Natural Wool from Two High Mountains_ A Fabric of Warmth and Means of Livelihood for Impoverished Mountain People

Expand reforestation to contribute to 'clean water' challenges on a community and region while adding economic value to family owned rural businesses that depend on forestry for livelihood is a 'twin' challenge in rural communities in the twin mountain regions of the Andes and Himalayas.

cashmere goat is any breed of goat that produces cashmere wool, the goat's fine soft downy winter undercoat, in commercial quality and quantity.

This undercoat grows as the day length shortens and is associated with an outer coat of coarse hair, which is present all the year and is called guard hair. Most common goat breeds, including dairy goats, grow this two coated fleece.

In India, and neighboring Nepal, ethnic voices of tribal's are far less in percentage.

But never the less strengthening their ability to survive through special projects as discussed below and strengthening forestry can benefit both such people who often live in isolated mountain areas is beneficial in more ways than one benefiting the tribal population as well as strengthening conservation that benefits everyone.

Across the ocean, in Peru and neighboring Bolivia, in fact a large percentage of the tribal populations are of Native American culture.

Auctions are held where the wool is sold to buyers such as textile mills and merchants who arranges to blend the wool for higher value to be sold at auctions at major centers in the world where buyers and sellers meet.

For brevity, two key tribal are selected, one that has presence in both Peru and Bolivia is called and mostly live in the Andes Mountain regions.

Bolivia in fact has approximately 55% Native American population in that country. Peru reports 45% to be Native American.

In India, and neighboring Nepal, ethnic voices of tribal's are far less in percentage but the task of strengthening their ability to survive through special projects as discussed below .

And strengthening forestry in compliment, can benefit both such people who often live in isolated mountain areas is beneficial in more ways than one benefiting the tribal population as well as strengthening conservation that benefits everyone.

According to the 2001 census in Nepal, Dhimal population was 19,537. In India, the 2001 census reports Dhimal as one of the smallest community in the country, totaling a number of approximately 981 people .

Dhimals continue to speak their native Dhimal language. In Nepal they live in 24 villages of Mechi zone in Jhapa District and 51 villages in Koshi zone, Morang District.2 In India, they reside in 16 villages, namely Naxalbari and Hatighisha in Darjeeling district, West Bengal.

Anthropological documents on the Indian Dhimal is yet to be received; some sporadic documents by amateurs and some field-based study by trained scholars in a part of Dhimal population may be available but all of them cover social-cultural-linguistics aspects only, and physical or demographic data on the entire population are literally absent.

Dhimal women are good at weaving and have their unique dress among the ethnic peoples of Nepal.

The most attractive element of the wool from Llama/Alpaca/Cashmere Goat is when blended with certain sheep wool, or another high value wool animal, the respective "blend fiber" can be an attractive "feedstock" for the wool handling textile mills located in India, Europe and USA.

Such a project is a win-win partnership that strengthens the cultures of the ethnic voices where the ruminants are already a means often under struggling conditions otherwise.