The People Behind Conservation Mongolia
Our Team
Mongolian field experts and international research scientists — the people who deliver exceptional expeditions and drive real conservation outcomes.
Leadership
Core Team
The expedition leaders and advisors who design and guide our programs.
Wild Camel Conservation Director
Dr. Adiya Yadamsuren
Wild Camel Protection Foundation • 15+ Years in the Gobi
Adiya is one of the world's foremost experts on the critically endangered wild camel. As Director of the Wild Camel Protection Foundation Mongolia, he oversees the captive breeding centre at Zakhyn Us and has spent over a decade surveying wild camel populations across the Great Gobi Special Protected Area. His fieldwork has been featured in BBC and PBS documentaries.
Mongolia Research Advisor
Dr. Troy Sternberg
Oxford University • 20+ Years Researching Central Asia
A Senior Research Associate at Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment, Troy has conducted continuous fieldwork in Mongolia since 2005. His research on drought, dzud, pastoralism, and desertification in Central Asian drylands has shaped conservation policy across the region. A Royal Geographical Society award recipient and Fulbright Fellow.
Conservation Science Advisor
Dr. Chris McCarthy
AI & Wildlife Technology • Historical Geography
Chris is an interdisciplinary conservation scientist whose research spans AI-driven wildlife detection, Gobi Desert ethnobotany, and Silk Road cartography. An AAAS Science Policy Fellow, he has pioneered the use of deep learning for aerial camel surveys and documented indigenous plant knowledge among Mongolia's nomadic communities.
Research Partners
The Scientists
The researchers whose fieldwork forms the foundation of our expeditions. Guests work alongside these scientists and their teams.
Rakuno Gakuen University, Japan
Remote Sensing & Grassland Ecology
Dr. Buho Hoshino
Professor, Dept. of Environmental Science • Best Environmental Scientist Award, Mongolia Ministry of Environment
Buho is a leading authority on arid land ecology and remote sensing across the Mongolian Plateau. His decades of research on grassland degradation, dust storm dynamics, and nomadic grazing systems have shaped environmental policy in Mongolia. He maintains deep collaborations with Mongolian universities and has demonstrated that traditional nomadic grazing is more sustainable than settlement-based systems.
Focus: Grassland Ecology, Remote Sensing & Dust Storm Research
Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences
Wildlife Ecology & Camera Trapping
Dr. Battogtokh Nasanbat
PhD Candidate, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague • Mongolian Academy of Sciences
Battogtokh is a field ecologist specializing in camera trap surveys of endangered species across the Gobi. His landmark survey identified 36 individual Gobi bears — one of the most comprehensive counts of this critically endangered population. He has published extensively on predator-prey dynamics, snow leopard activity, and mammal behavior at desert waterholes in the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area.
Focus: Gobi Bear Monitoring, Snow Leopard Research & Desert Mammal Ecology
Botanic Garden & Research Institute, Mongolian Academy of Sciences
Ethnobotany & Plant Conservation
Dr. Khandmaa Nergui
Mongolian Academy of Sciences • Chinese Academy of Sciences
Khandmaa researches the intersection of traditional plant knowledge and conservation in Mongolia's dryland ecosystems. Her fieldwork documenting indigenous ethnobotany among Gobi Desert nomadic communities has highlighted how environmental change threatens both plant biodiversity and the intergenerational knowledge held by herding families. She also studies drought tolerance in Central Asian crops.
Focus: Gobi Ethnobotany, Rare Plant Conservation & Biocultural Diversity
Snow Leopard Trust
Lead Researcher
Dr. Bayarjargal Agvaantseren
PhD Wildlife Ecology • National University of Mongolia
Bayara has spent 18 years tracking snow leopards across the Altai. Her camera trap network spans over 2,000 km² and has identified more than 40 individual cats.
Leads: Snow Leopard Research Expedition
Gobi Bear Project
Project Director
Dr. Odbayar Tumendemberel
PhD Conservation Biology • University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Odbayar has dedicated his career to saving the Gobi bear from extinction. He leads the feeding station program and population monitoring that keeps the last ~50 bears alive.
Leads: Gobi Bear Sanctuary Expedition
Mongolian Ornithological Society
Senior Ornithologist
Dr. Nyambayar Batbayar
PhD Ornithology • University of Oklahoma
Nyamba is Mongolia's leading bird expert, with over 200 published papers on Central Asian avifauna. His migration research has transformed our understanding of the East Asian Flyway.
Leads: Wings Over Mongolia Birding Expedition
Pallas's Cat International Conservation Alliance
Research Lead
Dr. Bariushaa Munkhtsog
PhD Mammalogy • Russian Academy of Sciences
Bariushaa pioneered the study of Pallas's cats in Mongolia, developing the den monitoring techniques that allow us to reliably locate these elusive predators for expedition guests.
Leads: Pallas's Cat & Predators Expedition
Hustai National Park Trust
Takhi Program Director
Dr. Usukhjargal Dorj
PhD Ecology • National University of Mongolia
Usukh has monitored Hustai's Przewalski's horse herds since the first reintroductions in 1992. She knows every horse by sight and has documented the remarkable recovery of this once-extinct species.
Leads: Takhi Wild Horse Expedition
Behind the Scenes
Operations Team
The Ulaanbaatar-based team who handle bookings, permits, logistics, and everything that happens before you arrive in the field.
Senior Field Guide & Logistics
Anand Munkhuu
Anand brings 25 years of experience leading expeditions across Mongolia's most remote landscapes. His deep knowledge of logistics, local communities, and wildlife habitats makes every expedition run seamlessly.
Fibre Project Manager
Erdenebuyan Enkhjargal
Enkhjargal manages the sustainable fibre initiative, working directly with herding communities on ethical cashmere sourcing. Her background in environmental research and indigenous knowledge systems across Mongolia's rangelands brings critical depth to the programme.
Operations Manager
Oyungerel Tserendorj
Oyunaa coordinates all expedition logistics — permits, vehicles, supplies, accommodation. If it needs to happen, she makes it happen.
Guest Relations
Enkhjargal Battsetseg
Your first point of contact. Enkhee handles inquiries, bookings, and pre-departure coordination — fluent in English, Mongolian, and Russian.
Permits & Documentation
Batbold Erdenebat
Batbold navigates Mongolian bureaucracy so you don't have to. Research permits, border zone access, protected area entry — he handles it all.
Finance & Administration
Narantuya Ganbold
Keeps the books balanced and ensures our conservation contributions reach the right partners. Also manages staff logistics and payroll.
In the Field
Field Team
The guides, drivers, and camp staff who keep expeditions running safely and smoothly in remote Mongolia.
Driver
Khasbaatar Khandmaa
A trusted expedition driver with deep experience navigating Mongolia's rugged terrain across the Gobi, Altai, and steppe regions.
Expedition Guide
Ganbat Dorjsuren
Former park ranger turned guide. Ganbat specializes in snow leopard and Altai expeditions, with an uncanny ability to spot wildlife others miss.
Expedition Guide
Erdene-Ochir Purev
Grew up herding in the Gobi. Erdene knows the desert's oases, water sources, and wildlife patterns like the back of his hand.
Expedition Guide
Tuya Baasansuren
Leads our Tsaatan expeditions. Tuya has family connections among the reindeer herders and serves as cultural interpreter and horseback guide.
Lead Driver
Boldbaatar Ganzorig
20 years driving Mongolia's worst roads. Boldo can get a Land Cruiser through terrain that would stop a tank — and fix anything that breaks.
Driver
Bayarmaa Tserendorj
One of Mongolia's few female expedition drivers. Bayarmaa handles the eastern steppe routes and is legendary for her patience on 12-hour drives.
Driver
Sukh-Erdene Bat-Erdene
Former rally driver who now prefers a slower pace. Sukh handles our Altai routes and maintains the vehicle fleet.
Head Camp Cook
Enkhtuul Batsuuri
Creates remarkable meals from a camp kitchen. Enkhtuul trained in UB restaurants before discovering she preferred cooking under the stars.
Camp Cook
Munkhjargal Dash
Specializes in traditional Mongolian cuisine — her buuz and khuushuur have converted many guests to Mongolian food enthusiasts.
Join the Team
Work With Us
We're always looking for experienced guides, drivers, and operations staff who share our passion for conservation and Mongolia.
Get in Touch