The Mountain Institute

Mankind depends on mountains, and now, more than ever, mountains depend on us for their protection and care. We know that climate change is real and has the potential to create dramatic changes in the natural order of life on our planet. Mountain ecosystems are some of the first in the world to experience these changes.  We also know that globalization is causing major economic shifts and increasing poverty in the remote areas in which we work. It is hard not to sound alarmist when one is, in fact, alarmed, but at The Mountain Institute we are transforming this concern into action by intensifying our responses through our multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional programs.

On our website, we highlight projects that help mountain communities adapt and build resilience to the unprecedented changes that are occurring as a result of climate change. One of the most conspicuous changes has been the declining availability of water, which, among other problems, inhibits food and electricity production. In central Nepal, TMI is providing immediate relief to drought affected communities through food aid, enterprise development, and water catchment schemes. Other projects, such as the Polylepis Restoration project in Peru and the Reading the Landscape program in Appalachia, are focused on developing long-term solutions and resilience strategies.

Although awareness of the global importance of mountains is growing, mountain issues still tend to be diminished because, to the average person, mountains seem deceptively strong. They are not; they are extremely vulnerable. Much more can be done to engage large downstream populations, organizations, and governments to conserve and understand their dependence on their highland resources.

We must all work together to develop policies, investments, and participatory approaches to enable mountain people, and the billions affected downstream, to understand, harness, and manage the interrelated and complex issues confronting the world’s mountains in the 21st century.

Our History and Structure

TMI was established in 1972 in West Virginia, where its work focused on experiential and leadership education for West Virginia''s youth. This work was based at a 400-acre nature preserve on the slopes of West Virginia''s highest mountain, Spruce Knob. TMI formally expanded into an international organization in 1987, when it assisted in the establishment of two new protected areas in Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Regional TMI offices were established in Nepal and Peru a few years later.

Our mission broadened in 1993 to include economic development and support for traditional cultures, as well as the conservation of natural resources in the world''s longest, oldest, and highest mountain ranges - the Andes, Appalachians, and Himalayas. Additional program offices now exist in Beijing, China and Sikkim, India. New programs are underway in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and are being planned in Mongolia and Tanzania. TMI''s original home, the Spruce Knob Mountain Learning Center, continues to operate as an education, conservation, and conference facility. An international headquarters was established in Washington, D.C., in 2002, which provides technical, logistical, and financial support to our regional offices.

We have an international staff of more than 55 people, largely local residents who are from the countries and mountain regions in which we work and who speak the local languages. These include Spanish, Quechua, Nepali, Hindi, Tibetan, Mandarin Chinese, Urdu, Hindi, Marathi, French, Shungana, Pamiri, Russian, Romani (Gypsy), Balkan Dialects, Dari, Persian, Farsi, and English.

We implement programs directly with communities and work with and through a wide variety of development, government, program, academic, and technical partners. TMI''s programs now reach more than a quarter of a million people a year, not including the visitors to those national parks we helped establish.

Our Values

• The integration of economic development, environmental stewardship, and cultural sustainability
• The forging of long-term commitments to the people and regions we serve
• Teamwork and collaboration within TMI and with our partners
• Cultural sensitivity and fluency in the regions where we work, and
• Measurable accountability and concrete results in all of our projects