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he park hosted us a dance and with much enthusiasm and energy we learned the Russian waltz. This waltz is easy(ish) to learn and looks great the faster you can do it. By the time night fell we were spinning and swaying together to the sounds of Mongolian music and Amka and Badmaa’s singing.
The Vansemberuu trip has offered me adrenaline-fueled adventures that have left me with unforgettable memories. These memories allowed me to appreciate this area that boasts a wide range of natural wonders. As I ventured into the great outdoors, I immersed myself in the beauty of rolling grassland, snow-capped peaks, and dramatic canyons.
As there is no word in Mongolian for “schedule” or “stress,” there was no rush to start. It was only when everyone was present and ready to begin that Naadam commenced.
I am very excited to be working on my research project here in the Darhad Valley, which looks at the recent decline of Daurian Pika through traditional ecological knowledge. Mongolia has been an amazing learning and cultural experience thus far, and I hope you enjoy reading about our many Pika days in the field!
The next day we went out to retrieve four camera traps, it was going to be a long day for us all. We packed our daypacks and set off toward the Mongash River, which is still frozen enough to walk on safely. We decided that since we had extra cameras, there was an interest in setting a camera up to watch the ice of the river melt on a timelapse setting to retrieve in a few weeks when the ice breaks and melts. The cameras all went smoothly, and we captured boar, elk, moose, and other smaller mammals.
By Sophia Adami-Sampson of Bowdoin College My name is Sophia Adami-Sampson and I am a completing my degree in Biology from Bowdoin College with the Round River program in Mongolia. Before our journey to base camp in the Darhad Valley,…
Written by Leah Thomas of the University of Pittsburgh A year ago today, July 24, 2021, you couldn’t have convinced me that I would be here in Mongolia. I wouldn’t have imagined that the ground of this basecamp would have…
By Tj Guercio of Colby College and Gitanjali Matthes of Carleton College Round River’s camera trapping project provides unique, systematically collected data on mammal populations in the park’s protected area, but our camera trap project faced some unprecedented challenges on…
by Ella Reilich-Godino of the College of the Atlantic and Gila Goodwin of Colorado College On June 29th, we piled eight Americans, five Mongolians, and our abundance of gear into two vans and hit the dusty trail to begin our…
By Caton Langston of the University of Montana The great trek to the Darhad valley for me began in Boise, Idaho. After a quick flight to San Francisco, I was soon aboard a 12-hour flight to Seoul, South Korea. After…
by Joscie Norris, of University of Vermont In a last minute decision in 2018, I realized I was going to leave the continent for the first time and study in Mongolia. A place so distant and off of my radar…
by Isaac Schumann, of Reed College, Fall 2019 Mongolia study abroad I’m writing this blog on the darkened plane from Seoul to Seattle, though I’ve been thinking about how to write it for the entire trip. From the beginning, I…
by Lonnie Briggs, University of Vermont (written depicting the events from 10/17/19 – 10/23/19) The end is near, and denial is in full effect. On our group calendar of events coming up, “not” is written directly above “Leaving.” The 16th was the…
by Sophie Heny, of University of Vermont Round River Mongolia study abroad program – Fall 2019 “I am not atrocious. I am well above atrocity. There is no group I’d rather be beaten up by. Bob’s puns are funny. I can pish a tit!…
by Qingqing Yang, of Colby College Mongolia Study Abroad – Fall 2019 semester We camped for 9 days in front of Battogtokh’s (a park ranger) house on the steppe, an expansive grassland surrounded by mountains. On the interspersed lakes here,…
by Klara Gabriela Heuchert, of Carleton College Mongolia Study Abroad – Fall 2019 semester – September 6-14 Tengish-Shishged: Two furgons full of eight students, three Round River instructors, our sweet cook, Amkaa, and two very capable Mongolian furgon drivers travelled…
By Micah May, of University of Northern British Columbia Mongolia Study Abroad – Fall 2019 semester – Aug 20th – Sept 5th, 2019 As I sit outside of our basecamp watching the sun set over the Horidol Saridag Mountains, it…
by Noah Savage, of Williams College Mongolia Study Abroad – Fall 2019 semester How do I leave a home, make a new one, then pack that one up again? Can I carry home with me while I travel? Over this past…