- Our 2008 schedule is coming soon
- Join RNK for June, July or August 2008
- Take a look at the new 2007 Photo Gallery
- Multilingual website is under development

Reforestation

of Northern

Khentii

a mongolian community project supported by volunteer tourism

REFORESTATION PROJECT:

Tree stumps near Hangal spring.

The loss of trees is increasingly a global problem, affecting many of the world's countries either because of environmental and climate change or direct human infringement on delicate ecosystems. Mongolia is greatly affected by the problem of desertification, as the Gobi desert creeps ever northward. Please read about how the loss of trees is affecting our area in Umnudelger Soum.

Reforestation of Northern Khentii is a locally-created project that hopes to restore the land of Umnudelger Soum to a healthy and vibrant state, able to support our community and our wildlife.

HISTORY:

The idea for the project was initiated by a group of Umnudelger's educators concerned with the future of their community, and as such, the project not only aims at replenishing the land of its trees and water but also of establishing a community education and conservation program that will keep their vision alive for years to come. In 2006, the RNK project was begun under the patronage of Umnudelger's Enlightenment Informal Education Center, a respected local NGO.

This year is a trial-run for our volunteer tourist-supported program model. This aspect of our program was inspired by some of our founders' involvement in a similar project working in restoration in Khentii until 2005. Please read about our cooperation with supporting NGOs for more information on the origins of the RNK project.

LOCATION:

Khentii Bag.

Our camp and nursery are located in the small Khentii Bag (Khentii Settlement), north of the town of Umnudelger. Khentii Bag is situated within the Khaan Khentii Strictly Protected Area, a vast territory spanning sections of three aimags and created to preserve the beauty of the Khaan Khentii mountains. Our nursery is in an ideal location to cooperate with and learn from Mongolian forestry and conservation experts.

MULTI-YEAR PLAN:

Initially, we will be raising our tree saplings in a greenhouse at Khentii Bag, which is an area lucky enough to still be supported by a working well. This is where our work/tourist camp will be set up for the first few years, so that we will have easy access to water.

Dry Hangal spring.

After several years, we will start actually planting trees near the Hangal riverbed. We will be planting trees native to our area, such as aspen, larch and evergreens, to ensure a low mortality rate as well as to prevent any inadvertent damage to the delicate balance of our ecosystem.

Planting around the Hangal spring will serve as a pilot project. Later on, we will offer saplings to herders living in other areas where forest cover has been depleted. Mongolian herders do not own the land around their gers, but they are responsible for stewardship of that land and its natural resources. Many families have pledged to participate in our reforestation project in the future.

This is not a short-lived project, but one that will take many, many years to produce results. But it is our hope that these successful results will last for generations.