Mongolia mining industry has been booming since 1990 and community leaders are reaching out to educate themselves and in turn their communities on mining issues and conservation.

The monks will be in Butte for two days.

Today they visited the School of Mines, the Berkeley Pit, and the Golden Gate Sunlight mine.

Their hope is to learn more and study mining issues and reclamation advocacy.

"I hope we learn so much from this trip and when we go back I will be able to talk to the people and share this knowledge with the local community and mining companies," Bataar, one of the Mongolian Buddhist monks said.

They are going to be watching presentations and talking with mining experts in Bozeman, Butte, Helena, Billings and Columbus.

The monks are being hosted by the Bozeman-based non-profit, The Tributary Fund.