Research possibilities
There are three ways to participate in the research at Hustai National Park.
- As an ecovoluteer (see below);
- Foreign students and scientists can apply as guest researcher;
- A grant – the “Jan Bouman Scholarship” – is offered each year to one Mongolian postgraduate.
Ecovolunteering at Hustai
Bringing the takhi back to Mongolia was not the end of a success of a new chapter at Hustai National Park. Still little is known about the free living takhi. Their habitat use, distribution, social behaviour, diet, health and movements are closely monitored. This annual monitoring program can only be executed on large scale with the assistance of ecovolunteers.
An ecovolunteer will live and work together with experienced Mongolian biologists, assisting in such tasks as collecting data about the home ranges of the takhi. In their ‘home range’ takhi search for food, water, mineral licks and shelter. Not only location is registered on maps, but also other data like activities (moving, drinking, resting, grazing and social behaviour) are noted on standard forms. All the information gained from the monitoring done in the Hustai National Park is collected and combined in the database and more specifically in ArcView of the Geographic Information System. It is a system of maps and data of the area with information from soil types to vegetation dynamics and with weather conditions.
One of the Mongolian biologists is supervising the ecovolunteer in their fieldwork.
Ecovolunteers may also participate in other fields during their stay. Park wildlife researchers are involved in walking wildlife transects, marmot observations, bird registration, wolf research and many other projects.
More information you will find on www.hustai.mn and/or contact the office of Hustai National Park at takhi@hustai.mn.