Rangdum exists in a delicate environmental balance, a high-altitude desert with an ecosystem that is fragile in its magnificence. Unfortunately, the youth are in no position to appreciate it, let alone defend it. The first step towards environmental awareness is knowledge; therefore our current goal is to begin a program in environmental education. To that end, we searched for a competent partner that not only has prior experience in educational projects but who is also already integrated in the region.

In collaboration with the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust, we have been fine-tuning an environmental education project consisting of 6 workshops of 2-3 days each. At these workshops, an expert will teach students about local flora and fauna, how to avoid conflict with local wildlife, and–one very relevant topic for the residents of Rangdum–how to defend herds from bears and snow leopards.

The program will take place with the help of an excellent teaching kit (a book, figurines, and group games), many group activities, several illustrations, and some documentaries.
Given the positive experience of the first educational program that took place in the 2012-2013 season, each year we have undertaken new projects to improve ecological awareness.