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News, Updates and Stories
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ECA’s 2025-2028 Strategic Plan is here!
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In a pivotal meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024, the Ethical Conservation Alliance’s (ECA) Interim Steering Committee laid the groundwork for the Alliance’s bylaws and four-year priorities.
Following the two-day deliberations, a draft strategic plan was circulated and refined with invaluable input from all ECA members.
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Latest News
Stay up-to-date with the latest updates
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ECA transitions to new Steering Committee
In a significant step forward, the Ethical Conservation Alliance has transitioned from its originally formed interim governance group to our first official Steering Committee that began its four-year term on July 1, 2025.
Our gratitude to the outgoing Interim Steering Committee members Rachel Graham (Belize/ Panama) and Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy (Madagascar). For continuity and seamless transition, many of the Interim Steering Committee members have rejoined the new Steering Committee, and we’re also delighted to welcome new members.
Our Steering Committee members (2025 – 2028) are: Alifereti Tawake (Fiji; Co-Chair), Hotlin Ompusunggu (Indonesia), Manfred Epanda Aime (Cameroon), Luisa Arnedo (Colombia/ USA), Micaela Camino (Argentina; Co-Chair), Rodrigo Medellin (Mexico), Shivani Bhalla (Kenya), and Sonam Tashi Lama (Nepal).
Our bylaws require the designation of a functional Secretariat to support the implementation of ECA’s activities and Strategic Plan, and Charudutt Mishra (India), who will lead the Secretariat, will serve as ex officio member of the new Steering Committee, supported by Agvaantseren Bayarjargal (Mongolia). The new Steering Committee held its inaugural online meeting in July 2025, laying the groundwork for implementation of ECA’s strategic plan. Looking ahead, the committee will convene for their first in-person meeting and workshop this November in Washington D.C., hosted by the National Geographic Society.
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Photo credit: Munir Virani
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National University of Mongolia adds ethical community engagement to conservation biology curriculum
ULAAN BAATAR, MONGOLIA: The National University of Mongolia (NUM) has officially integrated a new lecture and seminar series on ethical community engagement into its Conservation Biology curriculum. The new course, titled “Local Communities and Conservation,” was developed to address a gap in the curriculum, which previously lacked formal training on this topic.
ECA member and training graduate Bayarmaa Chuluunbat collaborated with faculty from the Biology Department to develop the new curriculum. Based on the PARTNERS Principles, the two-session course teaches students and young researchers about how to work inclusively with local communities, incorporate traditional knowledge, and ensure respectful and equitable conservation practices.
Course materials were adapted from ECA’s trainer’s guide for ethical community engagement. NUM faculty members, including Professor Kh. Terbish, Dr. D. Narangaravuu, Dr. N. Soninkhishig, and Dr. D. Lkhagvasuren, co-facilitated the trial sessions and helped revise the content for local contextual relevance based on student feedback. The effort was supported by Odonchimeg Munkhdalai and ECA members Dr. Justine Alexander and Jargal Jamsranjav.
The new course was formally approved with the support of Professor L. Ariuntsetseg. It will be delivered to both undergraduate and graduate students every semester, starting in the fall of 2025. This is a significant step toward equipping future conservationists in Mongolia with the skills to partner effectively with local communities.
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ECA at a 12-nation intergovernmental cooperation platform for snow leopard conservation
CHOLPON-ATA, KYRGYZSTAN: In a powerful display of international collaboration, Environment Ministers from Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan and Tajikistan and senior civil servants from Mongolia, Russia and Uzbekistan gathered in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan on June 5-6 2025, to reaffirm their commitment to saving the endangered snow leopard and its high mountain ecosystem, and tackling the devastating impacts of climate change.
In a landmark move at the IX Steering Committee Meeting of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program, participating countries issued the Cholpon-Ata Resolution, a bold commitment to increasing financial support for climate adaptation and conflict mitigation programs specifically for Indigenous peoples and local communities. The resolution also seeks to strengthen the ethical foundations of snow leopard conservation policies in collaboration with the ECA, recognizing the critical role of Indigenous community leadership and sustainable local economies in protecting these magnificent cats and their delicate habitats.
A session on identifying gaps and opportunities in delivering ethical and effective conservation programs and policies was organized during the Ministerial segment of the Steering Committee Meeting of this 12-nation intergovernmental alliance.
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Updates on ECA’s training workshops
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ECA continues to champion ethical nature conservation and community engagement through training workshops for conservationists worldwide. So far, the Alliance has reached 643 conservationists from 62 countries through 30 introductory orientations or full training workshops, with women making up 48% of the participants. Our recent workshops include:
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Training of Trainers in ethical community engagement for nature conservation, Kathmandu, Nepal
This workshop took place on 4-8 March, 2025 in Kathmandu, Nepal for 8 conservation leaders from 5 countries. These participants are now actively delivering training workshops to others in their own countries and regions, creating a force-multiplying effect in spreading vital conservation messages and capabilities. This impactful workshop was made possible through support from the Darwin Initiative to the International Snow Leopard Trust, and was co-hosted by the Red Panda Network Nepal, the Whitley Fund for Nature UK, and the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program.
Watch a brief video capturing memorable moments:
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Workshops on ethical community engagement trainings in India
Two workshops were held in India, including one in Bangalore on 3-4 March 2025 for 11 conservation practitioners; and the second in Theog on 28-29 March 2025 for 13 conservation practitioners and Indigenous leaders.
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Our Trainers in Action: Spreading Ethical Conservation Worldwide
It’s inspiring to see the force-multiplying impact of ECA’s Training of Trainers workshops. Participants who underwent the initial training are now actively leading their own workshops, effectively multiplying the reach of ethical conservation and community engagement principles in their home countries and regions.
We’re thrilled to share some examples of the training workshops they’ve already conducted:
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Orientation session on ethical community engagement for nature conservation, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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Fifteen participants at the National University of Mongolia attended a one-day orientation session in ethical community engagement on April 15, 2025. This session was conducted by our training graduate Bayarmaa Chuluunbat, who was supported by Odonchimeg Munkhdalai.
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Workshop on ethical community engagement for nature conservation, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
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A two day training workshop was held on 20-21 April 2025 for 23 university professors and lecturers from across Kyrgyzstan. The training was facilitated by Ormon Sultangaziev and Zhumagul Alymbekova, graduates of our training of trainers.
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Workshop on ethical community engagement for nature conservation, Arunachal Pradesh, India
A two-day workshop was held on 16-18 May 2025 for 10 conservation practitioners. It was conducted by Namrata Tiwari, a trainer from our training of trainers workshop.
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Orientation session on ethical nature conservation, Durell Zoo, UK
A day-long orientation session was held in Jersey, UK, on 4th April 2025 for 15 participants associated with the Durell Zoo from 10 countries. It was conducted by ECA’s training graduate Dr. Chloe Lucas.
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Workshop on ethical community engagement for nature conservation, Kargil Ladakh, India
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A two day workshop was held on 22-23 May 2025 for 17 conservation practitioners. It was conducted by Javed Mohammad Iqbal, a trainer from our training of trainers workshop.
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Orientation session on ethical community engagement for nature conservation, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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A one- day orientation session was held on 31st May 2025 for 15 participants at the National University of Mongolia facilitated by Jargal Jamsranjav, a trainer of our training of trainers workshop.
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Congratulations to our members!
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Dr. Micaela Camino honored with Berta Cáceres Award and National Geographic Society’s Buffett Award
Micaela Camino of Argentina, Co-Chair of ECA’s new Steering Committee, has received both the Berta Cáceres Award from the Red de Defensoras del Ambiente and the Buffett Award for Leadership in Conservation from the National Geographic Society. These prestigious awards acknowledge her 15 years of dedication to conserving the South American Dry Chaco, where she uses the Chacoan peccary as an umbrella species to protect its rich biodiversity.
Micaela emphasizes that these honors belong to the Indigenous peoples and local communities of the Dry Chaco, the true guardians of nature, and to all working for inclusive, bottom-up conservation. Her work, with organizations like Proyecto Quimilero, Somos Monte, REDAF, Comunidad Wichí de Nueva Población and Asociación El Jabalí exemplifies building conservation with communities, not over them, by blending Indigenous, local, and scientific knowledge to protect ecosystems, cultures, and rights.
In a time of global environmental crises, these awards signal growing recognition and support for community-based, inclusive, and rights-based conservation – a testament to collaborative efforts for a more just and sustainable world where human and planetary well-being are inseparable.
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Bayarmaa Chuluunbat named National Geographic 2025 Young Explorer
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We’re thrilled to announce that Bayarmaa Chuluunbat from Mongolia, a dedicated wildlife ecologist and early-career conservationist, has been recognized as a 2025 National Geographic Young Explorer.
Bayarmaa works with the Wildlife Conservation Society Mongolia Program, championing the coexistence of iconic species like the snow leopard and Mongolian saiga with herder communities. Her research integrates ecological studies with community engagement to tackle conservation conflicts and bolster livelihoods.
“This recognition belongs to the dedicated teams, herders, and local communities protecting Mongolia’s unique wildlife,” says Bayarmaa. “I believe ethical conservation must always center local voices and shared stewardship. I am excited to keep learning, collaborating, and amplifying these stories through the Ethical Conservation Alliance.”
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Dr. Charu Mishra and International Snow Leopard Trust decorated with Medal of Cooperation by the Kyrgyz Government
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Charudutt Mishra from India received the Medal of Cooperation from the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic that recognizes his and the International Snow Leopard Trust’s collaborative work. This honour from the Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic recognizes their “…contribution to the development of environmental protection [and] active participation in solving complex and important sectoral issues in the field of environmental protection.”
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“From Kargil to Kathmandu: How Four Days Redefined My Conservation Path”
Dr. Javed M. Iqbal
First of all, I feel truly fortunate to be part of the Snow Leopard Network, a platform that has offered countless learning opportunities for me, including introducing me to the Ethical Conservation Alliance’s training of trainers workshops in ethical community engagement for nature conservation. Coming from an Indigenous community in Kargil, a remote Himalayan district in Ladakh, India, I have spent years striving to engage and empower my students and local youth in wildlife conservation.
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From Trainee to Trainer: Sharing the PARTNERS Principles in Mongolia
Bayarmaa Chuluunbat
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I grew up in a herder family in the remote Altai Mountains of western Mongolia, a
landscape rich in biodiversity, home to endangered species like the snow leopard, saiga, and Dalmatian pelican. When I was still a high schoolgirl, many international conservation projects were being implemented in our area. But I often felt a sense of discomfort—local communities were rarely involved in these efforts, even though we lived alongside wildlife year-round and protected nature through our traditional knowledge and values.
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Introducing the PARTNERS Principles in Madagascar: A Foundation for Ethical Conservation
Susie Louis, Conservation Fusion
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In the rural village of Kianjavato, nestled in Madagascar’s lush eastern rainforest, Conservation Fusion had the privilege of hosting an all-day workshop introducing the PARTNERS principles: a framework that promotes ethical, inclusive, and community-led conservation. In collaboration with the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership, we welcomed 107 participants from across the region. The group was diverse, including village presidents, lemur guides, nursery managers, groundskeepers, cooks, and researchers. Some had university degrees, while others had no formal education. Yet, everyone came with a shared purpose: to learn, connect, and collaborate.
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Member
Spotlight:
Rubama Nusa, Indonesia
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Meet Rubama Nusa, an inspiring Acehnese woman from Indonesia dedicated to grassroots conservation. Since 2007, Rubama has worked closely with communities, initially focusing on post-tsunami livelihood recovery.
At the HAkA Foundation since 2018, she supports local communities to lead environmental advocacy. A key achievement includes helping communities secure Social Forestry permits and establishing Aceh province’s first women-led ranger team, patrolling 251 hectares of Protected Forest. This success sparked broader women’s involvement in conservation across the Leuser Ecosystem, including training 287 grassroots women in paralegal knowledge to protect their environmental rights and engaging Islamic female preachers to blend religion with environmental protection. Rubama’s work beautifully demonstrates the power of community-driven and women-led conservation that is rooted in local knowledge.
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August 2025, Bhutan: Two-day workshop on ethical community engagement for nature conservation, conducted by ECA member and training graduate Phub Dorji
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September 2025, Patagonia, Argentina: Workshop on ethical community engagement for nature conservation at the Argentinean Mammalian Congress, conducted by ECA Steering Committee Co-Chair Dr. Micaela Camino
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October 2025, Uzbekistan: Two-day workshop on ethical community engagement for nature conservation, conducted by ECA member and training graduate Fatima Mannapbekova
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17-18 November 2025, Washington DC, USA: Steering Committee meeting of the Ethical Conservation Alliance
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19-21 November 2025, Washington DC, USA: Workshop on ethical nature conservation hosted by the National Geographic Society in collaboration with the Ethical Conservation Alliance
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Do you work with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and are facing issues you would like to discuss, or get assistance on?
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Photo credit: Farwiza Farhan
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We request you to please forward this newsletter to at least ONE more person who might find it useful
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Photo credit: Sonam Tashi Lama
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If you’d like to make a donation to the Ethical Conservation Alliance, please write to us here
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Ethical Conservation Alliance is financially supported by:
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