Connection and Community

Dekila Chungyalpa serves as the Director of the Loka Initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she leads innovative programs connecting faith communities with environmental action. With over 20 years of experience in global conservation, she has established herself as a bridge builder between religious institutions and environmental protection efforts. Originally from Sikkim, India, she brings a unique multicultural perspective to her work, speaking five languages including Sikkimese, Tibetan, Hindi, and Nepali. Her career highlights include founding the acclaimed Sacred Earth program at World Wildlife Fund (2009-2014), serving as WWF-US Director for the Greater Mekong Program, and establishing Khoryug, an eco-monastic association of over 50 Buddhist monasteries implementing environmental projects across the Himalayas. As a recipient of the 2014 Yale McCluskey Award for conservation innovation, she has developed groundbreaking initiatives connecting inner, community, and planetary resilience. Her work through the Loka Initiative focuses on supporting faith-led environmental efforts globally, particularly working with Evangelical Christians, Indigenous leaders, Tibetan Buddhist monastics, and local faith communities. She serves as an environmental adviser to His Holiness the 17th Karmapa and continues to influence environmental policy and practice through her research, writing, and leadership in multiple conservation organizations.