Environmental Education, Research and Knowledge Management

Environmental education has long term consequences in shaping a sense of environmental consciousness, and developing attitudinal and behavioral changes within local communities. Sustainable development and conservation goal can only be achieved when local communities recognize the importance of conserving biodiversity and wise use of natural resource for their livelihood and wellbeing. This is especially true where the natural environment is under constant threat due to multiple factors viz. over exploitation and depletion of natural resources, destruction of ecosystem and natural habitat, loss in biodiversity and growing pollution.

NTNC takes environmental education not only as a program for diffusing ideas and conservation messages but also as a means to bring responsive action among individuals, groups and society as a whole. It puts emphasis on both formal and informal environmental education. NTNC helps create change agents in students and teachers through its school programs by undertaking special conservation education curriculums, formations and mobilizing of green force clubs, eco-clubs, FOZ's and environmental teacher’s forum. Its informal education programs focus on creating awareness among the general public both in rural and urban areas through mobilization of community based institutions and networks such as conservation area management committees (CAMCs), and buffer zone user committees (BZUCs). NTNC also actively engages with the wider public through various audio-visual and print media to share, learn and discuss about pertinent conservation and environmental issues.

Some Facts

NTNC executes its own curriculum-based conservation education extension programme 'Prakriti ko Sandesh' (T: Voice of Nature) in more than 100 schools reaching out to over 8000 students annually.	> 80,000 students have been engaged as members of Friends of Zoo (FOZ).
NTNC's own radio programme 'Prakriti' (T: Nature) is aired from five different radio stations each week reaching out to scores within and outside the conservation community.	> 100 environmental education programmes and campaigns are carried out annually reaching out to more than 100,000 students and local community members.

NTNC is a leading national organization in the field of biodiversity research and wildlife monitoring with some of the most competent researchers/ field biologist and well equipped research facilities. It focuses on generating scientific data and information particularly on species, their habitat and ecosystem. Understanding social dimension of conservation is also core of NTNC’s research and knowledge management priority. Our research outcomes contribute to academia, government and policy makers for better understanding, and informed decision making.

NTNC’s commitment to become a center for excellence in biodiversity research, monitoring, and as a repository of knowledge, is to fill crucial knowledge gaps by addressing pertinent national, regional and global conservation issues. Its long and unique knowhow on-the-ground is combined with its network of scientists and practitioners that build on strategic partnership with renowned institutions. These help facilitate knowledge expertise and best practices to expand the scope and quality for research and knowledge.

NTNC continues to play a key role in the discovery of new species with more than ten new records to Nepal. Its researchers have continued to contribute to the global scientific community through various published journal articles. It remains a key partner of the government in feeding synthesized knowledge into national level conservation policy and decisions, including in the formulation and implementation of various plans and programmes. NTNC has demonstrated success in collaborating with the government in implementing cutting-edge technology such as SMART patrolling, camera traps, and genetics. Besides biodiversity-related research, NTNC continues to study and document other facets of conservation in tourism and culture, traditional knowledge systems, climate change, gender and social aspects among others. Through these efforts NTNC has fostered innovation and supported to advance the field of biodiversity research and conservation in Nepal.

Some Facts

NTNC's contributions has led to the discovery of new species for Nepal such as Kashmir musk deer (Moschus cupreus), Tibetan argali (Ovis hodgsoni), Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), Tibetan wild ass (Equus kiang), Himalayan wolf (Canis lupus chanco), Steppe pole cat (Mustela eversmanii), Pallas cat (Otocolobus manuli), Rusty spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) and Tibetan sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes tibetanus) contributing to national and global science.

NTNC's science-based research capacity and knowhow on-the-ground has established our role as a key partner of the government and other important decision makers to strengthen policy and guidelines, strategies and action plans with regard to biodiversity conservation, natural resource use, and community development.

Each year we provide research grants and scholarships to > 50 students at graduate and master levels.

In 2018 alone, NTNC published > 20 peer reviewed journal articles.