Main Project Activities

SGP Project No.: IRA/SGP/OP5/Y3/STAR/BD/13/07(183)

Before conducting the second courses of the Persian Leopard Regional Workshops (PLRW) in 2014, we had identified several subjects according to the priori need assessments. These subjects eventually classified as follows:

1. Research and monitoring

2. Awareness raising and community based programs

3. Media and news in wildlife conservation

Similar to the second courses of the PLRW in 2012, we invited experts and specialized individuals to join the PLRW-2014 lecture team. Each expert and lecturer embarked on preparation of educational materials specifically for PLRW 2014.

While research and monitoring group (concerning leopard, habitats and preys) addresses biodiversity (BD), land degradation (LD) and sustainable forest management (SFM), the entire procedure and identified fields are innovative and developing the capacities which eventually aid establishment of the leopard systematic monitoring procedures and influence the species conservation activities.

Lecturers in above mentioned fields are as follows, relatively:

1. Dr. Arezoo Sanei, Dr. Mohamad Mehdi Saberioun, Mr. Mohamad Ali Adibi

2. Dr. Saeed Nouri Neshat, Dr. Parvin Pakzad Manesh

3. Mr. Hamid Reza Mirzadeh, Mr. Amin Saneie

Yet, we added a new introductory session of the “environmental leadership program” in which was lectured by Ms. Goli Ahmadifard.

Earlier, we had established the Persian Leopard Online Portal with more than 1500 registered individuals from various fields of expertise and knowledge from all around the country. Concerning the current objectives, we classified the relative individuals in one or more of the third above mentioned groups in accordance with their details such as the locality, interest, local knowledge (local people, mountain climbers, wildlife rangers) and/or field of expertise (for experts, NGOs and students, wildlife wardens).

Thus, the individuals who are able to cooperate in conducting monitoring and research activities or have regular access to the habitats, have been assigned to the first group for further relative training and lectures. The same has been done for the two next groups. Afterwards, individuals were invited for the same topic courses in their own region.

Yet, one workshop of each topic has been dedicated to the provincial experts and decision makers because of their direct influence on provincial, regional and national capacities and strategies.

The following workshops has been held during the PLRW 2014:

While research and monitoring lectures as well as the community based programs directly address leopards, their habitats and prey species (BD, LD, SFM) and empower the target group of participants regarding the relative methodologies, lectures on media and news is an innovative topic which eventually influence conservation strategies, advocacy and awareness raising programs.

To sustain the project outcomes, a plan was developed to address future activities of the established network. Yet, since the network is in a national scale, integration of the activities into the Persian leopard national action plan is compulsory. Therefore, legal measures together with capabilities associated with PLNN in research and conservation efforts has been directly noted in the species national action plan which has been endorsed by Department of Environment of Iran.

A group of experts in each field has embarked on preparation of technical guides for future activities of the Persian Leopard National Network. Thus, three technical books for each field of (i) research and monitoring, (ii) awareness raising and community based programs, (iii) media and news in wildlife conservation has been produced. In the last subject, lessons learned from previous role of media in wildlife conservation in Iran is also discussed.

Find more about innovative activities in this project