Snow leopards that have roamed the Tian Shan mountains for thousands of years are in trouble. So are the five-foot tall Dalmatian pelicans, and of course, the argali. Many of the most endangered creatures do not appear on local lists. Smith became interested in Kazakstan and the other Central Asian Republics while working as a volunteer for IUCN, the World Conservation Union. He is a member of the group's Species Survival Commission.
Someone handles Europe.
Someone else handles Asia. Smith traveled to Kazakstan in 1998 on a grant from the National Research Council. The workshop would involve representatives from government, non-government organizations, academia, and all five countries of the Central Asian Republics. If the workshop ever occurs, participants will develop a set of quantitative criteria for determining whether a species is endangered or vulnerable. These criteria, unlike the subjective methods currently used, would lend scientific backing to protective efforts.