Nadia Mijiddorj saw her first snow leopard in 6th grade and dreamed of following in her father’s wildlife conservationist footsteps. Growing up in a small village near Gobi National Park, Nadia has had a lifelong connection to nature. After graduating with a degree in Biology in 1998, she started working with Snow Leopard Trust’s Mongolia program and has since been working with local communities, studying human-wildlife interactions, and promoting co-existence between people and snow leopards.
Nearly ten years after she started working with us, she went on to complete her master’s degree in wildlife biology in India. She then returned to Mongolia to initiate our eco-camp program for children in South Gobi, teaching them about snow leopards and being environmental stewards. A few weeks ago, Dr. Nadia Mijiddorj successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis based on her research on the impacts of climate change on Mongolia’s people and nature.
I have been immensely inspired by Nadia’s decades-long conservation journey to fulfill her dream of making a difference for snow leopards. Her journey illustrates the power of commitment. It’s also a reminder that long-term commitment is key to conservation. Thanks to your support, we have been able to keep our focus on our mission and continue to make a difference for snow leopards and communities.
Your commitment transforms conservation goals into reality.
More than 1,200 supporters recently helped us leap past our year-end revenue goal, raising over $430,000 to ensure a future for these cats. YOU made that possible.
In 2021, you helped us work with nearly 20,000 families to implement conservation programs that assisted people with livelihoods, conflict management, and livestock healthcare. These partner communities, in turn, directly protected snow leopards over approximately 150,000 sq. km of habitat. That is the result of investing in long-term conservation and building lifelong relationships. You also helped us promote the cause of snow leopard conservation among governments of all twelve snow leopard range countries. YOU made that possible.
Despite travel restrictions, our snow leopard camera trapping and prey surveys continued throughout 2021. This could happen because of the long-term training and empowerment of our field-based personnel and collaborators. YOU made that possible.
Our scientific research continued to move forward and in 2021 our findings were published in 16 influential peer-reviewed papers in international journals covering diverse topics from disease risk in snow leopard landscapes to the abundance and distribution of snow leopards and prey. YOU made that possible.
To address the pressing needs of snow leopard conservation, I am excited to share three important strategic priorities we have added to our plans for the next few years:
- Enhancing the role of women in conservation
- Empowering community champions
- Strengthening disease management and healthcare in snow leopard landscapes
On a personal front, 2021 was a tough year for me, as it was for many around the world. Yet, the 40th year of the Snow Leopard Trust was both impactful and memorable, despite all the challenges. Thank you for helping to make the planet a better place for snow leopards and humanity.
Stay safe and I wish you a wonderful year ahead.
With gratitude,
Charu Mishra, Executive Director
Thanks to Helen Freeman, first and foremost, and to all who have followed in her footsteps, the snow leopard has a good chance for survival far into the future.