Bio Regions Program Inc

Programs: Whole community - bioregions promotes development of whole communities where awareness and stewardship of environmental, social/cultural, economic, and infrastructure resources contributes to a community where democratic principles of participation, transparency, and civic opportunity help so stimulate initiative and creativity leading to rich and productive lives where people have opportunities to satisfy their quality of life values.

business - business professors and students from the montana state university college of business consult with countryside businesses to improve their operation. In orkhon soum the business team is helping plan a strategy for ecotourism, friendly to both environment and local culture.

education - in mongolia, bioregions supports projects to increase education capacities of schools and communities. In renchinlhumbe soum of the darhad valley in khuvsgul aimag, bioregions sponsored the first ger schools, and provided teacher training in collaboration with boojum expeditions.

health - the vision for the bioregions health program in mongolia is to have a vigorous and sustainable exchange between montana and mongolia which builds capacity and capability for citizens to lead healthy lives. The objectives are 1) to identify critical weak links in the health care systems of both regions, and demonstrate sustainable prototype solutions to strengthen them, 2) to provide experiential learning and training opportunities for health care students and professionals, and 3) to demonstrate and provide community health education in conjunction with related programs dealing with environment, traditional knowledge, and entrepreneurship.

environment - bioregions believes that a biologically complete, non-polluted, and well-functioning environment is essential for healthy people. Environmental management and improvement projects consist of studying, educating and demonstrating the local population on best practices for maintaining and growing their natural resources.

traditional skills and knowledge - the traditional skills and knowledge program supports the utilitarian skills needed to handle animals and provide for food, clothing and shelter. The bioregions artisan program encourages training and marketing support for herders, homemakers, craftspeople like blacksmiths, ger makers, furniture makers, wool felt makers and clothing makers. Participants use traditional materials and design, but also evolve their crafts with modern materials and contemporary designs.

the arts - self-expression and communication of mongolias life styles, histories, and the joy and sadness of life have provided fabric for a people often subject to domination by neighboring cultures and political regimes. Many of these expressions involve traditional knowledge and skills, but with human expression as the media. Bioregions encourages practice of traditional arts through the annual festival of the darhad blue valley, which showcases heartfelt, but now necessarily professional level, expression of traditional painting, sculpting, instrumental music, song, dance, and poetic oratory