Mongolia holds some of the world’s most diverse and rich wildlife, including in the Ring of Darhad region. Explorer Gregg Treinish and his team will head to this northern portion of Mongolia (Darhad) to conduct the first winter wildlife survey of the region.
The team will arrive in Mongolia today (the 19th) and will begin their expedition on the 27th. Gregg and his team will ski about 400 miles in search of signs of more than 20 species that include elk, ibex, marmots and brown bears. Their primary focus however, is on finding signs of wolverines, an indicator species for climate change.
They will attempt to gather DNA evidence of wolverines to contribute to the existing database of Mongolian wolverine genetic samples. The team will also locate sites for further in-depth study of the wolverine populations in for the use of Mongolian scientists and wolverine biologists.
The most exciting aspect of the expedition is that you can follow along!
Gregg will be keep a daily blog updating folks at home on finds and experiences from the field as well as the research team’s progress. Gregg and his team will also be looking for questions and comments from classes and followers while on their expedition!
To help follow along with the expedition in the classroom, use these seven standards-based lessons for students that align with both national standards and Common Core State Standards. Even do an expedition in your own schoolyard! The lessons can be completed sequentially as the expedition progresses. In addition, check out our dynamic collections page on Mongolia for resources to help familiarize students with the human and physical geography of the region.
The expedition launches today so join in from the start!
Correction: An earlier edition of this post stated it was the first systematic wildlife survey in the region. It is in fact the first survey during the winter months that will take place specifically in the Ring of Darhad region .
Written by Emily Connor, National Geographic Spring 2013 Geography Intern
Hello Claire! Thank you for reading our blog! We are truly sorry for the confusion. We have corrected the blog to reflect the most accurate information and included a corrections note to that effect.
We are excited and look forward to following the expedition!
Thank you
This will be exciting to follow! Project Director, Rebecca Watters, visited Irving Elementary School in Bozeman, Montana, a week ago and the kids are excited to hear more about wolverines! As the sole women on the team, and the lead scientist, I’d love to hear more from Rebecca – what a great role model for my daughters!
Fact checking – I believe there have been other wildlife surveys in this region of Mongolia – on argali? Also, I know that Rebecca has conducted wolverine research in Mongolia since at least 2009 and that this expedition is a part of her ongoing study. Her blog (www.egulo.wordpress.com), in addition to being very well written, provides loads of details on all things wolverine. Check it out!