The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild lands through careful science, international conservation, education, and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks. Together, these activities change individual attitudes toward nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in sustainable interaction on both a local and a global scale. WCS is committed to this work because we believe it essential to the integrity of life on Earth.

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USAID/Mongolia
P.O. Box 1021
Ulaanbaatar-13
MONGOLIA
Phone: 976-11-312390
Fax: 976-11-310440
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May 2009

Eastern Steppe Living Landscape Project - Sustaining Wildlife and Traditional Livelihoods in the Arid Grasslands of Mongolia

Wildlife Conservation Society
www.wcs.org

During the month of May, Eastern Steppe Project staff updated community area maps and prepared lessons for the upcoming “Wildlife Monitoring in Community-managed Areas” training. WCS also participated in preparation meetings and discussions for the Open Forum on the “Value of Mongolia’s Protected Area System – Natural Heritage under Threat?” and participated in the event. A one-hour TV program on the value of Mongolia’s protected areas system was produced from this event.

Living Landscapes Program (LLP)

Eastern Steppe Community Protected Areas Maps: The WCS Mongolia Remote Sensing/GIS specialist updated maps of Community-managed areas using updated locations data collected during the April field trip to nine herder community areas. A new map showing the areas of communities WCS has engaged in wildlife and natural resource conservation activities is now available. The Remote Sensing/GIS specialist also worked closely with WCS New York to create a map of the Eastern Steppe depicting the current protected areas, community areas, and landscape features for the Eastern Steppe prospectus.

Community Based Conservation Training Preparation: The Eastern Steppe Project team worked to develop a curriculum for the “Wildlfie Monitoring in Community-managed Areas” training which will take place from May 31st – June 4th in Dashbalbar soum, northern Dornod. The goal of this training is for volunteer rangers to develop skills for recording wildlife monitoring data in their community-managed areas. Through this training volunteer rangers will learn: 1) about the importance of wildlife and pertinent legislation regarding wildlife; 2) techniques for making objective observations; 3) how to use equipment in the field for wildlife monitoring; 4) methods for monitoring wildlife; 5) roles and responsibilities (VR job description). This is the final community training under the Living Landscapes Program in Mongolia, and is a good opportunity to assess participant aptitude and overall project success.

WCS TransLinks. One of the TransLinks case studies here in Mongolia is looking at policy and decision making (governance) related to land use and land use change on the Eastern Steppe with a focus on the potential conversion of pasture land to more intensive crop-based agriculture. In May, further information was gathered regarding the Korean International Cooperation Agency’s plans to re-develop fallow agriculture land in Sumber soum, eastern Dornod. Under their master plan, KOICA is working to establish a pilot farm just east of Khalkh gol town, and plans to develop a further 270,000 hectares of fallow agriculture land west of Khalkh gol.