Award: Silver

Institution: Western Washington University

Title of Entry: Mongolian Eagle Hunter

About this Entry: Rahimbek, a nomadic herder and locally renowned eagle hunter of western Mongolia, hosted WWU Psychology Professor Dr. David Sattler and photographer Rhys Logan earlier this year, along with a team of students from the National University of Mongolia. The group traveled across the rugged countryside studying the psychological effects and impacts or climate change on nomadic herders of rural Mongolia. Rahimbek lives with his wife and five children in a rural area of Bayan-Ölgii province, where they raise yaks, camels and cattle-yak cross breeds. The family also owns two golden eagles and a Eurasian eagle-owl, which they train to help them hunt in rugged, game scarce mountains.