Mountains have always been essential to the health of the planet. They are natural reservoirs, as well as bio-diversity hot spots. However, they are also some of the most sensitive eco-systems, and now, more than ever, they depend on human intervention to safeguard their well-being. Climate change is real and has the potential to create dramatic changes in the natural order of life on this planet. Mountain ecosystems are some of the first in the world to experience changes brought on by global warming and other symptoms of a fluctuating climate. Globalization is also causing major economic shifts and increasing poverty in the remote mountain areas.  Climate change and globalization are very real causes for concern. The Mountain Institute is focused on transforming this concern into action through intelligent, effective, community-centered programming.

This website highlights some of the projects we have developed to help address the changes that are occurring as a result of climate change. One troubling development 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 more and more people are becoming aware of how essential mountains are to the health of the planet, mountain conservation projects still get swept to the side. Mountains are seen as literal and figurative citadels, and their imposing presence belies the fragile nature of their ecosystems. Mountain ecosystems are extremely vulnerable. Much more must be done to engage large downstream populations, as well as conservation organizations and local governments, to conserve more effectively and communicate our dependence on these highland resources.

Conserving mountain ecosystems cannot be accomplished without the cooperation of everyone—upstream and downstream communities. 

Our History and Structure

TMI was established in 1972 in West Virginia. The original focus of The Mountain Institute was to provide conservation-oriented hands-on experience and leadership training for West Virginia students. These early programs were based at a four-hundred-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 protected areas in Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Regional TMI offices were established in Nepal and Peru a few years later.

TMI's mission broadened in 1993 to include programs organizing economic development, as well as programming designed to help preserve and respect the cultures of the residents of TMI’s target areas. TMI’s mission also developed to include the goal of spearheading 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.

TMI has an international staff of more than 55 people. Many of these employees live in the remote mountain communities TMI serves.

The Mountain Institute implements programming in partnership with local communities, and works with a wide variety of people in government, academia, the non-profit sector and NGOs. 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 Mission

Mountains sustain life on earth. In a world facing unparalleled economic and environmental upheaval, The Mountain Institute is committed to protecting our mountains. By conserving mountain ecosystems and empowering the people in mountain communities, TMI ensures the preservation of resources—natural, cultural and spiritual—that are crucial to maintaining a healthy planet.

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

• Measurable accountability and concrete results in all of our projects

The Mountain Institute's Awards:

• International ReSource Award for Sustainable Watershed Management: Himalayan Program
• Trout Unlimited, Partner Projects of the Year: Appalachia Program
• The Netherlands Business Development Award for the Yachakiwayi Initiative: Miriam Torres, Andean Program
• The Harvard Bridge Builder Award: Kapila Rai, Himalayan Program
• The American Alpine Club's David Brower Conservation Award: Alton Byers, PhD, senior staff