-ecosystem conservation program. This program has produced and distributed mobile classrooms for rural schools, communities throughout Mongolia. In particular, she has developed environmental conservation curriculum based on participatory and game-based lessons, which are for specific ecosystems and endangered species. Since 2019, the Trunk Program has also been implemented to the stakeholders in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Buryatia and Altai Republic and Mongolia for the purpose of conserving snow leopard, a sacred cat species.
Kuluipa Akmatova is one of the most qualified and foremost researchers of traditional knowledge in Kyrgyzstan. With an educational background in history and sociology obtained from the Kazan University in the Russian Federation, Ms. Kuluipa has managed to become one of the pioneers in studying and documenting traditional ecological knowledge in Kyrgyzstan and has contributed significantly to its revitalization. She has immense experience in community mobilization and engagement, training, and rural development. Since 2017, she has been leading the PF “Rural Development Fund” and actively participating in civil society development. Say, she is a member of the Governing Council of the World Union of Spiritual Practices, a member of the international network of snow leopard defenders LOSL, a member of the Supervisory Board of the Agency for Community Development and Investment of the Kyrgyz Republic. Currently, Mr.Kuluipa promotes the ILC Asia CBI-6 Platform on Locally-Managed Ecosystems with its 16 member NGOs. She serves as a country coordinator of the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL).
Almagul Osmonova is a Director of Taalim-Forum pubic foundation in Kyrgyzstan. She has experience in teaching at schools and lecturing at universities. For the last 10 years, her NGO is actively promoting ethno-environment education; developing educational materials, teachers’ methodologies, organizing workshops for teachers, and publishing books for children with the focus on local environment, biodiversity and cultural heritage. With the support of SLC, the informal network of teachers called Eco-Bilim (Eco-Knowledge) was established to support teachers from mountain regions to learn and discuss the issues of protecting mountain ecosystems, how to use new methodologies and approaches in environment education at schools. Rural Development Fund and Taalim-Forum are working with school children in the mountain regions, which includes organizing summer camps, festivals, theatrical performances, and different school activities and projects together with trained teachers. Teachers’ training includes learning innovative methodologies and approaches engaging children in conservation. Almagul serves as a country coordinator of the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL).
Lyubov Ivashkina lives in Gorno-Altaysk (Russia, south of Western Siberia). Environmental journalist. For many years she worked in the editorial office of the republican radio and in the editorial office of the republican newspaper “Star of Altai”. As a journalist, he closely cooperates with nature conservation organizations of the Altai Republic: these are the Altai Nature Reserve, the Katunsky Nature Reserve, the Saylyugemsky National Park and the natural parks of Gorny Altai. As a journalist and photographer, he has been collaborating with WWF (World Wildlife Fund) for many years. Together with the Foundation for Sustainable Development of Altai (FSDA), she took part in organizing the first children’s festival in the Altai Republic “Day of the Snow Leopard”. Lyubov continues to provide informational support for festivals and other events to preserve the snow leopard in the Altai Republic and the LOSL network countries on the pages of the site 
In the Pamir Mountains, the main threat to snow leopards is conflict with herders. Qurbon Alamshoev has more then ten stories about snow leopards being released back into the wild after being captured by villagers. These snow leopards had killed the herders’ livestock. With Qurbon providing information on the importance of snow leopards in the ecosystem and their cultural significance through the popular Snow Leopard Day Festivals, villagers chose to release these snow leopards rather than retaliate and kill them. Qurbon serves as a country coordinator of the Land of Snow Leopard (LOSL).
Vena Kapoor 
