Program Reviews

Earthwatch’s Wildlife of the Mongolian Steppe was my first expedition with the organization, and I must say, I wish I had known about Earthwatch years ago! After this incredible experience, I am now determined to join many more of their expeditions in the future. I found out my impression was not actually unique. One volunteer in my group has joined Earthwatch 9 times, and another has joined 7 times!

I have always been drawn to adventure and exploring unique corners of the world, as well as connecting with inspiring, like-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds. Earthwatch has provided me with the perfect opportunity to combine my love for travel and adventure with my passion for volunteering and environmental conservation. I was thrilled to learn and actively contribute during the expedition.

The focus of Earthwatch Mongolia is particularly intriguing as they aim to study the impact of climate change on the ecosystems and wildlife of the Mongolian Steppe. Our group, consisting of six volunteers, was fortunate to have Mary-Jo, an expert in cinereous vultures, as one of our group leaders. Another group leader Rentsen Oyunbat (Remo), who is the director of the Mongolian Conservation Initiative and an expert in small mammals, consistently radiated positivity and upbeat energy to organizing activities and life around the camp. In addition to studying the near threatened cinereous vultures, we worked alongside students and researchers who were conducting studies on small mammals, the endangered argali sheep, ibex, lesser kestrel birds, the endangered marmots, insects, and plants.

Thanks to Earthwatch and the camp manager (thank you Uujgii!), the camp exceeded my expectations in terms of comfort, with modern-like amenities like sun showers and sinks in our gers (traditional Mongolian tents). The teamwork and camaraderie among the volunteers, students, and staff were exceptional. We all enjoyed working together in the field (thank you Remo, Jak and Ulmaa for taking us safely to and from the fields!), and having our meetings and meals together in the dining ger. The food was tasty and always prepared fresh (thank you Babu and Oyunaa!). And our gers were cleaned everyday! (thank you Ari!).

The range of activities during the expedition was diverse and exciting. We participated in setting up traps for small mammals and insects, tagging captured mammals, monitoring lesser kestrel and marmots activities, observing vulture nests, and hiking long distances to monitor argali sheep and ibex. We also conducted plant surveys and used the opportunity to strengthen our counting in Mongolian! During the entire 11-day expedition, we had no internet, no mobile signal, and no TV. Surprisingly, I found this lack of connectivity to be incredibly peaceful. We embraced early bedtimes, early mornings, and marveled at the vertical expanse of the Milky Way in the middle of the night. The culture day on day 7 was particularly special with a delightful Mongolian barbecue lunch, followed by a visit to the ruins of an 18th-century monastery and unique rock formations, mini bazaar by locals showcasing their art crafts, and demonstration by one of the students, a skilled competitive archer, who shared his knowledge of this traditional Mongolian sport. For those concerned about communication, I recommend downloading Google Translate for Mongolian, which can be used offline. While not perfect, it proved to be quite helpful.

Mongolia is a country steeped in history, and this expedition allowed me to fully immerse myself in its culture, interact with its people, and learn more about the country's rich heritage. The Mongolian people are warm-hearted and deeply passionate about their country.

In summary, my experience with Earthwatch's Wildlife of the Mongolian Steppe expedition was nothing short of amazing and truly unique. It provided me with the opportunity to explore a beautiful and remote region, contribute to scientific research, and connect with incredible individuals. I am eagerly looking forward to my future endeavors with Earthwatch and the adventures that lie ahead.

I joined the Walking with African Wildlife project twice: in 2004, at 43 and in 2014, at 53.
I've traveled often to east and southern Africa, and can't get enough of its scenery and wildlife.
You and your fellow volunteers will be met at the airport, driven to spectacular Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park, and divided among two camps. The North Camp, is more secluded, built along a river and surrounded by trees in the hillier region of the park. Here were kept close company with elephants, vervet monkeys, nyala, zebra and buffalo. The South Camp is atop a hill, surrounded by rolling savannah and somewhat easier hikes. I once saw a cheetah perched on a hillside, scoping out the prey species below. Both camps have spectacular birdlife.

Each morning you will wake early, have a bit to eat and some coffee, and bundle up for the chilly ride to your trail in an open vehicle. You and your ranger will be deposited at a trailhead just as the sun is rising behind you, and will walk west, with increasing light, looking for herbivores.
Your ranger (invariably a Zulu man) will advise you to walk directly behind him, and within 6 feet.
And so, the world of the African savannah will be opened up to you. You will be keenly attuned to sounds around you: birds, a monkey's call, the alarm snort of an ungulate, the crackle in the brush of....? Depending on your Zulu and/or your guide's English, you may converse a bit, or you may just be relishing this singular experience too much for talk.

Your hike may be 2 miles or 6, easy or difficult, but at the end, tired and happy, you will be retrieved by the staff and brought back to the camp for lunch. Afternoon is for naps, birdwatching, data input, or socializing, which continues along with sunset watching and stargazing till everyone tucks themselves in at night.

Have I persuaded you yet? I hope so. If you have questions for me, I would be happy to answer them. I can be contacted through Earthwatch.

Every Earthwatch project I have been on I have wanted to do again and this one was no exception. I was so excited to be in Churchill - Polar Bear Capital of the World.

I spent two wonderful weeks at the newly opened Northern Studies Centre with comfortable bedrooms, great facilities and three hot meals a day.

We spent most of our time collecting data from ponds. Whether we were dip netting, collecting water samples or identifying zooplankton....twice a day we would pull on our neoprene waist wadders and gaffer tape on our neoprene footwear before plunging into mud and water.

In the afternoons there was lab work to do before dinner and a lecture. I was lucky enough to be at the centre at the same time as a polar bear specialist who was happy to give a talk one evening.

There were understandably strict rules about going outside the centre and we had to be accompanied at all times by a bear-guide with a rifle. On 3 occasions polar bears came right up to the building which meant we got some great photos but were pleased to be inside! We were also treated to an amazing Northern Lights show on our second night at the centre.

On our recreational day all the volunteers decided to hire a guide and spent a wonderful morning touring the area before visiting the eskimo museum in Churchill. Dinner that night was at a restaurant in Churchill to give the cook at the Centre a much deserved night off.

Another unique and hugely informative project. A must for anyone.

Mongolia was truly a unique experience. Certainly one of the best Earthwatch projects I have done. The Mongolian people are lovely and passionate about their country. The national park that we were in, Ikh Nart, was wonderful.

The rendezvous was at a guest house in Ulaanbaatar and it is definitely worth arriving early to spend at least a day in the city sightseeing.

Travelling to the camp involved a 7-8 hour train journey which was a wonderful way to see the countryside and a further hour and a half's drive on from the station. We were so well looked after by the project staff and I had no concerns about the remoteness of the area.

There were 6 volunteers and we were really lucky to be at the camp at the same time as the Assistant Curator for Birds at Denver Zoo who was there to try to capture Cinereous vultures. Mary-Jo had 4 radio transmitters that she wanted to attach to the backs of 4 adult vultures. Capture was never going to be easy and I have to say that vultures are wise birds! We spent many hours sitting waiting near nest sites but were not successful. One day we were out for 14 hours.

As well as the vultures there is research being done on the Argali sheep, snakes, Lesser Kestrals, small mammals and hedgehogs. There was plenty of bird life too. One evening we had a talk by the hedgehog researcher and and watched as he fitted a long earred hedgehog with a radio transmitter.

Life around camp was very civilised. Our Gers were very comfortable and wood burning stoves were lit on the coldest nights. Showers were taken in the afternoon/evening using sun showers. Everyone ate together in the dinning room/classroom Ger and there was certainly no risk of going hungry. Boiling water was available all day for hot drinks as well as snacks.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this project to anyone and would love to go back for the argali round-up in the future.

The long train ride snakes away from the bustle of grey concrete Ulaanbaatar into the Mongolia of the imagination, dotted with the occasional ger that marks civilization--we call them yurts. Lazy hours on the train give way to a bucking ride in The Boneshaker, a weathered grey van that can travel over ANYTHING to camp, a collection of gers that will be our home, nestled amidst outcroppings of tall rocks with a stream rustling through, our only source of water.
Earthwatch is not for the slothful. There are armies of traps to be laid, and baited and checked twice daily. There are Argali sheep to be monitored, which means hiking kilometers up and down over rocky terrain, accompanied by a youthful Mongolian scout who is years younger and much fitter than I have ever been. Some teams actually snare these sheep to mark them, taking part in an old fashioned roundup with Mongolians on motorcycles as well as the traditional horses. Radio tracking hedgehogs sound cute and pastoral? Not when the little guy in question is a traveler, moving 10 km in one night. There are plants to be surveyed, mysterious clumps with Latin names, and counted in Mongolian! Sometimes there are young condors to be measured; some babies! The wingspan matches or exceeds the spread of my arms! After all this, there are sun showers to be had, and the absolute quiet of the Gobi desert. Occasionally we visit our neighbors, kilometers away, with their herd of horses and spotless ger, which can be dismantled quickly when they move on. In a nod to the 21st century, there are also motorcycles, the occasional pickup truck, one solar panel and a satellite dish. The scientists and staff are outstanding. Smiling pantomime is sometimes the only means of communication. Nonetheless, the meals are tasty, based on fresh goat prepared in every possible way, and the fellowship amazing. No phone, no TV, and no internet mean that we talk, we sing together, we play games, and we enjoy a true person to person experience, sharing our diverse cultures.

To learn what this part of the Amazon was back in 1980 -- no trees because of logging and oil in the river depriving humans and animals of food resources and then to see it today after thirty years of restoration and change in a variety of ways (i.e. villages having fish farms to leave the river fish for the birds and mammals) gave all the people who were in our group a sense of pride and accomplishment because we know what can be done to restore this world if given the opportunity. I was the only person in our group who had been to the Amazon several times and it was the second time for my granddaughter, so I did a lot of the recording so that those who had not been in the Amazon before spend all their time taking in the beauty and learning the life of the locals as well as participate in the data collection. I had also volunteered through Earthwatch at CCF (Cheetah Conservation Fund ) in Namibia and this volunteer experience was once again well organized and had adaptations as needed for all participants. I had planned to go back this past January, 2016, but a family emergency caused me to cancel. I hope to return to the research riverboat on the Amazon -- Pacaya Samiria Reserve -- next year.

A wonderful submersion into the Slovenian culture. Ana is a beautiful person who lead & guided an array of personalities with ease & grace. Her passion for dolphins & being a conservationist made me passionate for it. The experiences of the whole trip gave me much more than just information on dolphins. These experiences have shaped a new direction for my future. I look forward to returning some day.

From the moment we were met at the airport until the moment we were left at the airport I felt looked after. Being in Churchill in the winter is an experience not to be missed, the only downside being that the polar bears have left. On arriving at the CNSC (an amazing building) the team spent time with each one of us individually going through the gear we had and providing us with anything else we needed. I was very impressed with their thoroughness and their friendliness. Care, support and friendliness sum up the team and the centre staff very well. Oh and add enthusiasm to that list. On two occasions we weren’t allowed out, when it fell below -50 C windchill and during a blizzard warning. It is impossible to describe what such low temperatures feel like but an experience I am glad I had. I can’t praise the scientists, LeeAnn and Steve enough. I am slightly disabled and wasn’t sure whether I would be able to cope. I was encouraged to go, they would work things out. I found the snowpit work very tiring for me so I stayed inside on a number of occasions doing lab work with spruce needles. LeeAnn was concerned I was missing seeing some of the sites so spent 2 hours just taking me around on a skidoo watching the ptarmigan and discussing the environment and work. I left feeling I had contributed well to the research work despite not doing all the snowpit work. Being able to watch the northern lights dance across the sky from the warmth of the viewing dome was extra special.

One of my most memorable experiences on this trip was that, with the supervision of the reserve manager, we were able to approach the rhino on foot while doing our observations, getting close enough to hear them breathing. Knowing that we're directly helping to save these wonderful animals is one thing, but being that close to them really brings home how important it is that we do so.

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As a recent college graduate pursuing a career in climatology, I was looking for some real-world experience in the field. Our usual daily routine was: field work in the morning, lab work in the afternoon. Towards the end of our trip, we had one full day of field world. Since we were working in the beautiful boreal forest, no one was complaining! We drove about an hour or so out to one of the research sites in the forest. We completed our work at the first site as it started to rain. We decided to walk to the next site since it was nearby and the rain had turned to mist. We were walking down the narrow dirt road that led us out to the forest, admiring a beautiful rainbow overhead. We turned a corner and came across a POLAR BEAR. Since Churchill is considered the polar bear capital of the world, our group was required to have a trained armed staff member with us at all times when outside the research center. The bear didn't seem to see us and was just moseying towards us nonchalantly. As our guide raised his shotgun to fire a warning shot (just a noise deterrent, not a bullet), the sound of the gun being cocked scared the bear. It turned and ran off into the forest. It was an incredible encounter and one that I will NEVER forget. To be able to see a polar bear in the wild.... It was an incredible reminder of what amazing life is at stake if we do not act on climate change NOW.