An excellent podcast was released by America Adapts on January 8. It concerns the ways climate change is impacting snow leopard (Panthera uncia) conservation, and it is full of useful information.
Hosted by Doug Parsons, America Adapts is a podcast about climate change adaptation. For this episode, Doug interviewed eight experts on snow leopard conservation and climate change adaptation in Central Asia. Doug’s guests represented organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, Panthera, The University of Berkeley, and the Snow Leopard Trust. They touched on a number of pertinent issues.
I do not want to give away too many spoilers, because I encourage you to listen to the whole podcast. However, here are a few of the subjects that were brought up during Conservation and Adaptation in Asia’s High Mountain Landscapes:
- The Himalayas as Earth’s “third pole.”
- How climate change is affecting water security in the Central Asian mountains.
- The need for more data about snow leopards.
- How the wellbeing of local people and snow leopards is linked.
- The importance of taking climate change projections into account when planning for snow leopard conservation.
- The demand for snow leopard pelts and bones in illegal markets, and the resultant poaching.
- The need for more international aid to fund climate change adaptation in Central Asia.
- How local people perceive snow leopards, and how those perceptions have shifted.
- The challenges involved in communicating with the public about climate change.
- The absolute imperative to work with local people to help them adapt to climate change and conserve snow leopards.
This really is a good podcast. Doug clearly did his homework before conducting the interviews, and the result is a well-polished final product. Please follow the link below to listen to it!
Click Here to Listen to Conservation and Adaptation in Asia’s High Mountain Landscapes
The Jaguar 
Josh,
Have you thought about doing a podcast yourself? I know you follow this one, but have you thought about coming up with your own podcast?
Shay-lon
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Hi Shay-lon, it’s funny you ask. I may or may not have a project in the works that would be podcast-ish. I don’t want to give out too many details yet, but I’ll be happy to talk more on Facebook or email.
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Hey Josh, go for it, and let me know if you need some podcasting insights if you get started.
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Hey Doug, thanks for stopping by! I could use lots of insights, so I’ll probably be sending you some questions in the not-too-distant future.
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I did happen to read and respond to your facebook message , thank you for contacting me :)
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Thanks Shay-lon!
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fantastic photo
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It certainly is!
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wow incredible photo. So beautiful
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Indeed! You can learn a lot about snow leopards from the podcast too.
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I will check it out thanks
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Beautiful blog Josh.
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Thank you!
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Hi Josh, fantastic podcast! Thanks for sharing. I’ve read the book The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen and found it to be a fantastic journey. This is a part of the world that I must get to. I’ve been very close but not right into the territory. I’ve been following the change in attitudes of local people towards the snow leopard and it really is a brilliant story that gives us hope. The podcast reminds us that it is impossible to separate the welfare of local people, wildlife and the environments they share. It is encouraging to see groups coming together to address the complete picture.
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I’m glad you listened to the podcast! As you said, it’s full of great information.
Although jaguars are the species that first got me interested in big cats, I’m incredibly inspired by snow leopard conservationists. They seem to have understood the link between the wellbeing of local people and the health of ecosystems from an early stage, and are the experts when it comes to community-based conservation.
Nepal is also on my radar. During my last week in Belize I ended up living with a Nepalese chef, and he had many wonderful things to say about his home country. There’s a woman I’ve met through this blog who’s putting together a trek in Nepal in, “a few years time.” If you can’t make it to Nepal before then, that might be a good opportunity to go. Here’s a link with more information:
https://www.natscatsdna.com/latest-news/2017/12/20/a-month-of-small-downs-but-with-some-very-big-ups
And I’ll have to read Peter Matthiessen’s book soon! It seems like a classic.
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