From snow leopard habitat in the high Himalayas to the lowland grasslands of Chitwan National Park, Nepal is home to a remarkable diversity of habitats and wildlife. Within this ecologically important landscape, Round River Conservation Studies is expanding its conservation work and student programs through a new partnership with BIOCOS-Nepal (Biodiversity Conservation Society Nepal). This partnership builds on the model that has always guided our work: conservation that is led by, and for the benefit of, the communities that live on and steward the land and wildlife. 

Nepal occupies less than 0.1% of the world’s land area, yet it supports notable levels of biodiversity. The country’s dramatic elevation gradient—from about 60 meters above sea level in the southern Terai to the summit of Mount Everest at 8,848 meters—creates an extraordinary range of ecosystems within a relatively small area. 

This ecological diversity supports over 6,900 species of flowering plants, nearly 900 species of birds, more than 200 species of mammals, and numerous reptiles, amphibians, and freshwater fishes. Nepal is globally recognized for its populations of iconic and threatened wildlife, as well as their ongoing efforts to conserve these species.

The Chitwan–Annapurna landscape is especially significant for conservation as a linkage between tropical lowland habitats and some of the world’s highest mountain ecosystems. Within a relatively short distance, the landscape transitions from rhino and tiger habitats in the Terai to snow leopard and Himalayan musk deer habitats in the high mountains, capturing a broad intersection of Nepal’s biodiversity.

Protecting ecosystems at this scale calls for conservation rooted in local realities, a value that BIOCOS-Nepal has built its work around. As a nonprofit organization and leader in community-based conservation, BIOCOS-Nepal believes that local people are the real guardians of flora and fauna in their locality. Established a decade ago, the organization began with the intention of promoting local participation in conservation through community and school-based awareness initiatives. Over time, it expanded its focus to include applied research projects that address key knowledge gaps and improve the effectiveness of wildlife conservation. Today, BIOCOS-Nepal seeks to conserve species through community engagement and empowerment based on a foundation of science.

Through this new field-based student program, Round River will support BIOCOS-Nepal in advancing research on ecologically significant species and developing practical conservation solutions. Research efforts will focus on a range of wildlife, including snow leopard, common leopard, musk deer, blue sheep, Bengal tiger, Himalayan black bear, and Himalayan pheasants. Students and staff will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of conservation approaches, ranging from wildlife monitoring to GIS-based habitat mapping to human-wildlife conflict mitigation.