In the heart of the eastern Himalaya, The Mountain Institute is working to nurture the rich diversity of nature and culture nestled beneath the revered Himalayan peaks--Qomolangma, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Shisha Pangma, Khanchendzonga--six of the highest mountains in the world. Mount Everest, known in Nepali as Sagarmatha, and in Tibetan as Qomolangma, straddles the boundary between Nepal and China. The area surrounding Everest contains a phenomenal wealth of natural diversity ranging from desert plateaus to subtropical jungles and soaring to peaks over five miles above sea level.

Recognized by leading biologists as the "last pure ecological seed" of the Nepal Himalaya, this part of the eastern Himalayan region has been designated one of the ten most threatened biological treasures on Earth. The area is refuge for threatened and endangered wildlife species, including snow leopard, musk deer, red panda, and the Himalayan black bear. Scores of rhododendron and orchid species are visited by nearly 300 hundred bird species. Dozens of ethnic groups inhabit the valleys and ridges, speaking a variety of languages and practicing distinct religions.

Forging innovative partnerships with local people, conservationists, governments, and the private sector, TMI has initiated a number of projects involving parks and protected areas. We are working with indigenous peoples to protect natural and cultural diversity through community-based conservation efforts. The Mountain Institute joins with partners in the Makalu-Barun National Park and Conservation Area and the Langtang National Park in Nepal, the Qomolangma Nature Preserve in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, and the Sikkim Biodiversity and Ecotourism Project in the northeast Indian state of Sikkim, assisting local people in determining the best ways to manage their lands and resources.

The Makalu-Barun, Qomolangma, and Langtang join borders along with Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park to form a transboundary protected area roughly the size of Switzerland. These areas share many similar goals, related ecosystems, wildlife, and indigenous cultures. However, they also encompass different governments, different administrative systems, different stages of socioeconomic development, and different operational strategies. Their partnership--with one another and with international donors and advisors--demonstrates cooperative working relationships for a planet that is increasingly interconnected environmentally, socially, politically and economically.

Himalayan Program Offices