The Minister commended the efforts of the Snow Leopard Conservancy-India Trust (SLC-IT) based in Leh and Kalpavriksh (KV), a Pune based organisation who have produced the resource kit.

Ri Gyancha (Ri Gyancha translates as “jewels of the mountain”) is an outcome of a collaboration between SLC-IT and KV to develop and implement a conservation education programme in Ladakh, focused on the conservation of wild biodiversity of the local trans-Himalayan region. The resource kit has been produced after four years of field-testing the education programme in schools in Leh and Kargil districts.

Ri Gyancha provides useful resource material for educators who wish to implement a localised environment education programme. The kit contains a handbook with information on Ladakh’s wild flora and fauna, threats that Ladakh’s wildlife faces as well as conservation actions that are being undertaken by communities, government departments, NGOs, associations and individuals. The kit also contains detailed descriptions of 80 activities which can be conducted as part of the programme. The kit is illustrated with a large number of photographs and drawings and is in full colour to make it appealing to teachers and children. The kit includes ready-to-use educational material like posters, a board game, worksheets, puzzles and game cards.

His Holiness The Dalai Lama and the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah have both written forewords for Ri Gyancha.

Ri Gyancha can be procured from Snow Leopard Conservancy – India Trust, Shangara House, Tukcha Main, Leh, Ladakh. (Tel: 01982250953)