Sister Park: Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

 

What is a Sister Park?

The purpose of the sister park relationship is to promote international cooperation for the mutual benefit of the parks, provide a forum for collaboration about shared challenges, enrich the experience and training of park personnel through international exchanges and to share the cultural and social values of both countries.

Mongolia and Montana are located at the same latitude and have similar landforms, ecosystems, and wildlife. These similarities provide a unique platform for international cooperation and information sharing. The relationship with Gorkhi-Terelj allows both parks to exchange expertise and to collaborate on a variety of projects, including education and youth programs, GIS mapping and trails development, threatened species protection, and the development of adaptive strategies in response to climate change.

 

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

Background

Glacier National Park has had a sister park agreement with the Khan Khentii Protected Area in Mongolia since 2004. The Khan Khentii Protected Area was divided into two parts in 2013, Gorkhi-Terelj National Park and Khan Khentee Strictly Protected Area. Gorkhi-Terelj is located in Northeast Mongolia, 37 Km from Ulaanbaatar, the nation's capital. Glacier's sister park agreement was updated in 2015 from the Khan Khentii Protected Area agreement to a new agreement with Gorkhi-Terelj National Park.

 

A ger at Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is over 700,000 acres and includes mountains, forest, and valleys. The tallest peak is over 8,000 feet while the lowest valley is roughly 4,500 feet. The park has over 50 mammals, including bears and moose, 250 species of birds, and 20 species of fish. Additionally the park holds over 300 species of plants and has a rich diversity of cultural sites.