Mongolia, other than horses!  The main railroad system, the Trans-Mongolian main line, runs all the way from Russia to China. Once on the train, we found our seats and settled in for an eight hour ride south of the capital to the region known as Dornogobi. During the ride we snacked on salami, cheese, bread and tea, which are staples for Mongolia train rides. The beautiful, vast landscape was dotted with horses, gers (traditional Mongolian homes), and infinite blue skies.

Mongolia is known as the Land of Blue Heaven, as blue is seen as a sacred color in Mongolian cultures, which is represented in the presence of the “hadag”, a blue cloth which is hangs everywhere, especially adorning ovoos (a type of shamanistic cairn made of piles of rock found at the top of mountains and in high place, used for religious purposes).

June 9, 2012
Today we hosted the first ever Community Outreach Day at Ikh Nart Nature Reserve. We had to get up and early and get the camp ready for the local community members that would be arriving. The research staff at the camp set up display tables and posters which showcased their current projects. Around lunchtime people started arriving and the event was kicked off!  The culture and society of Mongolia is greatly influenced by the central role of nomadism, which is still the way of life for half of Mongolia's population. Mongolia is one of the last nations in the world today that has such a high proportion of nomadic citizens. The visitors were able to talk with researchers and learn about the different species located in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve such as Cinereous vultures, Argali sheep, Ibex, hedgehogs, Lesser Kestrels, just to name a few.