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#EncounterUncia Twitter Conference Schedule

Do join us for the #EncounterUncia Twitter Conference taking place next Monday to Wednesday Dec 6-8th! Over 30 conservation practitioners from across the snow leopard range and world will be presenting over the 3 days on Twitter- sharing stories and strategies to promote coexistence with the big cat. Watch the conference proceedings HERE.

 

#EncounterUncia Schedule

Main Host Account: @snowleopardnet 

Partner Accounts: @gslep_program @PantheraCats @wwf @snowleopards

Day 1: December 6th 2021

8:00 – 9:00 am Bishkek time

  • Jigmet Dadul (@byron_weckworth) -“Ladakh, India, a snow leopard encountered in a corral”
  • Shannon Kachel (@sm_kachel) – “Livestock corrals win-win for people and snow leopards?”
  • Imtiaz Ahmed (@Imtiazbattaphut) – “2 snow leopard cubs in Khunjerab National Park”
  • Imogene Cancellare (@biologistimo) – “Two sightings, one day: lactating snow leopards in The Valley of the Cats, China”
  • Nadia Mijiddorj (@MijiddorjNadia) – “PARTNERS Principles for engaging with communities”  

14:00 – 15:00 Bishkek time

  • Imtiaz Ahmed (@Imtiazbattaphut) – “A snow leopard attacks my livestock”
  • WWF Russia (@wwfRU) – “Alexey’s encounter with the snow leopard”
  • Purevjav Lkhagvajav (@pujiilkhagva) – “Snow leopard’s encountered in the desert steppe of the Gobi”
  • Choidogjamts Byambasuren (@Choidogjamts2) – “Snow Leopard Encounter in the Steppe capacity building efforts”  
  • Yixuan (@EBC_ebc1) –  “Snow leopard encountered in Inner Mongolia, China”

17:00 –  18:00 Bishkek time

  • Femke Hilderink (@FHilderink) – “The Human Wildlife Conflict report”
  • Terry Townshend (@terrytownshend) – “Snow leopards and Magpies”
  • Miha Krofel (@MihaKrofel) – “The snow leopard hunt” 
  • Sherab Lobzang (@lobzangncf) and Rigzen Dorjay (@Dorjayncf) – “After the Snow Leopard Attack”
  • High Altitude Programme, India (@snowleopard_ncf) – “A snow leopard in the trees”

Day 2: December 7th 2021

8:00 – 9:00 am  Bishkek time

  • Charlotte Hacker (@chacker414)– “Foxlights as a mitigation strategy”
  • Rishi Sharma (@rishieco)– “WWF’s conflict framework protocols”
  • Koustubh Sharma (@koustubh_sharma) – “The GSLEP policy recommendation for encounters”
  • High Altitude Programme, India (@snowleopard_ncf) – “Traditional Mitigation Strategies – tales from GYU”
  • Xier Chen (@ShanCenter) – “Encountering snow leopards in the Valley of Cats, China”

14:00 – 15:00 Bishkek time

  • Rahim Kulenbekov and Tanya Rosen (@NarynTRosen)  – “A snow leopard illegally captured and sold”
  • Shannon Kachel (@sm_kachel) – “The translocation of a snow leopard”
  • Orjan Johansson (@JohanssOrjan)– “​​Mitigation strategies for encounters with large carnivores”
  • WWF Russia (@wwfRU) – “Removing the border fences for wildlife”
  • Justine Shanti Alexander (@SnowleopardHope) – “The Eurasian lynx & snow leopard in QilianShan, China”

17:00 – 18:00 Bishkek time

  • Snow Leopard Foundation Kyrgyzstan (@snowleopardkg) – “Outreach efforts on handling unusual encounters”
  • Sherab Lobzang (@lobzangncf) and Rigzen Dorjay (@Dorjayncf) – “Innovative predator-proof corral designs”
  • Gustaf Samelius (@GSamelius) – “Unexpected Encounter with a Hamster in the Gobi”
  • Ranjini Murali (@ran_murali)– “The GSLEP snow leopard encounter Database”
  • Tsewang Rigzin (@TsewangRigzin)– “Thinking Outside the Box”

Day 3: December 8th 2021

Live on Twitter Spaces: https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1lDGLLbONDMGm

Join both sessions through Twitter Android or IOS to speak and interact or through the web to just listen in.

15:30 – 16:30 Bishkek time

Live Panel Discussion on Unusual Encounters on Twitter Spaces with WWF, Panthera, Snow Leopard Foundation Pakistan and Snow Leopard Trust Facilitated by Koustubh Sharma 

16:30 – 17:00 Bishkek time

Closing Ceremony and Prize Distribution

Call for submissions #EncounterUncia (Abstract submission extended)

Twitter Conference: Unusual Encounters with Snow Leopards

December 6-8th, 2021

Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Program (GSLEP) and Snow Leopard Network (SLN) in collaboration with Panthera, WWF and the Snow Leopard Trust will be hosting a Twitter conference on Unusual Snow Leopard Encounters.  

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 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 to both people and the snow leopard, and promote long-term coexistence still need to be more widely known, shared and put into practice. 

The aim of the #EncounterUncia Twitter Conference is to collate and share experiences on snow leopard unusual encounters. We also aim to discuss recommendations for handling such encounters, and strategies to mitigate negative interactions between snow leopard and people. 

Unusual encounters with wildlife occur across other habitats and continents. There is a rich body of experiences and knowledge from other species (such as common leopards, elephants, jaguars, crocodiles etc.) which we can learn from and apply to the snow leopard landscape. The Twitter Conference is open to participation from research and conservation practitioners working on both snow leopards and other species and ecosystems to facilitate cross-exchange of knowledge and practices.

Please note that the conference is centered around conservation coexistence strategies for snow leopards and is not limited to accounts of physical encounters with the big cat! We are looking forward to your abstract submissions and stories. 

Photo by Snow Leopard Trust

Call for Submissions

The deadline for abstract submissions is extended until November 22nd!

Participants can submit Applications here

The #EncounterUncia Twitter Conference can only happen with your participation and contributions! We encourage individuals and teams from across the world to share experiences and insights on Unusual Encounters of snow leopards and other species. We have 3 categories:

  • Publications outlining encounters: This section includes any published material related to information on unusual encounters (in english or other languages).  It can include policy documents on recommendations for handling unusual encounters and mitigation strategies, and peer-reviewed publications on effectiveness of mitigation strategies, and success/failures of handling of unusual encounters (such as relocation). Please provide the publication reference and an abstract of the key message/recommendation.
  • Mitigation strategies: This section includes strategies aimed at preventing unusual encounters (eg. predator proof corrals, specific herding practices, traditional practices, deterrents, grazing free zones) or minimizing/reducing risk when the encounters occur (eg. releasing individuals immediately, leaving cubs alone, not tampering with livestock carcasses). These include on-ground interventions and need not be published. This section is open to both snow leopards and other wildlife species.
  • Anecdotes on experiences: This section focuses on snow leopards and includes unpublished material and anecdotal experiences on unusual encounters since 2011. It can include but not limited to incidences of livestock depredation, abandoned cubs, encountering species in unusual habitats. This section does not focus on mitigation strategies but aims to collate stories to develop an understanding of the frequency, types and location of unusual snow leopard encounters.

Key Dates

  • Abstract Submissions October 15- November 22nd : APPLY HERE
  • Conference Dates December 6th, 7th, 8th, 2021
  • At 15:30 Bishkek time Wednesday 8th December, join us for the #EncounterUncia closing ceremony (90 minutes). It will include a live panel discussion (with speakers from the conference partners Panthera, WWF & the Snow Leopard Trust). We will also recognise “outstanding #EncounterUncia Tweet Presentations” during the awards ceremony.

FAQ

  • What is a Twitter Conference?

A Twitter Conference is a free online event (through twitter!) that brings snow leopard researchers and practitioners together from across the world from the comfort of their office/home/fieldstation. The aim is to encourage communication and collaboration amongst #conservation stakeholders around usual encounter and conflict situations.  

  • What is the hashtag?

The conference hashtag is #EncounterUncia . Please use this hashtag for any Twitter communication related to the 2021 conference. 

  • How do you participate on the day itself?

You or your organization will need a twitter account. You can sign up at https://www.twitter.com if you do not already have an account. After you have setup your account you can search for the hashtag #EncounterUncia  (Snow Leopard Encounter Twitter Conference 2021) to see all tweets that relate to the conference. You can then comment, reply, retweet or tweet using the #EncounterUncia. You can also just spectate and follow the interactions by using the hashtag.

You can register for the conference here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/IllegalWildlifeTrade1/TwitterConferenceOnUnusualEncountersWithSnowLeopards

  • How do I participate as a presenter?

The call for presenters will be open from Oct 15 to Nov 15 2021. We encourage individuals or organizations to submit abstracts to 3 themes: Relevant publications, Encounter Anecdotes or Mitigation Strategies. Please see the link here.  Once you have submitted your abstract you will be contacted by the Conference Committee. A subset of submission will be invited to present their work using your individual or organization twitter handle on December 6-8th 2021. Presentations will include 3-5 tweets related to the submission. The Conference Committee will communicate more information closer to the Conference date.   

  • Why participate?
  • Be part of the movement to bring awareness about unusual encounters and encourage stakeholders to handle encounters in a way that minimizes harm to snow leopards and people
  • Learn about the work being done across the snow leopard range to conserve this elusive species
  • 10 submissions will be selected and awarded “Outstanding” contributions. Your team has the opportunity to submit and be selected.

Session 1: Introduction to Conservation Education

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

Session 1.2: Big Ideas and Discussion

Session 1.3: Snow Leopard Examples

Session 2: Land of the Snow Leopard Network

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

SLN Webinar: Women & Science

 

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.

Just to remind, this webinar is Part 1 of a Webinar Series focussing on the role of women in snow leopard conservation and science. Part 2 explores how to better engage women in conservation programs across the snow leopard landscape, taking place on Sept 21st.

About the Webinar/Workshop

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

Location

ZOOM, to join this talk,     REGISTER HERE

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.
Cameratrap photo by SLCF & SLT

Climate Change & Snow Leopards

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.

More info about our speakers can be found here. 

Snow Leopard NEWS announced in Mandarin

We thank Snow Leopard Network China for sharing this initiative for teams across China. (Link to original Post)

国际雪豹网络 (SLN) 是一个全球性组织，致力于促进世界各地之间关于雪豹保护的信息和见解交流，并力求“联动向上”，提升雪豹保护的影响力。

秉承着这样的理念，SLN怀着激动的心情向大家宣布《雪豹新闻》Snow Leopard NEWs（SL NEWS）这一开源年报（annual open-access newsletter）的成立。

Snow Leopard NEWS（SL NEWS）是国际雪豹网络 (SLN) 的开源时讯年刊，是SLN指导委员会2021-2023年的优先事项，旨在促进全网雪豹保护者及研究人员间的交流。SL NEWS希望通过野外笔记和研究成果来收集整理和呈现有关雪豹生物学和保护的最新信息，包括雪豹的种群状态和栖息地的变化。欢迎各位以野外笔记、研究成果和保护前线手记的形式投稿。编辑团队将通过同行评议机制来定刊。

使命

分享雪豹生态学与保护的最新资讯。包括雪豹、它的猎物和雪豹栖息地共生的其他食肉动物。我们也寻求应对雪豹栖息地威胁的创新保护实践和政策。 另外，还会着重展示雪豹栖息地国家保护工作者和科研人员的的工作开展情况，并支持他们分享保护工作及科研成果。

编辑团队
编辑团队由SLN指导委员会成员和受邀的SLN成员组成。主编：Orjan Johansson博士，三位副主编：肖凌云博士、Justine Shanti Alexander博士和Munib Khanyari。SLN指导委员会主席Sandro Lovari博士担任名誉编辑。

现已成立了由SLN指导委员会和其他成员组成的编辑委员会。其主要职责是为审阅和评议过程提供全面的指导和支持。编委会希望能吸引世界各雪豹栖息地的投稿。 

投稿指南
SL NEWS发表与保护雪豹和雪豹分布范围内的共生物种有关的原创性科研成果、野外观察笔记和保护时讯。编辑团队将评审稿件，按需进行同行评议和稿件的接收。SL NEWS每年发布一次，但文章预览会提前在线发布。我们将在期刊中标出经过同行评议的笔记或文章。同时，SL NEWS也在申请ISSN注册。 
投稿类别
在SL NEWS上发表的文章分为以下几类：

野外笔记（Field Notes）（500-1,000字，正文，英文）：此类别以雪豹景观中的自然历史故事或实地观察为主。提交的作品所讲述的引人入胜的故事，需要能激发创新的假设或者能够体现更大背景下的雪豹及其他共生物种的生态、生物及演化。可以提交照片作为辅助观察记录。 

简短研究成果（Short Notes）（500-1,500字正文，英文）：短文内容覆盖与雪豹及其共生物种保护相关的新发现、方法或概念。这部分是《SL NEWS》中最注重数据的部分，典型框架包含概述、方法、结果及其简洁的讨论。也接受关于特定主题的简短评论论文。所有参考文献应嵌入文章中。可多用照片、图表和地图。这类文章一般会进行同行评议。 

保护前线手记（Notes from the Conservation Frontline）（500-1,000字，正文，英文）：这部分稿件应突出从业者在雪豹景观保护前线所面对的问题。笔记应简明扼要，并展示出与更宽泛的保护文献的关联。文章结构无要求，可选合适形式分享从业者的观点（包括介绍、主要观察和讨论）。参考文献需嵌入文本中，除非必要，无需使用图形、图表或表格。 

字数统计不包括每个类别的摘要（最多150个字，英文）、表格内容、参考文献以及表格和图标题。

提交格式 
  • 提交的内容必须为Word文档格式。
  • 提交的内容应包括以下部分（提交类别、标题、作者列表、作者联系方式、摘要、正文、致谢和参考书目）。
  • 字号为12，双倍行距，标注页码和行号。并请说明是否同意对提交的稿件进行同行评议。
  • 请提供三位推荐同行专家评审的姓名和电子邮件地址（或任何可能涉及审稿利益冲突的专家姓名）。 
摘要
  • 最多150个单词，包括基本原理、方法、结果和主要发现。
图表及照片
  • 包含阐明文章而需要的物种、栖息地、景观图片或其他图表资料。
  • 图表、图纸和标题在缩小后应清晰易读。
  • 地图应标明公制单位比例尺和指北针。
参考文献
  • 文中对出版物的引用按作者姓名和出版年份。 
  • 文末参考书目按字母顺序排列：作者姓名、出版年份、作品的完整标题、期刊名称（斜体）、卷号和页码。例如：Johansson Ö., McCarthy T., Samelius G., Andrén H., Tumursukh L., Mishra C., 2015. Snow leopard predation on a livestock dominated landscape in Mongolia. Biological Conservation 184: 251–258. 
  • 如果参考文献中有两本（篇）或以上相同作者及年份的书籍或论文，在参考文献列表和文中都应在发表年份后加上小写的a、b等。
提交流程
  • 雪豹新闻Snow Leopard NEWS第一期投稿征集时间为2021年6月1日至12月1日。
  • 请按照上述提交格式指南将您的注释提交到以下电子邮件地址：news@snowleopardnetwork.org 
  • 主编与副主编们将进行初审并与作者沟通，包括是否需要对稿件进行同行评议。一些稿件可能直接发表，无需同行评议。如果稿件不适合本期刊，也会相应地通知作者。一般来说，初评会在收到稿件后2-3周完成。 
  • 如果接受同行评议，提交的内容将发送同行专家评审。编辑将根据专家反馈意见决定是否接受稿件，不论是否修改。 
  • 期刊会是开源性质的，可供公众查阅。
  • 雪豹新闻每年在线发布；第一期预计在2022年上半年。 
公告
  • 雪豹新闻（首发版）正接受投稿  
  • 雪豹新闻 正在寻找英语编辑人员，对要发表的笔记或文章进行最终编辑。职位是志愿者的形式（目前没有报酬）。如果您有这方面的技能，并希望在做出贡献。请发送简历至：news@snowleopardnetwork.org

    并说明可参与程度。

  • 英文版投稿指南原文（pdf版，点击“阅读原文”下载）

Session 2: R Studio and Hypothesis Testing

In this session, we explore in more details the fundamentals of statistical theory. Using built-in datasets in R, you will learn how to identify methods that are most appropriate depending on the data you are working with, as well as essential principles of hypothesis testing.

Session 2.1: Review

Session 2.2: Fundamentals II and R Studio

Session 2.3: Hypothesis Testing

Session 2.4: Application of Hypothesis Testing

Session 3: Fundamentals III

Using what we learned in the previous two sessions, we will work through all essential steps involved in data analysis, with a focus on linear regression. This includes the formulation of a hypothesis, data preparation and visualisation, statistical testing, and finally, results interpretation. We will complete two full practical exercises in R using built-in datasets. At the end of this session, you will be split into different groups in order to carry out one final analysis, which will be presented the week after.

Session 3.1: Introduction to fundamentals III

 

Session 3.2: Application in R

Session 4: Regressions, Correlations and more

This session will start with presentation of results from the last analysis (see Session 3). The rest of the session will be dedicated to identifying and avoiding common mistakes in data analysis. This will allow us to also discuss issues related to results interpretation, which is essential in the field of conservation science when results may directly inform conservation planning.

Session 4.1: T-test and ANOVA Recap

Session 4.2: Regression and Correlation

Session 4.3: Beyond and Conclusion