Capacity Building – Snow Leopard Network

Snow leopards & Tajikistan

Mountains cover more than 90% of Tajikistan. The country’s mountain regions are home to the snow leopard, Marco Polo sheep, Tajik markhor, urial sheep and Asiatic ibex. Tajikistan is developing a climate-smart National Action Plan for the conservation of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and its ecosystems in Tajikistan for 2023-2025 supported by UNEPs Vanishing Treasures programme in Tajikistan. Join Ismoil Kholmatov from the Association of Nature Conservation Organizations of Tajikistan (ANCOT) who will share updates of this ongoing effort.

Snow leopards & Nepal

Nepal has a long history in snow leopard conservation. Rinzin Phunjok Lama from the Third Pole Conservancy will share updates of the teams ongoing snow leopard population survey in Humla, west Nepal. He will share how community conservation provides the foundation for their monitoring efforts. Rinzin and his colleagues are actively working in partnership with local stakeholders to tackle threats to snow leopards including direct killings, forest fires, illegal logging through a number of livelihood programs (including gathering honey, making traditional clothes, and running ecotourism businesses). Their work includes large scale monitoring of snow leopards and other wildlife. Join us as Rinzin shares the opportunities and challenges of achieving this multi-pronged approach.

Snow leopards & China

Qilianshan National Park, extends along the magnificent Qilian Mountains in north-eastern corner of the Tibetan Plateau. The mountains of 52,000 sq.km provide home and future refuges for snow leopard and many other wildlife. When the national park was established in 2016, an ambitious plan was announced to assess snow leopard populations across the entire mountain range. Since 2014, Dr. Yanlin Liu has been working with different teams on the snow leopard assessment in Qilian Mountains. Yanlin is currently the Science Director of the Chinese Felid Conservation Alliance and previously served as director of the snow leopard project for the ShanShui Conservation Center and a Post-Doc in the Chinese Academy of Forest. During this session he will share some of the opportunities and challenges his team is facing. He would love to hear form other SLN members and discuss large scale monitoring strategies.

Snow leopards & Kyrgyzstan

In 2021, Panthera kick-started a project with a focus in building conservation capacity and partnerships with communities in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. Since June 2021, the project was co-led by two female conservationists, Sabin Snow Leopard grantee Fatima Mannapbekova and CEPF project lead Altynai Adabaeva. Together with the Ilbirs Foundation, they’ve made introductory visits to communities in the Osh Oblast of Kyrgyzstan to establish relationships with local stakeholders and communities. Later, they led a team of surveyors to conduct the preliminary survey work via household interviews. Over 23 days, 639 interviews were conducted in 37 villages. During this SLN session, Altynai and Fatima will share the results of their work, challenges faced, and lessons learned while working in a rarely studied snow leopard habitat.

SLN Зимний Обмен опытом

Добро пожаловать на Зимнюю встречу обмена опытом Сети Cнежного барса (Snow Leopard Network, SLN). Цель зимней программы обмена опытом SLN – собрать вместе исследователей и специалистов-практиков по сохранению снежного барса со всего мира и поделиться последними достижениями в области программ и исследований по сохранению снежного барса. Наши эксперты поделятся последними новостями из разных регионов Высокой Азии: мы будем путешествовать и встречаться с командами, работающими в Таджикистане, Непале, Китае, России и Кыргызстане. За каждым обзором и вдохновляющим выступлением последует период обсуждения, в ходе которого мы глубже изучим идеи, опираясь на опыт и знания группы. Все сессии будут проводиться с синхронным переводом на английском и русском языке.

Наша Ресурсная команда (Resource Team) – это индивидуальные и организационные члены Сети Снежного Барса, которые используют свои обширные знания и опыт. Мы очень признательны нашей команде консультантов за то, что нашли время, чтобы присоединиться к нам в это стремление, и мы с нетерпением ждем, когда члены сети воспользуются этой уникальной возможностью. Пожалуйста, передайте информацию всем заинтересованным лицам, поскольку эти занятия БЕСПЛАТНЫ и открыты для всех. Мы благодарим Глобальную программу по сохранению снежного барса и его экосистем (GSLEP) за поддержку, благодаря которой это мероприятие стало возможным. Зарегистрироваться до 20 ноября можно ЗДЕСЬ.

SLN Winter Exchange 2022

Welcome to the Snow Leopard Network’s Winter Exchange. The aim of the SLN Winter Exchange is to bring snow leopard researchers and conservations practitioners together from across the world and share the latest developments in snow leopard conservation programming and research. Our resource persons will share updates from different High Asia settings: we will travel and meet teams working in Tajikistan, Nepal, China, Russia and Kyrgyzstan. Each brief and inspiring talk will be followed by a discussion period where we explore ideas in further depth, drawing on the group’s experience and knowledge. All sessions will be offered with simultaneous translation in English and Russian.

Our Resource Team are individual and organisational members from the Snow Leopard Network, drawing on their extensive knowledge and experience. We are very appreciative of our Resource Team finding time to join us in this effort and we look forward to members taking advantage of this exceptional opportunity. Please do share the information with anyone interested as these sessions are FREE and open to all. We thank the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) with their support in making this event possible. Sign up HERE.

Structure: 60–90 min Sessions (30min guest speaker presentation followed by a 30 min discussion). During the talk feel free to write questions in the chat section that we can take forward during the discussion section. All sessions will be offered in English and Russian with simultaneous interpretation.

Week 1: Snow leopards & Tajikistan

14:00 Bishkek time, Monday, 21st November, 2022

Week 2: Snow leopards & Nepal

14:00 Bishkek time, Monday, 28th November, 2022

Week 3: Snow leopards & China

14:00 Bishkek time, Monday, 5th December, 2022

Week 4: Snow leopards & Russia

14:00 Bishkek time, Monday, 12th December, 2022

Snow leopard habitat in Russia is in the southern most part of the country. Join Alexander Karnaukhov from WWF-Russia as he shares updates on the transboundary monitoring efforts between Russia and Mongolia. He will also discuss approaches for automatising monitoring data collection- discussing the pros and cons of methods such as SMART and Next NextGIS. We encourage SLN members to join the discussion and share approaches that worked in other contexts.

Week 5: Snow leopards & Kyrgyzstan

14:00 Bishkek time, Friday, 16th December, 2022

How to sign up?

Please sign up through this link: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/sln-winter-exchange-2022-application-form/
Deadline for signing up is November 20th, 2022
Once signed up- the Zoom link will be emailed to prior to the session

‘With Snow Leopards’ Small Grant Call for Proposals

The Snow Leopard Network is pleased to announce a new Snow Leopard Grant Program offered by Tencent Foundation and Shan Shui Conservation Center, and supported by partners (the Amity Foundation, HUATAI Foundation and Peking University Center for Nature and Society).

Launched for the first time in 2022, the ‘With Snow Leopards’ Small Grant (SLSG) aims to provide financial support and promote snow leopard research and conservation across China and the snow leopard range.

This year, the SLSG will support projects outside China in 3 specific themes:

- - - Snow leopard research and conservation knowledge/ technology sharing) (Theme A)
    - Snow leopard conservation awareness raising (Theme B)
    - Snow leopard conservation Research focus (Theme C)

Selected projects will be awarded amounts ranging between CNY50,000-CNY100,000 (~USD7,500-USD15,000).

Call for proposals starts from now to August 21st. Read the full ‘Call for proposals’ for more detailed information.

More information can be found through the following website: http://en.shanshui.org/information/2357/

Please note that this call for proposals focusses on countries outside China. A separate procedure is in place for applicants in China. Please contact Shan Shui Conservation Center (contact@shanshui.org) for further information.

New Session added to the SLN Summer Exchange!

We are thrilled to announce an additional Session to the SLN Summer Exchange.

Week 3: Participatory methods/right-based approaches to research and conservation

June 30th Thursday 16:00 Bishkek time

Dr. Sahil Nijhawan is an interdisciplinary conservation anthropologist who has worked on human-wildlife relations across Latin America, Southern Africa and India. For the past decade, he has worked alongside the indigenous Idu Mishmi people of Arunachal Pradesh (India) – a journey that began with his doctoral research on socio-cultural, ecological and political relations between the Idu Mishmi and tigers. He is now part of local teams in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland working on a range of locally-led initiatives towards rights-based bio-cultural conservation and research.

Sign up here: APPLICATIONS CLOSED

SLN Summer Exchange 2022

The Snow Leopard Network (SLN) is launching its first mini Summer online research and conservation training course. It will consist of a series of mini-modules, each for 2 hours, in which participants can build their skills and knowledge on a range of critical snow leopard related conservation tools.

SLN is delighted to announce the line-up for the 2022 SLN Summer Exchange! This year’s mini-module themes were chosen based on feedback from SLN members. Our Resource Team are individual and organizational members from the Snow Leopard Network, drawing on their extensive knowledge and experience. We are very appreciative of our Resource Team finding time to join us in this effort and we look forward to members taking advantage of this exceptional opportunity.

Please do share the information with anyone interested as these sessions are open to ALL, new or current SLN members and free.

Week 1: Mountain Ungulates

June 23rd Thursday 16:00 Bishkek time

Asia’s mountain ungulates play an important role in maintaining ecosystems by influencing vegetation structure and nutrient cycling. There is a need for more information about the population status of these ungulates, which carries special significance in the protection of the snow leopard across its range. This session will explore a range of mountain ungulate monitoring and conservation approaches. Dr. Munib Khanyari will facilitate the session. He works with the Nature Conservation Foundation as a Program Manager. He works primarily across the Trans-Himalayan region of India, aiming to build positive human-nature relationships.

Week 2: Climate Change

June 27th Monday 16:00 Bishkek time

Participatory climate risk assessment for integrating climate change considerations into development and conservation efforts. Climate risk assessments allow to understand climate risk and vulnerabilities, and can support in identifying and selecting adaptation strategies aligned with development goals and conservation efforts. The meaningful inclusion of the communities in the process is necessary in order to obtain valuable information, raise awareness and ensure adaptation actions that are relevant to the local contexts. In this module these issues and more will be discussed. Participants will be introduced to basic climate change related concepts, and exposed – through an interactive exercise – to a method for participatory climate risk assessment based on the ‘Climate impact Chains’ analytical approach. The module will draw on the example of participatory climate risk assessments in Kyrgyzstan showing how these integrated considerations on human-wildlife conflict with focus on snow leopards. Dr. Eirini Skrimizea, KU Leuven and Eurac Research will facilitate the session. Eirini Skrimizea is a postdoctoral researcher with a background in planning and sustainability research. She has expertise on governance of socio-ecological development and the social aspects of climate change in the Global North and South.

Week 3: Participatory methods/right-based approaches to research and conservation

June 30th Thursday 16:00 Bishkek time

Significant focus has been placed on community-based conservation in recent decades. However, much purported community-based conservation research and practice continues to be top-down, where local people are seen as beneficiaries and stakeholders, but not right-holders. In this workshop, using case studies, we will explore efforts to make conservation research and practice more equitable, ethical and horizontal. We will discuss the philosophy, practice and challenges of conducting rights-based and truly collaborative conservation. Dr. Sahil Nijhawan is an interdisciplinary conservation anthropologist who has worked on human-wildlife relations across Latin America, Southern Africa and India. For the past decade, he has worked alongside the indigenous Idu Mishmi people of Arunachal Pradesh (India) – a journey that began with his doctoral research on socio-cultural, ecological and political relations between the Idu Mishmi and tigers. He is now part of local teams in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland working on a range of locally-led initiatives towards rights-based bio-cultural conservation and research.

Week 4: Community Conservation

July 4th Monday 16:00 Bishkek time

Engaging and partnering with such local communities is critical to the success of conservation efforts. The PARTNERS principles offer a framework to consciously and effectively engage communities. This approach of eight broad principles can offer support to not only conservationists but anyone who is engaging with communities. In this session, we will explore these principles briefly and understand their working through case-studies. Ajay Bijoor and Deepshikha Sharma will facilitate the Session. Ajay has been working with local communities and government agencies to plan and implement conservation action in the high-elevation landscapes of India for the past 7 years. He has also been exploring the intersection of conservation with local knowledge systems, resource management, and local and global economy. Deepshikha has been facilitating community led conservation in snow leopard habitat in Himachal Pradesh & Ladakh. She is working towards raising awareness and reducing losses faced by local communities due to wildlife. She is also working towards bringing local women to the forefront of conservation in the landscape.

Week 5: Identify Carnivore Signs

July 11th Monday 16:00 Bishkek time

Carnivores leave behind signs- such as tracks, droppings, sprays and carcasses. They also can be heard- making unique sounds. The team will discuss how researchers can distinguish between the unique signs of felids (snow leopards, lynx etc.) and canids (wolves, feral dogs, red foxes). They will share strategies and potential pitfalls to look out for. Dr. Orjan Johansson & Kubanych Jumabay (Kuban) will lead the session. Orjan is a Senior Scientist for the Snow Leopard Trust and has supported the Long Term Ecological Program in Mongolia for over a decade. Kuban is the Director of the Snow Leopard Foundation Kyrgyzstan.

Week 6: Camera traps in the field

July 18th Monday 16:00 Bishkek time

Camera traps are an important tool for snow leopard research and conservation. In this session we will share tips on best practices for setting up camera traps in the mountains for specific purposes and optimal device settings. The team will discuss camera trap types, how to effectively choose locations, strategies to improve battery life, lighting and safety of the equipment. The team will also discuss how one can improve the quality of captures for the identification of snow leopard individuals. In this interactive workshop, participants will be welcome to share their ideas, experiences and ask specific questions. Dr. Koustubh Sharma & Purevjav Lkhagvajav (Pujii) will lead this session. Koustubh is the Assistant Director of Conservation Policy and Partnerships with the Snow Leopard Trust and the International Coordinator with the GSLEP Program. He is closely involved with the implementation of the Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopard (PAWS). Pujii is the Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation Mongolia’s Research and Monitoring Manager. She works closely with rangers across Mongolia, and has been supporting systematic camera trapping across thousands of square kilometers for more than a decade.

How to sign up?

Please sign up through this link: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/application-form/
Deadline for signing up is June 15th
The Zoom link will be emailed to you prior to the session

Snow Leopard Training Grant – Call for Proposals

Since 2020 the Snow Leopard Network has made a special effort to build and share capacities related to snow leopard research and conservation. The 2020 – 2021 SLN Training Initiative covered 15 modules with 372 participants joining the online sessions. This was possible thanks to the support of our partners who provided resources and leadership on critical snow leopard related conservation themes and tools.

2022 offers the opportunity to support teams working across the snow leopard range in leading additional training modules. We are pleased to announce the 2022 Call for Proposals for the Snow Leopard Training Grant which is designed to further strengthen snow leopard conservation and research, especially at the grassroots level. This is made possible through the generous support of the Pangje Foundation, an SLN member organization dedicated to protecting snow leopards and helping local communities.

“Pangje Foundation is dedicated to advancement of snow leopard conservation initiatives that simultaneously help local communities and the greater Himalaya environment. The most beautiful aspect of what we do is that our programs are for the people, by the people, with both communities and snow leopards realizing the benefits.”

The specific goal of the 2022 Training Grant centres around building capacities in snow leopard research and conservation among grassroot stakeholders. The scope of the capacity projects to be funded is broad and includes trainings/workshops in support of community conservation, protected area management (supporting local rangers and protected area staff etc.), conservation education, women conservation leadership training and wildlife population monitoring (snow leopard & prey). Other training and capacity building themes related to snow leopard conservation at the grassroots level will also be considered. Please note that the Training Grant available in 2022 is not designed for funding wider research or conservation projects in themselves but is specific to supporting Training or Workshop events.

Proposal Guidelines

Eligibility: The Training Grant is open to all SLN members and researchers/practitioners/organizations working to support snow leopard conservation. One proposal per applicant, team or organization will be considered. Unfortunately, current regulations do not allow this funding to be available for activities in the People’s Republic of China.

Grant size: Awards will range from $1000 to $1500. All award funds should plan to be used in 2022. Project proposals should aim to use these relatively modest amounts as strategically as possible. Other funding sources can be included in the budget to increase the overall project funding size.

Selection criteria: Proposals will be judged on a competitive basis. Applications will be evaluated by SLN’s Grant Review Panel, and judged on:

- - - - Relevance to snow leopard conservation at the grassroots level
        
        Training methodology/philosophy
        
        Scientific and/or conservation rigor of the proposal
        
        Collaboration with local partners

Proposal Submission: Proposals (written in English) must be submitted electronically as a single pdf file to Rakhee Karumbaya, SLN’s Program Coordinator (rakhee@snowleopardnetwork.org). Proposals will be considered if received before 25th February, 2022 (18:00 Bishkek time). Applications that do not use the forms attached below will not be considered. The pdf file should include:

- - - - an Application form completed (max. 3 pages, according to the attached form). Download the Application form here.
        
        a CV of the project team leader/principal applicant (max. 2 pages)

Reporting: A final report on the awarded projects (process and results) is due by December 15th, 2022. Please submit your final report as a Word document. Download the report outline here.

Time Schedule

25 February 2022: All Proposals submitted by email. Kindly note that we will not be able to consider late proposals.

End of March 2022: Proposals selected for funding by the SLN Grant Review Panel will be announced.

Mid April 2022: Funds available for disbursement.

Mid April – 1 December 2022: Projects take place as agreed in proposals.

15 December 2022: Grantees submit final report.