Conservation through culture and TTF...

Mongolian is a nation with traditions and practices of worshipping and protecting the nature that date back deep into the history. Our ancestors used to symbolize the sky with father and the earth with mother. From generation to generation, the children have been taught to revere nature. Nowadays, in times of socio-economic transition, earth-based traditions and the generational transfer of this knowledge, is fading away.

Therefore, TCF is committed to teach children the importance of protecting the environment. A large part of our efforts will work to increase public awareness on environmental protection. Citizens' involvement and participation are the cornerstones underlying our efforts to protect the Eg-Uur Watershed, to maintain a healthy ecosystem and to protect taimen and other threatened wildlife. TCF, together with its sister organization TFF, will work on a number of levels to insure that environmental education is abundant and accessible.

One of the centerpieces of this project will be the restoration of Dayan Deerkh monastery. A restored monastery will be a facility for traditional nature-based ethics and environmental dialogue. In 2004, we helped fund a stupa-the first structure traditionally erected prior to the building of a monastery. The monastery reconstruction will begin in the fall of 2005,

Located at the border of Tsagaan-Uur and Erdenebulgan soums, the Dayan Deerkh monastery holds significant historical importance. Destroyed during the Stalinist purges of the 1930's, the monastery had unique distinction of serving both Buddhist and Shamanist practitioners in the region. Its history of multi-faith tolerance makes it an excellent candidate to act as a conduit for community outreach supporting biodiversity conservation initiatives. The Dayan Deerkh monastery historically played an important conservation role within the local communities of the EUWA, fostering the Buddhist values that fish are sacred and the killing of taimen is the same as committing 999 sins. The restoration of this monastery has been planned by the local people, but had been delayed due to a lack of funding. In addition to serving as an environmental education clearinghouse, the Dayan Derkh Monastery may become an attractive site for the tourists, further diversifying the ecotourism opportunities in the region. www.thetributaryfund.org/Mongolia.htm