I have now entered my final week of work for Changqing Reserve. Not surprisingly, I am feeling a mixture of emotions leaving the place that has become home for me for some time now: Firstly sadness at leaving behind the Reserve, the community of Huayang that has freely welcomed me, my new Chinese friends, the simple way of life, the fresh air, long walks, local food and rice paddy viewed runs. However, I also leave with excitement about the next chapter in my life and more importantly hope for sections of China’s spectacular environment that have ‘survived’ a history of thousands of years, and are now being managed as reserves.

Huayang Town, Shaanxi Province

Upon reflection of this year it really struck me that the achievements, which have been made were due to successful co-operations. For example, the development of the Eco-tourism Action Plan, my main project, was instigated and funded by WWF China, managed by myself (a volunteer from Australia), developed by a team of local Changqing staff members, and the resultant actions based upon recommendations made by all levels of staff, community members, scientists, international experts, local government and previous volunteers.  Likewise, the Reserve’s infrared cameras (as mentioned in a previous blog) are the result of a co-operation between Changqing National Nature Reserve, Dr Dajun Wang from Peking University, Shan Shui Conservation Centre and Conservation International. However, going back a step, perhaps the most successful example of co-operation that I have heard about here has been the establishment of Changqing Reserve. So, at the risk of finishing my series of blogs with what perhaps I should have started them with, I thought I would share with you the history of Changqing National Nature Reserve (CNNR), as I have heard it, threw local verbal accounts, and bits and pieces of information I have gathered during my time here…

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Bamboo newly broken by a Giant Panda, Changqing Reserve

It’s happened!! After months of learning about Giant Pandas, seeing videos about them, writing blogs about them, and constructing an Action Plan to minimise the impact of tourism to them – I have seen a Giant Panda in the wild!!!  Even now, nine days after this experience, I am still smiling when I think about it. Being winter and therefore having an increased opportunity to see them, my former manager, Mr Shi Jian, organised a car for me to spend a few days with one of our best trackers, Zhang Yongwen, in Changqing Reserve.

It is estimated that Changqing National Nature Reserve has approximately 100 pandas within our reserve boundaries. During June to September each year, the majority of these live in the high mountains, descending to the valleys for the colder months. According to Zhang Yongwen, due to their need to conserve energy, Pandas in Changqing often meander around existing tracks such as former logging roads, and Takin tracks. This means, that when tracking pandas in Changqing you walk along these valley tracks, and alongside rivers in search of signs that pandas have been nearby recently. Signs include freshly broken bamboo, a trail of fresh scats and if you’re really lucky the sound of bamboo breaking in the distance. However, as pandas meander off the tracks to find nice places to sit, chew bamboo and sleep – once you think you’re close to one, you often find yourself scrambling hand and foot up steep bamboo covered hills. Some may not like this side of tracking, but not me, I love it! It makes me feel alive, every scratch and bruise making me more determined, heart pumping loudly (‘will I see a panda this time’), it makes me feel like David Attenborough or a BBC cameraman!

Fresh Panda scat, Changqing Reserve

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Photo of Giant Panda taken in Changqing Reserve by one of the infrared cameras

Over the Christmas and New Years period I was blessed to have two of my good friends from back home come to China to visit me, and also see what it was about this country that had me raving. Not surprisingly, as part of the visit, they both wanted to see where I had been living and working for the previous 10 months. I was also keen to share with them a glimpse of rural China, and a chance for them to see the nature reserve. So two days of animal tracking in Changqing National Nature Reserve was included in the itinerary!

We had a fabulous time following one of our most experienced guides here Mr Xiang, a known panda expert – who has eyes like a hawk. As mentioned in one of my previous blogs, while very cold, winter here is also a great time to visit our reserve due to an increased chance to see some animals who have come further down the mountain for the cold weather. Mr Xiang picked up the slightest movements from hundreds of meters away, and through following animal scats, footprints in the snow, sound and movements we ended up seeing numerous animals, including two Internationally Endangered animals: the Golden Takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) and Golden Monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana qinlingenis) and one Internationally Critically Endangered bird, the Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon).

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This week has been a somewhat inspiring one for me from a professional perspective. As I think I have mentioned in a previous blog, China often gets bad international publicity when it comes to their environmental decisions and practices. I am not saying that this publicity is unfounded nor unwarranted, but rather that ‘good news stories’ about China just seem to be lacking in the international arena.

Changqing Staff who attended training

This week, Changqing National Nature Reserve, the reserve that I am working for, held a training program for its field staff and also a small number of its office staff. The focus of the training was ‘Eco-tourism’, and it was supported financially by WWF. The training was one of the priority actions that came out of Changqing’s recent ‘Ecotourism Action Plan’, a plan that focuses upon what Changqing Administrative Bureau hope to achieve in the coming three to five years.

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First snow for the season, Huayang

Winter has arrived! Well… according to the Chinese calendar that is. If following our Gregorian Calender we still have another 13 days to go…however, here in the Qinling Mountains, I have no doubt the weather has chosen to go by the Chinese calendar!! Last Wednesday it started snowing here for the first time this season and continued throughout the night. As mentioned below in Alex’s article ‘North China is Hit by Blizzard’ (Nov 11), snow that heavy is apparently an unusual occurrence this early in the year. I awoke to find a winter wonderland – everything covered in a few inches of snow. Just spectacular!

The giant pandas in Changqing have obviously noticed the change in seasons also. There have been sightings of two different giant pandas by our staff in the last couple of weeks, signalling that they have started to descend to the valleys for the cold weather. During June to September each year, the majority of our 100 strong panda population live in the high mountains. In the high mountains of Changqing Reserve, a small type of arrow bamboo is present, Fargesia qinlingensis. The pandas feed on the shoots of this species, occasionally having some cane and leaf also. Seeing giant pandas during this time is very difficult for both staff and visitors to the Reserve. This is not only because they are located high in the mountains, but also because the arrow bamboo leaves are very small and dense, making visibility difficult. Even if a panda was happily eating or sleeping only 10 meters away, it may be difficult to find!

Giant Panda, Changqing National Nature Reserve (photo taken by Zhao Naxun)

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I am writing this blog from my room, watching the faint drops of rain drizzle down my window. Today is the last day of the Golden Week holiday, which has turned out not to be as crazy busy for Changqing Reserve as I, and others here had anticipated. While we are not certain of the reason for this, think it is probably a combination of factors including this year’s weather being a little cooler than previous ones, and many choosing to stay home for the 60th Anniversary National Day Parade.

Sun Jian raises the Chinese Flag for National Day

I spent much of the 60^th Anniversary sitting around a television with Changqing colleagues watching the parade* together, while drinking green tea and snacking on peanuts, sunflower seeds and phoenix claws. Well, technically speaking I didn’t partake in the delicacy of phoenix claws (cold chickens feet!), being a vegetarian I stuck to the other snacks. Then at night there was a big bonfire held for the community and visitors – with lots of traditional dances and songs performed. During the parade telecast my colleagues and friend’s comments made me realise how patriotic Chinese people are compared to my experience of Australians. I spent a couple of days pondering this thought, and wondered if it were a difference in schooling, media coverage, critical thought, or perhaps purely just the way in which it is expressed. After all, while at home it’s expected that politicians, and patriotic displays will be made fun of, if anybody from another country is to join in and make fun of ‘us’ – most would argue to the death to verbally defend their country.

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The last week has been a busy and exciting one at Changqing Reserve. Everyone has been preparing for the ‘Golden Week’ holiday – from the Director to the girls who work in the hotel where I live. Similar to the night before Christmas, you can feel the festival atmosphere ready to burst forth.

Experiencing festivals in China is amazing and energising – and has made me all too aware of the lack of tradition and folk law that I have as a white Australian. While we celebrate, among other days, the Queen of England’s birthday (Queens Birthday), the labour union movement resulting in an 8 hour workday (Labour Day), and a famous horse race??!! (The Melbourne Cup) – China celebrates romantic events such as the drowning of a patriotic poet (Dragon Boat Festival), the fateful night when a beautiful young girl ascended to the moon (Mid-Autumn Festival) and a day in spring when families join together to attend to the graves of deceased relatives (Tomb Sweeping Day). These festivals are full of history, story telling, special festival foods, firecrackers and fireworks, concerts and a sense of community and family that is an experience hard convey in words.

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Me in Changqing National Nature Reserve

Hi, my name is Heather. I’m a 28 year old Australian currently living and working in rural China – and this is my first official blog entry (ever!).

About a month ago now I had the privilege of meeting Mei Zhang, who was visiting my home during one of her, no doubt many, trips around China in search of new, beautiful and meaningful places to bring WildChina clients. After offering my help in any way I could, she suggested I start a blog through the WildChina website, to share my experiences. This was an offer too good to refuse – and somewhat timely after recently completing a group email to my friends and family the length of War and Peace!!

For the last six months I have called Huayang home. Huayang is a small Chinese country town located in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi Province, approximately 5 hours from Xi’an (where the famous Terracotta Warriors are found). It has a total population of approximately 6,800 people and comprises of 11 villages. Picture rice paddies, fresh air, pine and bamboo covered mountains, no westerners, and buying fresh fruit and vegetables directly from the farmers on the main street … all this, set to the soundtrack of children laughing and birds singing – this is my current home Huayang.

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