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Children of local herders actively participate in summer camp

The annual event called “Bird's Eye View of Sair Mountain,” brings together children from local herder households and groups them into teams focused on wildlife, plants, glacier melt, and socio-economic studies. Over 30 children participated this year, completing field studies using scientific methods in both classroom sessions and field observations.

WWF-Mongolia aims to enhance environmental education for children and youth. As part of this mission, the organization holds various events, including field studies and awareness-raising activities. One such event is the summer boot camp on Sair Mountain in the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion, which has now successfully completed its third year. This mountain, with its permanent snow cap, is a key habitat for snow leopards and other endangered species.
The annual event called “Bird's Eye View of Sair Mountain,” brings together children from local herder households and groups them into teams focused on wildlife, plants, glacier melt, and socio-economic studies. Over 30 children participated this year, completing field studies using scientific methods in both classroom sessions and field observations. The camp encourages teamwork, allowing children to learn about nature, wildlife, and plants, and share their findings with others.
Khovd University lecturers and researchers play a significant role by sharing key research and data, including information on glacier melt due to global warming and its effects on freshwater resources and ecosystems. Research from the camp has recorded 89 plant species on Sair Mountain, representing 3.6% of Mongolia’s total plant species.
Children also participate in wildlife studies, learning methods like line transects, ungulate population inventories, and wildlife track identification. They even installed automatic cameras with assistance of WWF-Mongolia biologists to monitor wildlife habitats and observed bird species. Over the past three years, participants have identified and recorded 18 bird species on Sair Mountain.
With the help of researchers and lecturers, the school children can gain considerable knowledge and understanding on the environment and wildlife (fauna and flora) within their areas and climate change related issues and potential adaptation and resilience options. They have had understanding on conflicts between human and snow leopard and the measures to mitigate the conflict on the ground.  Many are eager to share their new knowledge with their families, friends, and communities and relatives residing near the mountains distributed by snow leopard.     
© WWF-Mongolia
This mountain, with its permanent snow cap, is a key habitat for snow leopards and other endangered species.

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