We made it!!

Hey everybody. We made it here safe and sound. Every detail of the trip went great. Our friend Bill picked us up at the airport at midnight and we're here with him now (10:30 am our time) on the 16th floor coffee shop that he runs. We're running errands today- getting phones set up and what not. Hoping to move into our apartment on the 24th.

Back to the Plateau!

Great news!! Shinay and I are heading to the Tibetan Plateau where will be studying language and volunteering full time for a small NGO. The work consists of partnering with remote communities, natural resource managers, scientists, and local officials to improve the lives of the people and improve environmental management. On the human side- health care provision, education, and employment opportunities are severely limited in the communities, and are thus three of our primary fields of work. On the environmental side- the region is home to many rare, threatened, and endangered species that face poaching, habitat loss, and feeding competition. We address these issues through training programs, scientific studies, and extension activities. The aim is to realize all-around community health that integrates human and environmental concerns.

The rest of the team includes medical doctors, wildlife biologists, conservation ecologists, and environmental managers. We also draw on a pool of supporting professionals in the areas of medicine, veterinary medicine, and a number of other development and environmental related fields. Funding for project costs comes from public and private donors. International staff, such as ourselves, are responsible for raising our own support. Our hope is to get grant money to cover our expenses in the coming years- but until then we need the help of folks who are interested in supporting the work by supporting us. If you are that person- please let us know!