Objective of the project:
Support the conservation of snow leopards and their ecosystems in the Northern and Western Tien Shan by strengthening the integrity of Kyrgyz communities by linking cultural identity, traditional knowledge, and integrated landscape management
Project implementation timeline: April 2017 - March 2018
Project participants:
"Rural Development Fund"
Network of custodians and practitioners of Kyrgyz traditional knowledge "Kyrgyz el akyl kazyna"
Local community of Kalbinskiy AA, Talas district, Talas region
Local community of Chon-Kemin AA, Kemin district, Chui oblast
Project partners:
Natural parks "Chon-Kemin" and "Besh-Tash"
SSh s. "Ball-Ball" Kalbinskiy AA Talas district and secondary school with. "Shabdan" of Chon-Kemin AA Kemin region
Center for the Development of Civil Initiatives "Aykel", Talas
Talas branch of hunters and trainers of hunting birds of the Federation "Salbuurun"
Informal network of teachers for the protection of the snow leopard with the support of the PF "Taalim-Forum"
Main activities:
Conducting a local study of snow leopard habitat conditions, food chain, problems, as well as identification of methods for solving identified problems in Kemin and Talas with the participation of schoolchildren from pilot communities
Conducting events to raise awareness about the snow leopard with the participation of Natural Parks "Chon-Kemin" and "Besh-Tash", as well as an educational program with the participation of the informal Network of Teachers for the Protection of the Snow Leopard, the KEAK Network for schoolchildren
Organization of the educational Camp of creative art JIBI Friends for the winners of the school competition of the secondary school Ball-Ball and secondary school Shabdan. The main directions of the Camp will be:
creative arts and crafts;
preparation of traditional cuisine;
traditions of living in nature;
collection and use of medicinal herbs;
the traditions of complex hunting of the Kyrgyz "Salbuurun" (archery, taigans);
day of friendship with animals, excursion around the Park;
video filming skills and writing photo reports;
staging a performance for parents and the local community;
fundraising to support the activities of the Club.
Conducting the Snow Leopard Day together with the Chon-Kemin and Besh-Tash Natural Parks, Jibi Club, local community, KEAK, partner organizations with fundraising events to support the activities of the Jibi Club
Expected results of the project:
Based on the results of the JIBI Friends Creative Art Camp, schoolchildren will be taught the skills of making crafts, souvenirs, postcards, writing photo stories, video shooting skills, as well as cooking healthy traditional food of nomads, the philosophy of complex hunting "Salbuurun"
Camp participants will receive knowledge about the snow leopard and animals from its habitat, as well as the rules of rational hunting from local hunters
JIBI Club will be created in two pilot communities, participants will be children, parents, KEAK members and other community residents
The Day of the Snow Leopard will be held, timed to coincide with the International Day of the Snow Leopard, which will bring together all project participants, partners, local environmental institutions, NGOs, researchers, media
Two short brochures on snow leopard conservation in project pilot communities will be published, and a video about the snow leopard with the participation of schoolchildren is planned
The project is implemented by the PF "Rural Development Fund" (www.rdf.in.kg) which is a non-profit, research organization, supported by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, USA (SVCF) - (www.siliconvalleycf.org), also Christensen Foundation, USA (www.christensenfund.org).