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).