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Changqing Reserve Staff Training Program

December 14, 2009 in In the News, On the Road by Heather.Graham | 1 comment

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

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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Improving Local Practices in Southwest China, Part III: Resource Management Techniques in Jiuzhaigou National Park

October 28, 2009 in On the Road by Alex E | No comments

WildChina recently embarked on a series of initiatives to improve local practices in rural areas in southwest China. This is the final section of the three part series examining efforts to improve life for those in rural areas and the technologies that enable a better standard of living.

Jiuzhaigou National Park sits in the rugged West of Sichuan at 2000 meters elevation on the edge of Tibet. This cluster of virgin mixed forests is home to several endangered animals; giant pandas and golden snub-nosed monkeys traverse amongst the limestone cliffs and the effervescent blue lakes. Despite its natural beauty, Jiuzhaigou has had a tenuous history. It was discovered in the early 1970s, and hurt by large-scale logging efforts. Jiuzhaigou was declared a national park in 1978, and the park’s ecological restoration began.

Leaves turn magificent colors over a crystal lake

Leaves turn magnificent colors over a crystal lake in Autumn

Jiuzhaigou established a formal relationship with Yosemite National Park in 2006 to promote international cooperation that benefits both parks.

WildChina accompanied the Yosemite team on their first official sister park visit to Jiuzhaigou in 2009. On this trip, Yosemite preservationists completed a four day survey trek through Jiuzhaigou valley. Through these trips and related efforts, the sister parks aim to share resource management techniques and cooperate to preserve natural biodiversity. Read the rest of this entry »

Improving Local Practices in Southwest China, Part II: Bio-toilets in Sichuan Province

October 27, 2009 in On the Road, Sichuan-Earthquake by Alex E | No comments

WildChina recently embarked on a series of initiatives to improve local practices in rural areas in southwest China. This is the second of a three part series examining efforts to improve life for those in rural areas and the technologies that enable a better standard of living.

At the upper reaches of the Minjiang river and the edge of the Tibetan plateau sits Shenxi village, the remote home to a group of Chinese villagers. Shenxi village, an hour hike from the nearest paved road, seems a world apart from the rest of civilization. However, the activities of this town profoundly influence the rest of Sichuan province and surrounding areas. Shenxi village sits atop the Sichuan water basin, which stores water runoff from the Himalayas and supplies vital water to Sichuan and regions downriver.

Water cleanliness is a persistent issue for China’s water lifelines that carry snowmelt from the Himalayas eastward to the Pacific Ocean, from which one quarter of China’s population drinks contaminated water every day, according to the United Nations (PDF). These issues with water cleanliness are often the result of unsanitary conditions and practices in human settlements that border major rivers.

Seperated by only a mountain from the epicenter of last year’s earthquake, Shenxi village was devastated by the damage it inflicted. Aside from the toll on human life, many of the buildings in Shenxi collapsed outright and those still standing suffered heavy damage. Villagers who returned to Shenxi village after the earthquake rebuilt their homes with the limited resources available, and the result was a village that lacked adequate sanitation. WildChina recently completed a three day project building bio-friendly toilets in this area.

Students and Villager in front of completed toilet

Students and Villager in front of completed toilet

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Pedal Power: 350 Beijing Green Train on Saturday, October 24

October 21, 2009 in On the Road by Alex G | No comments

Bike for the environment on Saturday, October 24

Bike for global environmental action on Saturday, October 24

Attention, bicycle-loving Beijingers: do you share WildChina’s passion for environmental sustainability and green travel? Do you own a bike, or know a friend who does? Are you in the city this weekend? If you answered yes to any of these questions, get involved in the 350 Beijing Green Train this Saturday, October 24.

You may find yourself wondering: what is the 350 Beijing Green Train, who is behind it, and why is it an important event for environmental efforts in Beijing and beyond? To get a better sense of the people and vision behind this event, Alex G. spoke with Clay Baylor, Project Coordinator at Future Generations China, which is one of the collaborating organizations behind the 350 Beijing Green Train.

WildChina (WC): What is the 350 Beijing Green Train? Who is behind this event?

Clay Baylor (CB): 350 is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis. On Saturday, October 24, they are asking people across the globe to organize an action and snap a photo in an effort to show world leaders our support for a serious international climate treaty to come out of Copenhagen.

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Eyes in the Forest: “Trapping” Wildlife with Cameras

September 9, 2009 in On the Road, WildChina Experts by Emma | No comments

WildChina’s friends at Conservation International have collaborated with the Shan Shui Conservation Center to create this beautiful video talking about ways they use infrared cameras to monitor wildlife movements in the forest. In the video, Dr. Dajun Wang of Peking University talks about how the cameras capture images of the natural state of the wilderness, without human interruption, and help researchers track animal movements and populations. The photos of the pandas, monkeys, tigers and takins are quite beautiful.

One of the nature reserves visited  is the Changqing Nature Reserve in Shaanxi, which we’ll be hearing much more about in the coming weeks. Stay tuned and enjoy!

WildChina on the Web: Responsible Travel and Beijing Since the Olympics

August 11, 2009 in In the News by Emma | No comments

WildChina was recently mentioned in two articles about China, which we’d like to share here.

We hope you enjoy these pieces! If you’re interested in talking to individuals at WildChina about travel in China or responsible travel, please contact emma dot starks (at) wildchina dot com

Happy travels!

On the Road: Pudacuo National Park, Yunnan

April 30, 2009 in On the Road by Emma | No comments

When I spoke to my colleague Jia Liming on the phone last night, she could hardly contain the excitement she felt after visiting Pudacuo National Park in Yunnan’s Shangri-La County. “It’s amazing,” she gushed. “It used to be completely degraded and messy, and now it’s this pristinely beautiful place.”

Jia is currently leading a trip of guests through Yunnan. With a focus on learning more about China’s glaciers and the hidden ethnic minorities in this province, Jia’s trip will take her and our WildChina guests to some of Yunnan’s most spectacular and for some, endangered, sites. Read the rest of this entry »

What We’re Reading: NYTimes Goes to Yunnan

April 14, 2009 in In the News, On the Road by Emma | No comments

New York Times reporter Edward Wong unknowingly traced WildChina’s first-ever trip in the piece he recently wrote for the Sunday Travel section. Edward travels throughout Yunnan, from the valley of the Mekong River, (called the Lancang in Yunnan), to the secluded Tibetan village of Lower Yubeng, then to several sacred sites including Mystic Lake and Mystic Waterfall.

Mt. Yubeng

Mt. Yubeng in Yunnan

The journey he takes is a beautiful one that visits sites sacred to Tibetans. Buddhists arriving at the Mystical Falls  circumambulate them 13 times with the belief that this act will accumulate merit.

In WildChina’s early years we ran this trip quite often, and promoted it heavily to guests interested in hiking, nature and Tibetan culture. In the past few years we’ve stopped visiting so much because the region has become quite touristy and lost some of its natural charm and secluded appeal. Read the rest of this entry »