Tweeters,
Please see the announcement below.
Greg Toffic
Woodland Park Zoo

On Friday, 28 June, Woodland Park Zoo and the Puget Sound Chapter of AAZK welcome the Executive Director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), Mr. Lam Dorji, and the Director of Bhutan Heritage Travels, Mr. Hishey Tshering in a slide illustrated presentation about the "cloud kingdom". This lecture will be at 730PM at the Zoo's Education Center Auditorium.

The size of Switzerland, the Kingdom of Bhutan with altitudes ranging from 300 ft to more than 27,750 feet, rests on the south face of the Eastern Himalayas between the Tibetan plateau and the northern plains of India. The altitudinal gradient creates an incredible range of climates from tropical to alpine, each of which supports a diverse flora and fauna. An enlightened monarch, His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who embraces the slogan "Gross National Happiness" as the country's goal for development, rules a human population of just 650,000. Predominantly Buddhist, the Bhutanese practice a faith that advocates harmony between mankind and nature. Seventy-two percent of Bhutan is carpeted by virgin forests, which in spring display millions of rhododendrons, some endemic to Bhutan, in a wide variety of colors. Bhutan is home to secure populations of threatened species such as the Bengal tiger, snow leopard, takin, elephant, fabulously-colored pheasants, golden langur and black-necked cranes. Bhutan also holds the world record for the sighting of tigers at the highest altitude, manifesting the still unbroken forest chain.

The natural heritage of Bhutan assumes added importance when compared to neighboring nations where the consequences of overpopulation and unbridled exploitation of natural resources have devastated landscapes and bio-diversity. Bhutan has been proactive in the conservation of both culture and nature. Bhutan's greatest assets are the Bhutanese and the environment they share with a plethora of other species. Approximately 15% of the male population join monastic orders and help meet the spiritual needs of others. Ancient monasteries continue as places of worship as they have been used for hundreds of years.

As the population slowly grows and greater pressures are exerted on the natural resources, Bhutan's only non-government organization dedicated to the conservation of nature, the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), assumes the responsibility of promoting the continuation of that fragile balance between the needs of mankind and nature. RSPN has a staff of fourteen dedicated employees and it depends on support from both the government and private sources. Recently, the Government established an endowment fund, the RSPN Endowment Fund, whose income helps support the organization. For each private dollar donated to this fund, the government contributes a gift of an equal amount.

To promote the development of the RSPN Endowment Fund and to encourage visitors to Bhutan, in June of 2002, Mr. Lam Dorji and Mr. Hishey Tshering, will participate in a lecture tour in the USA sponsored by the International Crane Foundation. In their national attire, the Bhutanese gentlemen will deliver to audiences an hour-long program about Bhutan -- the land, the people, the flora and fauna, and its needs. They will be accompanied by Dr. George Archibald, the Co-founder of ICF and the Chairman of its Board.

We hope you will meet Mr. Lam, Mr. Hishey and Dr. Archibald to learn more about this last Shangri-la and how we in the United States can help preserve this world treasure. There is a suggested donation of $5.00. One hundred percent of the money raised will be given to the RSPN Endowment Fund.

For more information, call Eric Kowalczyk at 206 684-4822




On Friday, 28 June, Woodland Park Zoo and the Puget Sound Chapter of AAZK welcome the Executive Director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), Mr. Lam Dorji, and the Director of Bhutan Heritage Travels, Mr. Hishey Tshering in a slide illustrated presentation about the "cloud kingdom". This lecture will be at 730PM at the Zoo's Education Center Auditorium.

The size of Switzerland, the Kingdom of Bhutan with altitudes ranging from 300 ft to more than 27,750 feet, rests on the south face of the Eastern Himalayas between the Tibetan plateau and the northern plains of India. The altitudinal gradient creates an incredible range of climates from tropical to alpine, each of which supports a diverse flora and fauna. An enlightened monarch, His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who embraces the slogan "Gross National Happiness" as the country's goal for development, rules a human population of just 650,000. Predominantly Buddhist, the Bhutanese practice a faith that advocates harmony between mankind and nature. Seventy-two percent of Bhutan is carpeted by virgin forests, which in spring display millions of rhododendrons, some endemic to Bhutan, in a wide variety of colors. Bhutan is home to secure populations of threatened species such as the Bengal tiger, snow leopard, takin, elephant, fabulously-colored pheasants, golden langur and black-necked cranes. Bhutan also holds the world record for the sighting of tigers at the highest altitude, manifesting the still unbroken forest chain.

The natural heritage of Bhutan assumes added importance when compared to neighboring nations where the consequences of overpopulation and unbridled exploitation of natural resources have devastated landscapes and bio-diversity. Bhutan has been proactive in the conservation of both culture and nature. Bhutan's greatest assets are the Bhutanese and the environment they share with a plethora of other species. Approximately 15% of the male population join monastic orders and help meet the spiritual needs of others. Ancient monasteries continue as places of worship as they have been used for hundreds of years.

As the population slowly grows and greater pressures are exerted on the natural resources, Bhutan's only non-government organization dedicated to the conservation of nature, the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), assumes the responsibility of promoting the continuation of that fragile balance between the needs of mankind and nature. RSPN has a staff of fourteen dedicated employees and it depends on support from both the government and private sources. Recently, the Government established an endowment fund, the RSPN Endowment Fund, whose income helps support the organization. For each private dollar donated to this fund, the government contributes a gift of an equal amount.

To promote the development of the RSPN Endowment Fund and to encourage visitors to Bhutan, in June of 2002, Mr. Lam Dorji and Mr. Hishey Tshering, will participate in a lecture tour in the USA sponsored by the International Crane Foundation. In their national attire, the Bhutanese gentlemen will deliver to audiences an hour-long program about Bhutan -- the land, the people, the flora and fauna, and its needs. They will be accompanied by Dr. George Archibald, the Co-founder of ICF and the Chairman of its Board.

We hope you will meet Mr. Lam, Mr. Hishey and Dr. Archibald to learn more about this last Shangri-la and how we in the United States can help preserve this world treasure. There is a suggested donation of $5.00. One hundred percent of the money raised will be given to the RSPN Endowment Fund.

For more information, call Eric Kowalczyk at 206 684-4822