Forests cover around 31% of the world’s land area, but deforestation rates have been increasing at an alarming rate in the past 40 years. Trees fulfill key aspects of life, including cleaning the air, filtering the water we drink daily, and providing a home to a multitude of species worldwide. For example, 80% of amphibians, 75% of birds, and 68% of mammals. On top of all this magic, trees absorb CO2 emissions and help regulate the world’s temperature.

The Himalayas’ wildlife supports millions of people living in the region through tourism, agriculture, and other livelihood activities. Not only does it support livelihoods, but the forests in the Indian Himalayas are essential for carbon sequestration. It is estimated that these forests sequester approximately 65 million tonnes of carbon annually.

Additionally, the region is a biodiversity hotspot, with many endemic species like the snow leopard, red pandas, and Tibetan wolf, which play a crucial role in maintaining the ecosystem’s health and functioning.

To protect the land, our environmental partners conduct various activities, including monitoring of wildlife species, their populations and their behavior in the wild. 

Snow leopards are essential species for the Himalayas as they are top predators and control the populations of several species in the Himalayan landscapes. Without them, the ecological balance of those ecosystems would be disrupted. Our partners closely monitor snow leopard populations, their prey, and livestock populations. 

Camera trapping is used to monitor snow leopard populations in key areas that may need to be protected from large-scale development and local disturbances. Spatial modeling is also used to pinpoint where snow leopards are most likely to be found, and conservation efforts are focused accordingly. 

Snow leopard prey is monitored in the long-term, providing early warning signals for changes in the habitat. Lastly, partners conduct an annual census for livestock population and mortality across 40 villages to assess changes to livestock husbandry practices in the region and ensure that local people and fauna are not in conflict. 

All our partners are thoroughly vetted to ensure transparency and reliability, and they are certified with an extensive background of positive impact in critical areas of the world. We keep track of their efforts through regular reporting on key ecosystem health indicators to evaluate the efficacy of their actions in protecting Himalayan ecosystems.

The supported projects take place in Arunachal Pradesh, a state in Northeastern India, and The Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

Wooga and Dots.eco will be supporting several projects in the Himalayas made possible by Snow Leopard Trust and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Snow Leopard Trust and its country partner, the Nature Conservation Foundation, work in Ladakh and Spiti in India to monitor and protect snow leopards and their habitat. 

Wooga and the June’s Journey Players will be supporting their efforts in studying snow leopard populations through camera trapping, long-term monitoring of snow leopard prey, and annual censuses for livestock population and mortality to check human/wildlife encounters and conflicts. Their work helps evaluate the performance of conservation projects and keep an eye on any future changes.

We will be supporting two different projects from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Their first project is protecting land for wildlife in the Himalayas, specifically in the Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh, India. They support formal and community-led conservation, providing staff training and equipment, while introducing initiatives to curb poaching and wildlife trade.

WCS’s second project in India’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary supports local tribes trained as community rangers. WCS aids in developing eco-tourism for area sustainability. The Bugun tribe aims to designate their traditional lands as a Community Conserved Area, expanding protection for local people and rare species.

The work of our environmental partners benefits many species, including clouded leopards, snow leopards, tigers, the Tibetan wolf, hoolock gibbons, and red pandas.

You can support the Himalayas ecosystem by donating money to our environmental partners for this campaign. The possible donations range from a minimum of $10 to a maximum of $100.

Once the amount is selected, donors will be redirected to the personal details page where they can add their June’s Journey ID (located in the settings menu of the game). If added, at the end of the campaign, donors will receive one mastery box per $10, with a maximum of 10 mastery boxes per player. After check-out, donors will receive a personalizable and trackable certificate ready to be shared with friends and family.

100% of the donation will go directly to our selected environmental partners involved in protecting the Himalayas, and Wooga will cover all the associated operational and transactional costs related to it.

How to find June’s Journey ID

The Snow Leopard Trust is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the endangered snow leopard and its mountain ecosystems. Through research, conservation programs, community engagement, and advocacy, they work to protect snow leopards and their habitats. The trust conducts scientific research, implements community-based initiatives, provides training, and collaborates with partners to raise awareness, secure resources, and promote sustainable practices for snow leopard conservation.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a global organization focused on conserving wildlife and their habitats. Through field conservation efforts, research, conservation planning, capacity building, advocacy, education, and collaboration, WCS works to protect endangered species, manage protected areas, combat illegal wildlife trade, promote sustainable practices, and influence policy. They engage with governments and local communities to ensure the long-term preservation of biodiversity.