Today we are launching the KHULAN CONSERVATION FUND.
A unique Conservation Fund to support conservation efforts towards protection of the Khulan population and its habitat in Mongolia's Gobi Desert rangelands.
While the name 'Khulan Conservation Fund' will remain the same, the logo posted above is a tentative logo and might be improved in the near future.
Why is it essential to protect the Khulan and its habitat?
- The Khulan (Equus hemionus hemionus) represents the largest population of the Asiatic Wild Ass in the world.
- Mongolia hosts about 80% of the global population of the Asiatic Wild Ass.
- The South and Southeast regions of Mongolia's Gobi Desert support the largest population of the Khulan in Mongolia.
- The Khulan plays a very important function in nature as a Gobi engineer species, digging water holes at dry water sources to access water located underneath the Gobi floor. These precious water holes benefit other Gobi species, wild and domestic.
- Every year, Khulans migrate over 70,000 square kilometers, making them the land animals with the greatest migration distance on the planet!
- Khulans' movements, which follow a nomadic pattern, contribute to maintain plant diversity and could help pastures to regenerate through undigested plants' seeds found in their dungs.
- Khulans also help other species access vegetation by removing with their hooves dry and senescent vegetation.
- The species also helps maintain food webs' balance.
- and more ...
The Khulan is a symbol of adaptation, resilience and regeneration.
It also represents a local symbol of the cultural and biodiversity heritage of Mongolia.
What does the KHULAN CONSERVATION FUND aim to?
The Khulan Conservation Fund aims to:
- Enhance protection of the Khulan population in Mongolia (which represents the largest population of the Asiatic Wild Ass in the world),
- Support local community conservation projects and initiatives,
- Raise international awareness about protection of the Khulan and the Gobi Desert rangelands,
- Reinforce cooperation and joint conservation initiatives towards protection of this species and its habitat.
Increased donations and investments through the Khulan Conservation Fund will help perpetuate our own conservation and our joint-conservation activities in Mongolia, therefore significantly improving protection of the Khulan, its habitat and other Gobi key species, by working together with local communities of our projects' areas.
What will the Khulan Conservation Fund be used for?
1/ Protection of the Khulan population in the South and Southeast Gobi
through in-situ conservation activities together with local communities.
2/ Sustainable management of natural resources to protect the Khulan’s habitat
through participative and collaborative activities with local communities to protect the Gobi rangelands for people and wildlife.
3/ Support local community conservation initiatives
through financial, technical, capacity building and local conservation education support to community-based conservation projects and community-led conservation initiatives selected by our organization.
4/ Enhance and support collaborations for conservation
- by bringing together conservation entities (individuals and organizations) to share expertise and experience about conservation of the Khulan and protection of desert-steppe rangelands (though workshops, online discussions and webinars, etc),
- by involving corporates to support Khulan conservation and protection of the unique Gobi Desert ecosystem,
- by supporting collaborative conservation efforts towards protection of the Khulan, its habitat and Gobi key species.
What will contribute to this fund?
- Public donations and crowdfunding
- Local and international conservation organizations and NGOS
- Governments and multilateral agencies
- Private foundations and philanthropists
- Eco-Friendly Corporate sponsorship through environmental corporate social responsibility programs.
- Eco-tourism and Conservation Travel programs
- Academic and research grants.