Prakash Poudel
- Project name: Conserving threatened West Himalayan Yew (Taxus contorta) in Manaslu Conservation Area, Nepal
- Project site: Manaslu Conservation Area, Gorkha District, Nepal
- EDGE species: West Himalayan Yew, Taxus contorta
- Active: 2025 - ongoing
Biography
Prakash is a Research Associate at Greenhood Nepal, where he has been actively involved in conserving threatened plants across the Himalayas. A trained botanist, he holds a degree in Botany from Tribhuvan University and has over five years of experience in plant research, field ecology, and community-based conservation.
His work spans the conservation of yews, orchids, tree ferns, and medicinal plants, with a focus on combining ecological research with awareness and advocacy. Prakash has played key roles in developing survey tools, engaging local communities, and co-producing conservation strategies with stakeholders. Through the EDGE Fellowship, he aims to grow as a conservation leader and spotlight the importance of plant species often overlooked in traditional conservation efforts. He is particularly passionate about using science to inform sustainable harvesting and policy decisions that benefit both biodiversity and local livelihoods.
EDGE Project
Prakash envisions a future where the West Himalayan Yew (Taxus contorta) is protected and sustainably managed by the communities who share its habitat.
His EDGE Fellowship project will be the first focused conservation effort for West Himalayan Yew in the Manaslu Conservation Area of Nepal. Through ecological surveys and community engagement, he aims to fill critical knowledge gaps on the species’ distribution, seed dispersal dynamics, and threats. He will also co-develop Nepal’s first sustainable harvest guidelines for the species and raise awareness among local people and policymakers.
By the end of the Fellowship, his project will contribute to a reassessment of the species on the IUCN Red List and lay the groundwork for long-term protection of yews in Nepal’s western Himalayas.
