ECBP Newsletter Issue 6&7

2008 ISSUE 6&7

ECBP NEWSLETTER AUTUMN & WINTER 2008

Biodiversity Matters Letter from the editors Autumn & Winter Editorial

A

s 2009 draws to a close, we need to take time to reflect on where we are.

Review is timely since the programme moves past its mid term and turns for home. This double issue of our newsletter examines some achievements.

It has been a tumultuous year. So much has happened with snowstorms, floods, earthquakes, Olympics and the ongoing economic crisis that it takes a while to evaluate how our own biodiversity programme has fared. We have faced delays and frustrations, new priorities and opportunities have emerged, currency fluctuations have made a nonsense of budgets and plans and the uncertainty over whether ECBP will be extended hangs as a huge question mark.

All eighteen field projects are now fully operational but will they have time to deliver meaningful lessons? Recent communications and management workshops in Chengdu and Beijing indicate that some projects are going well and already producing valuable results in the direction of development of local integrated plans, involvement of local communities in conservation and regional studies; but others are still so newly on their feet that their impacts are likely to be limited unless more time can be offered. Several projects were affected and delayed by the terrible Sichuan earthquake and some new responses to that earthquake have had to be added to their activities.

2008 Issue 6&7 ECBP NEWSLETTER Autumn&Winter 2008

2 Lead Article Beijing Olympics - How‘GREEN’were we?

Blessings in Disguise 9 ECBP in Action Biodiversity Evening ECBP Communication Workshop Learning Biodiversity Conservation Knowledge with Children Ape experts go human in Beijing 21 News from the Field 32 Announcements 33 Who’s Who in ECBP

The programme management office has been pushing forward on several fronts to better mainstream biodiversity into the development processes of China. The programme has been giving technical inputs into the formulation of a new National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, has developed policy recommendations on the linkage of biodiversity and climate change, undertaken important studies on the development of biodiversity indicators. In addition it is agreed to establish a new task force under the China Council for International Cooperation in Environment and Development (CCICED) to look into the issues of ecosystem services.

The ECBP visibility and awareness component have continued to generate and broadcast awareness materials. Four books have been produced, a TV documentary series is nearly ready for airing, and exhibits have been staged at events, conferences, the zoo and streets of Beijing and at the CBD COP9 in Bonn in May. ECBP was asked to provide the ‘green’ content for the Olympics Youth Camp and duly organized four talks, provided educational videos and the produced a booklet called ‘Green’ Youth for Biodiversity.

Meanwhile, beyond the limits of ECBP this year has seen great progress in awareness attitudes in China. Huge greening efforts are visible in Beijing and other towns across the country. Major drives have been evident in promoting waste recycling, energy conservation and efficiency and social attitudes towards the handicapped, HIV community and Earthquake victims.

Meanwhile the seasons roll on. The heat of the Olympics in summer gave way to the glorious colours of a prolonged fall and now the bitter sharpness of another winter is already upon us. Once more the northern waterfowl have flown south to warmer lands and the northern mammals are fattened for the hard times ahead. We take this opportunity to wish our fellow creatures a mild winter and wish our human colleagues and partners our warmest seasonal greetings.

Biodiversity Matters is the quarterly newsletter of the EU-China Biodiversity Programme. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the ECBP and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union, UNDP or Government of China Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged Address: Room 1005 Tengda Plaza, No. 168,Xizhimenwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100044 P.R.China

Executive Editors: Melody Lee Xie Duanduan Designer: Aroma Public Relations Limited

Lead Article

Beijing Olympics ——How

I

‘GREEN’ were we?

n their winning bid for the 2008

energy sources have been developed.

Well we can certainly find things still

Olympics in 2001, the Chinese

Waste and litter recycling promoted.

to do. The wider environment is facing

Government promised to deliver a

Excessive use of plastic shopping bags

severe problems of water shortage,

‘green’ Olympics with increased green

discouraged. Polluting factories have

creeping desertification and frequent

spaces, high air quality, reduced water

been closed down or removed far outside

dust storms affecting the city. The traffic

wastage, clean energy sources and

the city. Swathes of new buildings boast

remains terribly congested. People still

reduced vehicle exhaust. So whilst the

solar water heaters, energy saving

spit unchecked in the streets. No sooner

Olympics were certainly a fantastic success

technologies and better insulation. The

we cap plastic bags in supermarkets than

in terms of spectacle and organization, we

Olympic park itself is a delightful green

every restaurant in town wants to seal all

take this opportunity to question “How

space with lakes and woodlands close to

our dining utensils in more unnecessary

‘green’ were we?” and were the promises

the heart of the city. The water itself is

plastic. An army of air conditioners burns

of 2001 delivered?

recycled and well conserved. The air was

energy all through the summer. Most

As a resident in and long-term visitor to

breathable with levels of SO2 reduced

energy is still supplied by coal. Indirect

Beijing, I have been deeply struck by the

33% over the 7 year period and CO down

transfer of polluting coal fired energy into

energy and commitment to the greening

26%. All great news and many reviews

cleaner electricity and electric vehicles is

of the city and have been pleased to

of these greening efforts have recognized

even less efficient than direct use of fossil

note parallel developments in many other

that in most areas China has far exceeded

fuels. Particulate matter in the air remains

major cities in China.

the promises and commitments made in

unacceptably high. Thank goodness the

Millions of trees have been planted and

winning the Olympics bid.

story of milk contamination did not break

green spaces created, Traffic levels have

So a pat on the back for China, BOCOG

till after the Olympics were over with Yili

been controlled and many electric or

and the city of Beijing. But was it enough?

one of the main sponsors of the Beijing

zero emission vehicles can be seen on

Could we have done better ? and is there

Olympics at the centre of the scandal.

the roads. Wind farms and other green

still more to do now that 2008 is passed ?

But personally I think the biggest missed opportunities are in the biodiversity sector and the lack of understanding shown for the role of local natural species.

The greening efforts have resulted in the introduction of vast numbers of alien species - species with heavy demands of water and fertilizer and species that offer no support to local wildlife. How much better it could have been if a policy had been adopted from the start to use local species of trees, bushes and grass in these greening efforts.

Wildlife would have been enhanced, costs of long term maintenance reduced and negative impacts on environment prevented. Birds not only enrich our environment with their song and beauty

2 Biodiversity Matters

Lead Article

but they perform valuable services in

us that those ecosystems are healthy too.

import foreign hybrids that need so much

spreading berries and seeds to promote

Spiders, dragonflies, frogs and bats control

fertilizer and seriously short water.

further natural ‘greening’ processes,

many other insect pests whilst pollinating

Another moan would be the ill-conceived

controlling the levels of insect pests and

bees and butterflies also provide an

efforts taken to clean up green spaces in

serving as indicators of environmental

invaluable service rarely seen in our rather

Beijing. Clearing of undergrowth in wooded

conditions. Like the canary in the miner’s

sterile new parks, golf courses and green

areas and removal of vegetation along

cage what tells when dangerous gas is

spaces.

canal and lake sides may look tidy to some

encountered so the presence of kingfishers

How strange it is that the country on earth

urban officials but has been a disaster for

indicate that our water bodies are still

that boasts the largest number of native

biodiversity. Lakes whish used to support a

healthy and their fish still fit to eat.

grass species has no turf development

wealth of fish, dragonflies, amphibians and

Drongos and partridges in our fields tell

industry of its own and pays a high price to

waterbirds are left empty and sterile.

2008 Olympic Youth Camp

E

CBP was invited by the organisers

Youth Camp venues and two environmental

forum and seminar on the responsibility

of the Olympics Youth Camp to

videos shown on the huge outdoor video

of youth for environmental protection and

provide the ‘green’ environment

screen.

introduced the “Beijing Green Code” which

content into the Youth Camp activities. The

John MacKinnon, of ECBP, joined other

it is hoped will be spread around the world

Olympic Youth Camp was hosted at 101

VIPs such as Wang Yue, the President of

by the Youth as “Green seeds of Beijing” to

Middle School Beijing. It forms an integral

the Youth Camp; Dr. Yin Yin Nwe, UNICEF

report on their successes to the next camp

part of the Beijing Olympics and invites

Representative to China; David Brettel,

in London in 2012.

2 youths from each participating country

organizer of the Olympics volunteers at

Meanwhile the seasons roll on. The heat of

plus youths from all the provinces of China,

Sydney Olympics; John Floretta, organizer of

the Olympics in summer gave way to the

to join together in a camp for ten days of

the UN Volunteers for the Beijing Olympics

glorious colours of a prolonged fall and now

shared activities.

and Jacques de Coubertan, the grandson of

the bitter sharpness of another winter is

ECBP helped organize and deliver 4 talks

the founder of the modern Olympics Pierre

already upon us. Once more the northern

to the camp in the main forum meeting, a

de Coubertan, at the main forum meeting.

waterfowl have flown south to warmer lands

sub-forum meeting and an environmental

ECBP invited two guest speakers to talk

and the northern mammals are fattened

seminar on the 10th and 14th August. ECBP

to the forum - Zhang Shuang, director

for the hard times ahead. We take this

also gave out recyclable shopping bags, a

of the Beijing prgramme of The Nature

opportunity to wish our fellow creatures a

specially prepared booklet entitled ‘Green’

Conservancy and Guo Geng, executive

mild winter and wish our human colleagues

Youth for Biodiversity’ and a series of other

director of the Beijing Milu Park.

and partners our warmest seasonal

brochures. ECBP posters were displayed at

John MacKinnon presented talks to the

greetings.

Biodiversity Matters 3

Lead Article

Beijing’s greening achievements By the end of 2007, Beijing’s urban green coverage rate had been raised to 51%, while the mountain area green coverage rate reached 70.49%.

Greenbelts of 25,000 hectares have been established along the important “5 rivers and 10 highways” like Jingshi Highway. Urban seeded strips

Blessings in Disguise ?

have added up to 12,600 hectares. Three green eco-barriers have been constructed.

Downtown Beijing’s green coverage rate has accounted for 43%, and the area of nature reserves has been extended to 8.18% of the entire land area.

Beyond the city limits great efforts have been made to improve air quality via the Beijing-Tianjin Dust Storm Sources Control

In english we say “every cloud has a silver lining” and try to make out that disasters are

Project.

sometimes blessings in disguise. So what can we make from China’s disasters of 2008

Control measures range as far as Hebei,

- unseasonable snow storms, earthquakes, floods and finally the collapse of the hollow

Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. For example,

economic boom we have enjoyed for the last few years? Can we draw any comfort from

the vegetation coverage of the Beijing-

these awful events or are these horrors “unmitigated”?

Tainjin sandstorm source treatment area

I had the chance to visit the earthquake zone in Sichuan and even thought it would

has been improved by 20%; 40% of the soil erosion area of the Loess Plateau has been preliminarily treated, and grazing prohibition, grazing land fallow and rotational grazing are realized in 20% of the grasslands available.

be educational to take my children along to also witness real hardship to put their own petty complaints into better perspective. As expected the horrendous damage to both property and the natural landscape were terrible to behold, but what did surprise me was the spirit and strength of the affected human residents. There was little visible grieving, no wringing of hands in despair. Rather there was a new energy of getting on with life, cleaning up the mess, putting the disaster behind them.

Twelve to a tent in Dujiangyan, pretty girls flirting in the streets, children playing in the rubble, a farmer growing cabbages on the pile of loose earth that still hides 12 homes of dead neighbours. But what struck me most were the happy smiles.

Despite valiant efforts to extend green areas around the city, planners have been criticized for relying so much on exotic species such as Rhus typhina.

People were so cheerful, pulling together for a better future, learning to rely on each other and relishing human contact and cameraderie.

I was reminded of my years in Vietnam in the early 80’s and the smiling children that greeted my everywhere in that wartorn land. I know also that in opinion polls of “Are you happy ?’, it is poor countries like Philippines with its overflowing poor barangays that always scores top. Why does poverty and hardship bring out the best of human nature whilst economic boom breeds suspicion, jealousy and bitterness?

I just visited London, once the richest

4 Biodiversity Matters

May 12th,2008, Wolong, Sichuan

Lead Article

and most prosperous city on earth but whose proud and beautiful streets now harbour unemployment, racial tensions, binge drinking, drugs, stabbings and miles of ugly graffiti. Is this the ultimate legacy of economic success? Are we chasing false dreams in our pursuit of wealth and high economic returns?

I have always considered shares and even money as hollow stuff whose value can evaporate with the whim of public confidence. But I always thought of land and property as having real and lasting value - until this year, that is. Now I see even that belief shattered. One flood, one earthquake, one shake of the economic system and those solid possessions can be stripped away in moments. Fields and crops lost, houses reduced to rubble or lost through inability to repay the mortgage.

If I wish for one thing from the horrors of 2008 it is that more people realize that wealth does not last and that wealth does not bring happiness. There are more important aspects in building a happy and worthwhile society that piling up equity. We should recognize, appreciate and safeguard those other qualities that make life so rewarding - friendships, sharing, good health, clean environment. Security is not a big bank balance, it is knowing that there is a community who will look after you if you need help.

In this collection of rediscovered virtues and values, the importance of environment is very important. Pursuit of wealth has led to pollution of the rivers, of the air, to our ears. Now even the elements and climate are rebelling against us - sea levels rise menacingly and typhoons become ever more frequent. Hurried development has also led to placement of towns and houses in unsafe locations and of substandard construction and the recent earthquake has called our bluff and revealed our mistakes.

Surely the disasters of 2008 should teach us to mend our ways, to go forward slower and more carefully and to pay more attention to environmental quality and safeguards.

And what of the damage to the natural environment caused by the snow and floods and most seriously by the Sichuan earthquake ? Can we reap any lessons from these events ?

Can we manage the landscape in safer ways? What should we do to repair the damaged Parashorea chinensis- a very unique plant specie in Yunnan.

ecosystems ?

China is a country of extraordinary biological richness, not only because it is a large and diverse area but also at the site by site level. There are more plant species in Yunnan than Biodiversity Matters 5

Lead Article

Rich biological richness of Changbai Mountain

in the whole of USA and Canada combined. There are more species in the earthquake zone of Sichuan that in the whole of France. There are several reasons why China is so rich in species but one of them is the dynamic nature of its landscape. Although earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions all do immediate damage to the local ecosystems, destroy forests and wildlife, these events are in the long-term enriching. Soils are rejuvenated and newly opened land offers opportunities for new species to colonize. Long periods of stability, by contrast, allow the locally best adapted species to dominate an ecosystem and squeeze out the competition by other less well adapted forms. The earthquake prone mountains of Sichuan are thus much richer than the more stable forests of Europe or North America, the volcanic eruptions on the Changbai Mountains of NE China contribute towards much greater biological richness there than in the more stable neighbouring Da Hinggan mountains. The richest coral reefs in the sea are those that are battered periodically by storms.

This was not the first earthquake to hit these mountains, the hillsides are a patchwork of textures representing former landslides over past decades and centuries. We should view the Sichuan earthquake as not just an immediate disaster for forests and wildlife but actually an opportunity for enrichment and adaptation. New landslides can be colonized by many species and by species that may be more suited to the changing climate than the biological communities that resided there for the past few decades, thus allowing the ecosystem to adapt to changing conditions.

Moreover, one species of particular concern to us may well be quite dependent on earthquakes. The giant panda requires extensive dense bamboo understorey and bamboo is a great colonizer of landslides. When forests grow too old and too dense, the bamboo understorey becomes shaded out and weakened, less attractive for the giant panda. Many of the best patches of panda habitat grow on the sites of former landslips. So, although some

6 Biodiversity Matters

A "new-born" Sichuan quake lake

Lead Article

Beautiful Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan

pandas may have died and large swathes of current habitat have been destroyed, in the long term the recent earthquake may benefit the panda very well.

There are foresters who want to immediately plant new trees on the fresh landslides to cover the scars and bind the loose soil and rocks. I think we should think very carefully before embarking on such action. I would prefer to let nature heal itself in its own way and its own time. In nature, landslides are not immediately colonized by trees but by herbs and shrubs.

These natural colonizers arrive quickly, cover the ground in dense vegetation and bind the loose material in a network of shallow roots. This first generation of vegetation consists of brambles, strawberries, Buddleia bushes and bamboo clumps. Birds spread the seeds of Cotoneaster, Rubus and Sorbus. Wind brings the fluffy seeds of willows and birch and only when a substantial shrub vegetation is established do climax trees - conifers and broadleaved oaks and laurels start to become established. The eventual new forest is diverse, adaptable, The most degraded forests were those situated directly above townships

bio-rich, age-structured and thus able to maintain and regenerate itself.

To rush in too early with foresters seedlings, means the understorey vegetation is lacking, species diversity is low. The resultant forest is prone to fire and disease. Because they lack proper population structure, without young trees ready to replace the sick or old trees, the artificial forest is less able to sustain and maintain itself and much less able to adapt to any further changes in climate.

Another valuable lesson to be learned from the recent earthquake is the danger of allowing degradation of forests by cutting, burning and grazing. If we examine where land slides were most severe we can see that slopes with large trees have suffered less slippage than slopes that were largely denuded by poor forest management. And that the most degraded forests were those situated directly above townships.

Biodiversity Matters 7

Lead Article Whether we allow nature to recolonise these hills or allow foresters to replant them it is vital to ensure that the new forests are better protected to safeguard both the hydrology and protect against landslides. We should never again allow the forests to become so degraded as they became in the 80s.

And finally there are lessons to be learned from the apparent quirky pattern of destruction.

One house stands undamaged whilst the houses on either side were destroyed. One side of the river is swept away and the other remains undamaged. Is this just chance or can we zone development more carefully ? Certainly we can.

More damage occurred to new brick housing of newcomers than to traditional style minority houses. There are two reasons for this. Firstly the local style uses a wooden frame and loose stonework which has a degree of flexibility that has been developed through a history of regular earthquakes and allows a building to withstand considerable movement.

Secondly, local communities know which sites have remained free from landslides in previous earthquakes and which areas are less safe and to be avoided. Even the river bed can indicate its previous history. Where the bed is comprised of large and jagged rocks we can deduce that there is a high frequency of landslide, but where the stones are small and rounded we know it is much safer to place a house.

China may feel overcrowded with its huge population, but it has plenty of space and average human density is not really so high. There is plenty of room to be selective in planning where to allow towns and construction and sensible zoning at all levels can greatly reduce the risks of loss of life in face of future natural disasters. I hope that the disasters of 2008 will help us rethink our development goals and veer towards a saner, safer and more friendly world.

China’s average human density is not really so high as some people assume.

8 Biodiversity Matters

. . The traditional Qiang Minority house.

Traditional Qiang house is comprised of large and jagged rocks.

ECBP in Action

Emergency Study of Impact on Biodiversity in Earthquake-Affected Area

I

n response to a request by the Chinese Government, ECBP supported an emergency review of the impact of the Wenchuan earthquake on biodiversity in the earthquake-affected area. The study used a combination of satellite imagery, aerial photos and field surveys to assess the damage to natural vegetation and animal communities,

including the Giant Panda. The study made recommendations on how to best incorporate biodiversity into environmental reconstruction plans. The study also served as a critical input into a new UNDP/GEF Medium-Sized Project to ensure biodiversity integration as part of the reconstruction effort.

ECBP supports a new CCICED Task Force

T

he Inception Workshop of the new CCICED task force on

task force which will work for nearly 2 years before reporting to the

Ecosystem Service and Management Strategy was held

Council.

in Beijing on 8-9 December and well attended by task

The next meeting of the group will be from 25-27 March in Lushan.

force members and invited experts and observers from CCICED secretariat, MEP, EU and UNDP. CCICED is a senior council that offers high level advice to the Government of China through the work of its task forces which undertake studies and review on different aspects of environment and development.

The new task force will advise the government of the importance of ecosystem services and ways to manage ecosystems better to obtain maximal value. The task force is Co-chaired by senior academician Prof. Chen Yiyu and Dr. Beate Jessel of Germany. ECBP have contracted the Institute of Geography to act as secretariat for the

EIA&SEA Chongqing Workshop

F

ollowing earlier ECBP support to the elaboration of ecological

information sharing and discussions among field projects, including

guidelines for EIA in 2007, the Programme held a joint

a series of presentations. Recommendations were made on future

workshop and training course on biodiversity assessment in

activities to promote exchange and experience sharing. The Guangxi

EIA in Chongqing in October 2008. The workshop was very well

Field Project has already developed draft biodiversity assessment

attended by 160 participants from most provinces in China and field

guidelines for limestone (karst) ecosystems. These guidelines,

project staff. Three days were devoted to lectures and discussions

although specifically designed for limestone ecosystems, actually

on developing biodiversity assessment guidelines and procedures

have a wider application for biodiversity assessment, both for

for EIA and included a case study field trip of a proposed railway

other ecosystems and at a province-wide level. In the future, the

construction project. An international consultant highlighted

guidelines could form the basis of a larger workshop to review the

best practice and lessons learned from international experience,

applicability of these guidelines in to a wider audience.

including case studies. One afternoon and morning was devoted to

Biodiversity Matters 9

ECBP in Action

The First Independent Audit of Field Projects

T

he first time independent audit of ECBP field projects was

2008, and finished by end of February, 2009.

conducted by an independent international auditing firm,

The auditors visited PMO of each project, communicated with

RSM China Certified Public Accountants, which was selected

PMO staff and partners, and also visited some demonstration sites.

through an open international bidding process according to UNDP’s

The audit includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting

procurement procedures. Except the two projects (Beijing Normal

policies used by field projects, financial management and internal

University and LCRC) whose Grant Agreements were signed in July

control, financial reporting and recording procedures, etc. Findings

and September of 2008, respectively, all other 16 field projects

and recommendations will certainly facilitate the improvement of

were audited this time. The field audit started on December 1,

management and operations of the field projects.

2008 Annual Workshop for Field Projects under ECBP

D

uring 24th -26th, November 2008, the workshop for Field Projects under ECBP was held at Yuyang Hotel in Beijing. More than 60 participants including project managers and financial managers from

18 field projects took part in the workshop. Ms. Song Xiaozhi, Deputy Director of FECO/MEP, Mr. Nicholas Costello, the First Counsellor of EU, Mr. Napoleon Navarro, Deputy Country Director of UNDP attended the workshop and made

10

Biodiversity Matters

ECBP in Action

the opening speeches. They all highlighted the significance of ECBP

Mr. Spike Millington, then delivered a presentation on the progress

field projects and emphasized on the importance of delivery of

so far at the central policy level and expected linkages with field

technical results, strengthened horizontal and vertical integration,

projects.

and improved visibility.

Based on the financial and management problems collected

The workshop was held after all the field projects were officially

through questionnaires from field projects before the workshop

launched and implemented. And some of the field projects have

and ordinary field projects monitoring & evaluation, COSU staff

been implemented over a year. To this regard, the objectives of the

further emphasized the procedures and requirements of the project

workshop are to enhance the exchange among field projects; to

management and financial management, esp. the importance of

reinforce the understanding between field projects and central policy

horizontal and vertical integration, improved visibility of ECBP,

level; to improve field projects’ capacity in project management and

and strictly compliance with the procurement procedures and staff

implementation, and to introduce some new thoughts and upcoming

management. Q & A on the most interested issues was conducted

event to the field projects.

accordingly.

Participatory group discussions were undertaken for exchange and

firm, RSM, gave an introduction on the

sharing purposes. The 18 field projects were organized into three

plans for upcoming financial audits of

groups, and each group visited all 6 themes with participatory discussions. All of the group members introduced their achievements and experiences they gained from

During the workshop, the selected audit

the

field projects. Some exchanges, and questions

implementation of the projects.

Many project results obtained so far and experiences/stories obtained during that were collected and shared. The group discussion adopted and applied later on turned out to be good and effective. Substantial discussions and exchange have taken place and the feedback from the project on this process is rather positive. Besides, the ECBP CTA,

Biodiversity Matters

11

ECBP in Action

and answers on logistical arrangement, timing, and financial specifics between RSM and field projects took place after the introduction.

Besides, Ms. Xue Yanyan, Program Officer of EU, and Ms. Ma Wen, an expert on project evaluation gave presentations on the mid-

been delivered through presentation, Q&A and COSU’s comments.

evaluation from respective perspective. The scope, methodologies

Women are encouraged to play an active role in field project

and typical arrangement and logistics of the upcoming mid-term

activities in the future.

evaluation in next February have been introduced to field projects.

The message of preparing for this has been well delivered through presentations, Q&A and COSU’s comments. All of these would be a great help for field projects to better preparation for upcoming financial auditing and mid-term evaluation.

This workshop could be regarded as a successful one, as firstly it was well attended by more than 60 people from 18 field projects, 3 ECBP key stakeholders, and 3 ECBP components. Secondly it is the second time that all field projects staff got together after the first annual workshop held at the end of last year. The exchange among

Dr. Wang Dajun, an expert on biodiversity monitoring was invited

field projects, as an expectation of both organizer and participants,

and introduced his experiences working on monitoring of biodiversity

has happened a lot in workshop activities and processes as well as

with nature reserves and with communities. A participatory exercise

in free time. Moreover, the field projects started to think and work

was undertaken then in order to reach agreement on consolidated

under common umbrella, the six themes. This is good for further

indicators for the six themes. ?Based on the proposed drafts

and future consolidation and integration.

developed by COSU’s initial efforts, all projects went through the indicators and provided their comments. A list of agreed theme indicators was developed and agreed after updating and revising all together those draft indicators. The theme indicators, agreed during the workshop among all projects and integrating their experiences and expertise, were the most significant output of the workshop and will be the vehicles and platforms to consolidate project outputs and develop impact indicators.

Besides, considering the fact that women play an increasing important role in biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction, Ms. Wang Libin, an expert on gender was invited and delivered a presentation on gender mainstreaming. Rational, approaches, international and Chinese perspectives regarding gender issues were introduced. The message of considering gender issues has

12

Biodiversity Matters

ECBP in Action

Biodiversity Evening

China-EU joint work on biodiversity protection bears fruit EU Ambassador Champions Biodiversity Cause

T h e E u r o p e a n Commission (EC) Delegation to China and the EU-China Biodiversity Program (ECBP) held a "Biodiversity Evening" on Dec. 19, 2008 to launch a SinoEnglish bilingual book “The Green Gold of China.”

About 450 brilliant images with vivid captions in the book presents China’s rich biodiversity resources and the significance of protecting biological diversity.

Biodiversity is just like a treasure house, which plays a vital role in climate adjusting, flood control, water supply, traditional medicine, The biggest difference between this special book and the other similar types of books is, it not only plainly introduces China’s rich biodiversity, but also emphasizes its irreplaceable economic value. Biodiversity has great values and variety itself has intrinsic value. Compare two libraries each containing 10,000 books. One library only contains 10 titles with shelves of identical books, the second containing 10,000 different titles is much more valuable, especially if some are rare and out of print titles. More biodiversity means more options for developing new crops, crop improvements, discovering new medicines and maintaining more robust, resilient and adaptive ecosystems.

Another big difference between this book and other technical books is it brings the readers personally on the scene with vivid photos and graphic descriptions. In this book, you can observe a scene such as, a panicking pika dashing by to escape being killed; a softshell turtle futilely tries to climb out the funiform net to avoid being slaughtered; a mandarin drake stands alone on the shore and admires itself alone in the dark green lake as if it is soliloquizing.

These species have such a simple idea that they only wish they could survive a rather longer time and we human beings could treat them kindly someday.

During this “Biodiversity Evening”, ECBP also launched its new website(http://ecbp-test. org/lang.html) and showed a vignette about the project. And in addition, a short teaser of the ten episode biodiversity TV documentary funded by ECBP was introduced to the audience.

Serge Abou, Ambassador of the EC Delegation to China, said China has seen environmental deterioration and could learn from the experience of Europe, which had also neglected biodiversity protection years ago.

“Conserving biodiversity is a fundamental part of development,”he said. “China’s exceptional biodiversity makes it even more relevant.” John MacKinnon, co-author of the book and team leader of the Visibility and Awareness Component of ECBP, said: “Whether China can save its rare species and their natural habitats depends on the public’s awareness of protection and their resolution to take action.”

Wang Haibin, the other coauthor and ECBP National Programme Manager, said: “We hope this book not only helps adults become more aware of biodiversity protection, but also their children.”

Biodiversity Matters

13

ECBP in Action

ECBP Communication Workshop

D

eep in the vast forest of Borneo, Malaysia, insects were chirping, birds were cooing, bugs were humming This is a land of bustle. But the land was suddenly silenced by a stunning crash, as an aged tree overwhelmed by its own burden collapsed. It is at this moment that the Orang-utan utters his own roaring calls, declaring its droughty presence.

Above is not an excerpt from “Jungle Adventure,” but a vivid story from Mother Nature told by Dr. John MacKinnon, team leader of the Visibility and Awareness Component (VAC), on the first day of EU-China Biodiversity Program (ECBP) Communication Workshop, when he was explaining how to achieve effective promotion and communication. His words impressed me; they led me into thinking: How to effectively relay messages, and in what perspective, approach and occasion?

A Case Study of the News Reports on “Holy Mountains and Sacred Lakes” In the next session, Ms. Yi Shui from China Dialogue shared her analysis of the media coverage of the issue of climate warming and biodiversity. I was surprised that the project discussed was “Holy Mountains and Sacred Lakes” by Conservation International. Ms. Yi compared two news stories of this project.

One of the stories started in a way that was familiar to us all: A two-year Conservation Steward Program (CSP) was implemented somewhere sometime’ Conservation International was an organization that’ CSP means’ This news story was, according to Ms. Yi, an boring one, because “the pile of technical terms was as messed-up as a stack of debris after an earthquake.” The part where the writer introduced the CSP was described as a readers-murdering tongue twister full of jargons, whose “only purpose was to stop

14

Biodiversity Matters

When Orang-utan Howled Memories and flavours of the ECBP Communication Workshop, Chengdu, November 11th - 14th Huang Ying, ECBP Community-based Conservation in Qinghai and Sichuan Project, Communication Officer

. .

Mr. MacKinnon is telling a vivid story during the ECBP Chengdu Communication Workshop.

Ms. Yi Shui (left) from China Dialogue shared her analysis of the media coverage on global warming and biodiversity with the trainees.

everyone from continuing reading it.”

By contrst, Liu Jianqiang, the author of the other news article, titled “the Guardian of Holy Mountains and Sacred Lakes,” used quite a different approach to develop the story. His story began with the 41-yearold Rin-Chen-bZang-Po[2], one of the conference attendants, who broadcasted the conference live to a dozen of peasants and herdsmen living in Gonjo County[3], Tibet, with a mobile phone. The story then tells the reader how Principle Xu Zhihong of Peking University commented on the project of “Holy Mountain and Sacred Lakes” during the conference. Liu Jianqiang, the author, introduced Conservation International in a more sensible manner and called for recognition towards “community conservation areas” by returning to RinChen-bZang-Po at the last part of the

article, about his active participation in the environmental conservation in his hometown, Gonjo County.

Through the comparison, Ms. Yi suggested: 1. Staff members working at the forefront should learn to tell a story by expressing their ideas in a simpler and lighter manner rather than from a pompous scientific viewpoint; 2. Learn to seek a linkage between a macroscopic issue and an average reader so as to build a closer relationship with the readers, such as connecting climate changes to a 76-year-old lady; 3. Be ready to expect the least from the media - you don’t always meet good journalists, and chances are that you would meet only lazy and unprofessional journalists. That’s why you should always be better prepared for a campaign, such as preparing for the journalists a news release with a story or a

ECBP in Action

Left: Zhou Meiyue; Middle: Feng Yongfeng; Right: Lin Gu

story outline.

Finally, Ms. Yi stressed that only humanity touches humans. Stories of men, or stories of animals and plants that reflect humanistic solicitude, can touch their readers.

During the workshop, Lin Gu, Media Advisor of VAC, staged a “Behind the Headline”[4] together with Feng Yongfeng, famous environmental journalist, and Ms. Zhou Meiyue, former senior media advisor of Green Peace. Below are their words that impressed me; these quotations show how media persons see journalist: Feng Yongfeng: Journalists can be lazy yet gluttonous - they always hope that you have prepared everything for them.

Lin Gu: Watch the media through the scope of biodiversity.

Zhou Meiyue: To deal with the media we need both patience and persistence. We need patience because we keep inviting and meeting people from different news outlets.

And we need persistence means we should always keep in touch with these people instead of remembering their existence only when everything is over.

Lin Gu: Face the journalists they way you face the community that they are covering.

If people the community can understand your project and your work clearly, so can the journalists.

I used to have doubts myself, because what we were trying to emphasize about the projects don’t always make a point in media coverage. In retrospect, although sometimes journalists’ professionalism are to blame for missing the point, we have our own problems too, and that is not thinking from the journalists’ and their audience’s point of view. We were always introducing our programs to the media with our internal materials, with our dry, boring leaflets of introduction filled with uncommon technical terms. No wonder while we were desperately promoting our “Environmental and Cultural Conservation” project, the media were more interested in “Villages’ Eyes.”

Everyone can write a News Story During the workshop, Ms. Zhu Yi from Heinrich Boll Foundation shared her opinions in how to attract the media and discover the selling points of a project. As she suggested, we can try using stories that are close people's live to introduce a new topic, and an inverted-pyramid structure, meaning placing information of utmost importance at the beginning of the story, would be a good idea in any news article. The length of the story should be within one A4 page. An anecdote will make an ideal beginning, but the

anecdote should serve to introduce the core messages. At the same time, uncommon technical terms should be avoided.

In the following practice section called “Avenue of Star, Win in China,” attendants from different institutions and projects were asked to write and share a news story about their own projects in a story-telling manner within a given period of time. It was a refreshing and pleasant experience trying to write about a project from another approach and angle. It turned out that all of us can write lively stories which were very different from those dull project reports we used to produce. Some wrote in a documentary approach, such as He Lin from the bamboo forest ecology project who skillfully connected the experience of bamboo growers with the project. Some stories were of human interest, such as mine covering the photography exhibition of “We are the Protagonists.” There were also stories written in a humorous manner. The story titled “the Struggle between Men and Bears” composed by Liu Tong on the Chang Tang[5] project still makes me laugh when I think about it now.

Indeed, with just a minor adjustment, everyone can write news stories, and everyone can become a star writer.

Biodiversity Matters

15

ECBP in Action promoters and report writer expecting journalists to automatically show up at our doors, and they do show up, we would expect them to read and comprehend our project description despite all the technical terms.

We would then expect the journalists to love nature and recognize the significance of conservation just like us, and simultaneously appreciate biodiversity without too much explanation. We would also expect them to actively raise questions with depth and insight, and finally compose news stories pertinent to the key concepts of our projects

Role-playing time: “reporters” VS “peasant”

Experiencing ECBP Communication Workshop Zhang Yingyi, ECBP Chongqing Project, Outcome Coordinator

E

xperiencing ECBP Communication WorkshopZhang YingyiFamiliar with t h e t e r m o f b i o d i v e r s i t y , I a m not quite familiar with “media persons,” creatures with high intelligence and high discourse power. From rigid, righteous, responsible CCTV reporters to omnipresent paparazzi, journalists are close to me in my impression yet far from me in presence.

We always have this kind of complex towards media in our everyday lives: we cannot live without them, yet we cannot stop complaining about them. The same complex towards media exists in our work as conservationists. As the lyric of a well-known song in China goes, “it’s never easy to say “I love you.”” But since eventually we still have to cooperate with the media, I decided to attend this workshop to undergo some “torture.” An ancient Chinese philosopher used to say “only when you know both yourself and your opponent can you become undefeatable,” and I’m here hoping to know the media better so that I can use them to benefit our work.

And behold! the trainers of the ECBP communications training workshop indeed had ways to “torture!” us. At one moment, we would be required to act as reporters to shoot photographs, do interviews and write

16

Biodiversity Matters

news stories, and at the next moment, we would be asked to pretend to be peasants to accept interviews, tell great stories and brag about ourselves. Our trainers deserve to be called “media persons,” as they master all necessary communication skills.

Theyinstigated all sorts of activities from drills to “knockouts,”and after pointing out our shortcomings they would cheer us up, saying words such as “you guys are real elites, and as I see every one of you can become a journalist.” With these tactics, we always felt sweetness of achievement even though exhausted by their “torture.”

After the four-day workshop, we gained deeper understand of media. As it turned out, most journalists were hoping that we, staff members of biodiversity conservation projects, would speak in the simplest language, and tell them fascinating, interesting, touching and inspiring stories.

We should better still complement our fabulous presentations with text materials, nice photographs, and even a sample news story. To most journalists, our sophisticated and accurate language was merely a dry, stodgy bunch of uncommon technical terms.

These were, in fact, quite the opposite of what we had expected from the media and journalists: We were a group of campaign

in exactly the way we want.

In addition, the trainers taught us that in contemporary society the axiom of “good wine needs no bush” no longer works, not even in brewing industry. That’s why we cannot hold this axiom true in our field of biodiversity conservation, which is professional and may be unfamiliar to many. Although what we do is nonprofit, we have to learn marketing now, budget for marketing personnel and promotion activities, and devise various sets of promotion strategies and events targeting different audience groups. Otherwise, no matter how well-planned and effective our projects may seem, all our work would amount to merely self-amusement.

And it is more than obvious that the media and journalists can never become our “mouthpieces,” as news outlets are independent. Therefore, the only media policy we can adopt is to treat the media and journalists as nicely and patiently as we do to community inhabitants and sponsors.

We should seek all opportunities to get in touch with them, to get close to them and become friends with them so as to affect their thoughts, attitudes and behaviors, and eventually win recognition of conservation from the public through the influence of media outlets.

Communication begets understanding, and understanding begets cooperation.

Much has been learned through playing the games in this workshop, but in reality, many obstacles lie ahead if we want effective promotion through the media. Firstly there are funds, human resource, time and energy to consider. Also communication

ECBP in Action skill is needed not only when we deal with the media, but also when we deal with our sponsors, community inhabitants, government officials, and even internal staff members. But whatever obstacles there may

be, action speaks louder: One week after the workshop, I announced the development of a promotion strategy, one that integrates project promotion into everyone’s daily work; two weeks later, I funded the purchase

of a Sony Alpha 200 DSLR with our limited budget; and on a weekend one month later, while my child is a sleep, I am writing about my experience in the workshop.

What I have learned in the Media Training Zhang Fan, ECBP Agro-biodiversity Innovation and System Management Project Project Assistant

W

hen I received the notice to join the media training program issued by the FAO Beijing Office, I doubted the point of it: why wasting time on this program with little relevance to my job? The† contract of the model development and capacity building for agro-biodiversity innovation and system management was signed in Feb. 2008. The work on this project was then delayed by the earthquake. The national management office had only 3 persons left to do the job and we were all busy like hell. Media training at this time? I just couldn’t see the point. Could that be a waste of time?

Anyway, I joined this media training program organized by ECBP and Internews. I didn’t expect to go through the whole program.

Just had a look, I thought. A few days into the program, I began to realize that it was actually an interesting and fruitful training program. The first thing that struck me as useful was some photography techniques which would be of great help when taking photographs of the project in the future.

The tutors explained to us in details about how to write an interesting news report readers would find tasty. Trainees from institutions and projects were required to describe their own projects in a different way within given time period, to compose reports that best reflect the features of their projects in a narrative tone. The tutors then commented on our stories. We realized, from their critics, that we could all write intriguing stories that appeal to the readers.

And, just doing the projects wasn’t enough.

We must broadcast the development, the achievement, and the features of our projects to a wider audience, to attract more readers, to raise more concern for what we’re doing, so that the awareness to the

protection of the biodiversity can be brought about. That’s also one of the keys to the success of our projects.

This training program also included a field research to the Xindu project, which happened to be the place where one of our demonstration projects located. We trainees were required to practice what we had learned in this program. In the Xindu Project, after the manager introduced to us about the outlines of the project, we broke into groups to talk to the community advisers and farmers, to have a better understanding about the implementation of the project, as well as how they thought about it. When we took up the role as reporters of the projects, we noticed the improvement we had achieved through the training program even more. Xu Qiang, one of the trainees, outlined an old man’s image and demeanors vividly, which made everybody laugh. Especially, when asked whether he knew about biodiversity, he answered “Biodiversity, a bunch of flowers, plants, I guess. I thought that these things were not my business. But after I collected plants myself, I found out that there are many things that were once ignored by

us.” Those plain words coming out of an ordinary farmer were completely different from the big words and jargons used by experts or project officials. They let us think more about how to promote our projects to better relate to these people, so that they can really understand what we are doing; and how to reach out to them, so that they can participate in our project actively, and experience the changes our projects make to the environment and their life.

In the short 6 months since the operation of the project began, we have achieved something. Only that we chose not to design the project report until better and bigger achievements come. After this training, after talking with staff from other projects, we found out that we should make adjustment.

The project report should come out as soon as possible, for a better influence.

In an atmosphere that generally treats media with considerable caution, taking part in this training program can actually bring me out of the old habit of doing only. In the future, I will focus more on the promotion part of the project, achieving more with less.

. A field research to Xindu project. . Trainees were practicing what they’d

learnt during the training workshop.

Biodiversity Matters

17

ECBP in Action

Learning Biodiversity Conservation Knowledge with Children Xie Duanduan

Why polar bear appears in the classroom?

T

he education program of EU-China

habitats, climate change, green lifestyle,

why do you bring the polar bear? What we

Biodiversity Programme (ECBP) was

etc. Based on these 10 biodiversity

learn today?” I told him that the polar bear

launched in October 2008 at Beijing

conservation lessons, the second phase

was coming to tell us its life story in Artic

Fendou Primary School. It is a joint effort

is to draft a biodiversity handbooks/

Ocean, especially what had happened to its

of ECBP and Beijing Xicheng Youth Science

toolkit series, including one handbook

living environment there.

and Technology House, aiming at increasing

for teachers, and one for students. The

students’ awareness of biodiversity

handbooks will be delivered around

and strengthening teachers’ capacity

August 2009 and uploaded on ECBP’s

of integrating biodiversity into school

website. We hope the handbook series

curriculum. I am assigned to develop and

will be passed around broadly in China in

execute this programme by ECBP.

fall semester 2009.

The whole program consists of two

"Today we have a new friend coming to our

masters, good at sneaking into frozen sea

phases. The first phase is the teaching

classroom -- a polar bear!" This cute snowy

and feeding on it, they are not fish. They

practice at the selected pilot study site

white polar bear’s appearance immediately

need land and ice sheet to have a rest,

Beijing Fendou Primary School. A total

caused a sensation in the classroom. The

drag the seals they catch ashore and eat.

of 10 lessons will be taught, covering

students all jumped up, thrusting their way

They can not always swim in the water, or

broad subjects, such as basic concepts

to embrace it, patted its big round head, and

they will surely be exhausted and drowned.

of biodiversity, genetic diversity,

shaked its plump claws. Su Jinshan could not

Especially in winter, a mother bear must be

ecosystems diversity, species and

wait and immediately asked me: “Ms. Xie,

sheltered in the snow cave to give birth to

18

Biodiversity Matters

"The global warming leads to the accelerated melting of Arctic glaciers and sea-level rise. The home of our loving polar bears’ gradually disappears. The vast ice sheet has split and become fragmented pieces of ice. Although polar bears are swimming

ECBP in Action her babies. But now, since the weather is

that he had already concerned about the

getting warmer, the living environment for

climate change issue for a long time.

generations of animals in the snow and ice world -- polar bears, seals, sea lions ......is undergoing great changes. As a result, polar bears on the top of the biological chain, "King of the Arctic," suffer more and more. " The classroom immediately quieted down.

The students were very sympathetic to the polar bears’ encounter.

After listening to the story of climate change, polar bear walked among the children and asked: "Dear friends, have you got any ideas to save us?"

The polar bear was so surprised that the students had a lot of ways to slow down global warming and alleviate its impacts.

They call the action "Let the Earth allay a

"How we can help the polar bears so that

fever." For example, less drive to reduce

they can continue to live in their own

emissions; to plant more trees; to avoid one-

homeland?"

time use of plastic products; to use energy-

"How can we slow down the global warming?"

I hang the prepared chart of climate change on the blackboard and asked the students to read it silently. I would choose one student

saving appliances; to waste classification, etc. We understand that this will not only help the polar bear, but also the protection of all the lives.

"Let’s move now!"

to come to the front and explain it as a

You could never imagine children's

teacher. Xu Boxuan raised his hand highly

enthusiasm and energy. No need to push

even before I said anything, seemingly to

down. After two lessons, they are aware of

beg me to let him speak.

the need to take positive actions.

Xu Boxuan started his speech from “what

Following my instructions, the students

their first time to try needle work. Although

causes the climate change” to “climate

and I create the poster "Use cloth bag for

sometimes the bag has been wrong sewed

change impacts” in a very clear and logical

green life, reject plastic bags." We find the

and their fingers are injured by the needle,

way. The audience listened seriously and

plain cloth and needles, and start sewing

all the children work very hard, even some

nodded frequently. Xu Boxuan even added

our own environment-friendly bags. These

of the most naughty boys are sitting down,

some more information, which he got from

children are around 11 years old, and they

sewing gingerly, and never mind to ask girls

radio and television news reports. It seemed

are all the princes or princess in their family

for help.

due to the one child policy. I guess this is

Biodiversity Matters

19

ECBP in Action

Through these lessons, students have gained some basic knowledge of biodiversity conservation. They are so interest in the mysteries of science, and curious about every lesson I give them.

Although the implementation of this educational program only involves two classes of students, I have seen a lot from them. They are just like the green seeds, and will widely spread biodiversity knowledge to their parents, grandparents, cousins, friends, and other students. Youth has such a unique capability to influence others, and this is exactly what we are looking forward in carrying out this program.

Ape experts go human in Beijing

The most degraded forests were those

Institute’s China representative Erika Helm promised to collaborate in 2009 in raising

The most degraded forests were those

three pioneer apes experts. It was all human

biodiversity awareness among local school

smiles and a gentle kiss when Jane Goodall,

children.

hen old chimps meet in the

the pioneer chimpanzee expert met with

George Schaller was passing through on return

forest there is much fuss - pant

ECBP’s John MacKinnon, the original orang-

from a cold field trip to the ECBP funded

hoots, hair erection, the offering

utan pioneer. And it was polite handshakes

Chang Tang project in north Tibet, to give a

of a hand to the others mouth; when big

and smiles when John later met with gorilla

lecture and present prizes at the WCS “Border

male gorillas meet there are loud roars,

pioneer George Schaller of WCS.

Guards Awards” ceremony and also to collect

charging displays and beating of the chest;

Whilst John is now resident in Beijing, Jane,

a prestigious award himself from the Chinese

when orang-utans meet there are fierce

whom he who used to work with in Africa

Government in recognition of his long services

stares before one animal slinks quietly away

43 years ago was in town to deliver a guest

to nature conservation in China.

to be alone. Yet none of this behaviour was

lecture for China National Geography, at

On the web:

observed this month in the meetings of the

Peking University. John and the Jane Goodall

http://ecbp-test.org/apeexperts.html

W 20

Biodiversity Matters

News from the Field

Paris... gone before we know it?

A B (Tony) Cunningham — Contracted expert of ECBP Sustainable Management of Traditional Medicinal Plants in High-biodiversity Landscapes of Upper Yangtze Ecoregion Project

Paris in the Spring, mm---mm--Love is in the air, mm---mm--Life's a love affair And ev'ry pair of arms a rendesvous for two. (from the #1 hit song by Roy Noble, 1935)

M

any people know Paris, the capital of France, as the world’s most romantic city, but few realize there are two kinds of Paris. One is a city, the other a very special group of plants. The second Paris, the plant known as chong lou, is famous in China, not for romance, but for saving lives. Chong lou does this by stopping bleeding, due to anticoagulant properties in the rhizome, which also has analgesic (pain-killing) properties.

The problem is that in order to save people’s lives, Paris plants die when their rhizomes are dug up. Large-scale commercial trade in chong lou raises three important questions that link conservation, business and people’s health together. Firstly, can wild stocks of this famous TCM sustain commercial demand and if not, what does this mean for local livelihoods or for biodiversity conservation? Secondly, if wild stocks of Paris are declining, can this influence product quality? Thirdly, what can be done to reverse the decline in wild stocks?

In 1935, when Roy Noble wrote his number hit song “Paris in the Spring”, the montane forests of Yunnan and Sichuan would have been filled with Paris plants flowering in the Spring. This was before commercial exploitation of Paris rhizomes started, when

Paris polyphylla (Melianthiaceae) was only

are so many people collecting chong lou in

used on a local scale. Since 1940, however, chong lou has been the “secret” ingredient in a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) produced by the company Yunnan Baiyao and used in army first aid kits in both China and Vietnam. Founded by Qu Huanzhang (1880-1938), Yunnan Baiyao has grown from small beginnings to a global brand name, now exported all over the world.

What quantities of the hard brown rhizomes are used each year would be guesswork, but undoubtedly amounts to hundreds of tons per year.

By 1980, commercial demand had spread from Yunnan to remote villages in Sichuan.

As Mr Yu Zerun, the head of a village explains: “I was the first in this village to start collecting chong lou in 1980, selling the dried rhizomes for 5 RMB per jin [about US$1.50 per kg]. 5 RMB was worth a lot then. During the collection season, in one day, I could collect more that 30 jin [15 kg] of fresh rhizomes, which is equal to 10 jin of dry rhizomes. Today, there

the forest, including women and children, because the price is high (60 RMB per jin for dry rhizomes). Because of this, chong lou is difficult to find and I can only get 5 jin of rhizomes per day, six times less than I was collecting in the 1980’s. ” Four recent baseline surveys of medicinal plant populations and their importance to local livelihoods supported by a jointly funded project between EU-China Biodiversity Programme (ECBP) and WWF in landscapes of the Upper Yangtze eco-region support local people’s observations. In Erma village, Meigu, 58% of the 90 households were involved in medicinal plant collection, with 36% of households collecting chong lou. Average household income from chong lou collection in the 2008 season was 2,921 RMB, with one household earning 9,000 RMB-a major subsidy from nature.

In villages surveyed in both Pingwu county and in Wenxian, medicinal plant collecting was also important, providing 30% of cash income to households. The remainder of cash income comes mainly from livestock

. chong lou(Paros polyphylla)rhizomes .“Morning Pasturing” Photo by Pan Ruowei Biodiversity Matters

21

News from the Field sales, to a lesser extent, crop sales and in Pingwu county, from mining. In each case, declines in chong lou numbers were recognized by local people. In the baseline ecological survey in Meigu, only three Paris polyphylla plants were found in 135 botanical survey plots. Across the total landscape, there are still many thousands of Paris polyphylla plants, so this species is certainly not near extinction, but continued decline is worrying long-term trend.

Declining chong lou populations is not just a problem for local livelihoods. It is a global conservation issue. China has 22 of the world’s 24 Paris species, and 19 Paris species, 80% are only found in China.

The centre of diversity for the genus Paris is the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Several species also occur in forests in the Upper Yangtze eco-region, such as the Hengduan mountains, Qinling and Minshan. Local people in these areas recognize several different varieties of chong lou, some that may be new to science or may have new chemical properties. These landscapes are also a globally important centre of diversity for several other medicinal plant genera as well, but are best known as prime Giant Panda habitat. Declining Paris polyphylla populations in forests accessible from villages means that more and more people now enter nature reserves to illegally exploit high value medicinal species like beimu (Fritillaria), chong lou (Paris polyphylla),

Mr Yu Zerun,pioneer of chong lou harvest&cultivation qianghuo (Notopterygium) and the caterpillar fungus, dongchong xiacao (Cordyceps sinensis). This results is conflicts with conservation in protected areas and nature reserves.

Conservation concerns about the future of declining Paris populations is supported from other studies. In a search for Paris species in the most detailed phylogenetic study of Paris DNA carried out to date , Dr Li Yunheng (Kunming Institute of Botany) and his colleagues managed to find 21 of the 24 Paris species for analysis. Two species eluded them, despite searches in the areas where they were known to occur and had been collected before, leading these scientists to suggest that Paris undulata (endemic to China) and Paris birmanica (endemic to Burma) may now be extinct, with no known populations maintained in botanical gardens. The problem doesn’t end there. As scarcity of the focal species, Paris polyphylla has increased, it is likely that other Paris species are being exploited.

This may include Paris daliensis, Paris delavayi, Paris mairei and Paris thibetica.

The consequences switching species in TCM originally based on Paris polyphylla are unknown, but may have implications for people’s health.

T h e health of the Upper Yangtze ecoregion also needs to be taken into account. In the last verse of “Paris in the Spring”, Roy Noble wrote: You're to blame if you're alone mmm --It's grand, it's new, mmm --It's me, it's you Ev'ry beating heart becomes a part of Paris In The Spring.

Will the 21st century be the final verse for Paris polyphylla and possibly several other species? Will we be left with one lonely Paris, surrounded by holes in the forest, where the others have been dug up? If so, then we’re all to blame. But it is not too late. In Pingwu county, Mr Yu Zerun, who pioneered the commercial harvest of wild chong lou, is now doing pioneer work of another type, successfully cultivating chong lou from seed. Large companies like Yunnan Baiyao are also promoting chong lou cultivation. It is through partnerships that we can make a difference to people, plants and pandas in the Upper Yangtze ecoregion: a combination of managed wild harvest, cultivation and certification of sustainable sourced or organic medicinal species linked to alternative livelihoods and a socially responsible market.

Mr XuQiang(WWF Chengdu,ECBP project),with Mr Luo Zhong Ping and Mr Yu Zerun,discussing the Daping TCM Producers Association

22

Biodiversity Matters

News from the Field

Drawings for Conservation

J

u Zhaxisange, 37 years old, is the

honored by people as The Monk of Bird-watching.

Doctor of Tibetology of Baiyu

In 2007, Zhaxisange founded the Nianbaoyuze

monastery, Guoluo prefecture,

Ecological Conservation Association and he was

Qinghai. He first started to be a fan of

the chief of this association. (Nianbaoyuze is one

bird-watching when he was 13 years old

of the 18 conservation sub-areas of Sanjiangyuan

and he was quite interested in drawing

Nature Reserve).

bird pictures and so far he has more than

Since August, 2005, Zhaxisange and Shenzhen

400 pieces of work. He is quite familiar

bird-watching association found Tibetan Buntings

with many folk stories about birds in Tibet

(Emberiza koslowi) in the mountains behind

and the bird culture in Tibetan Buddhism

Baiyu Monastery during joint bird-watching

and he is devoted to environmental

activities and subsequently set up a Tibetan

conservation. Since year 2000, he has

Bunting Conservation Experimental Area in

begun to monitor the birds on the Tibetan

the Guoluo area and part of the Amulonggou

Plateau and discovered nearly 400

valley and fences were erected by Baiyu

different kinds of birds and many of them

Monastery and several monks were organized

are endemic. Zhaxisange works in the

to monitor the Tibetan Buntings records. In the

field for 9 months every year and he is

mean time the land owners will be paid rent to protect the Tibetan Bunting on their lands. The owners also agreed not to do any activities that hurts the Tibetan Bunting habitat such as grazing etc.

Through the support of Small-grant Project, Community-based Conservation in Qinghai and Sichuan, Nianbaoyuze Ecological Conservation Association will continue surveying the distribution and breeding area of Tibetan Bunting in Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and will plan conservation approaches for its breeding area and its habitat, also to set the Tibetan Bunting main breeding places as a naturel conservation area, to encourage local communities to conserve

and nature, Zhaxi’s drawings of birds are delicate and heart touching. While we admire the patience and sense of observation he has, we appreciate his conservation of nature. Starting from a simple interests in birds, he graduates to observing the birds lives, calling for birds conservation. Under the support of Small-grant Project, Community-based Conservation in Qinghai and Sichuan, he learns much more scientific skills of monitoring and becomes more confident in conservation work.

the natural environment.

With a heart full of love for birds

Zhaxisange - A pastoral poet who loves eulogizing the beauty of his hometown.

Biodiversity Matters

23

News from the Field

“If the Youths Advance so Shall the Nation” Youth Project of Bamboo Forest Programme, ECBP, Yunnan

L

iang Qichao once said: “If the youths are intelligent so shall be the nation; if the youths are rich so shall be the nation; if the youths are robust

so shall be the nation; if the youths are independent so shall be the nation; if the youths have a liberal mind so shall the nation; and if the youths advance so shall the nation.” During the bamboo-concentrating project of the EU-China Biodiversity Programme (ECBP), there was a group of youths who, with their active participation and vivid reinterpretation, convinced their parents and subsequently the majority of the community. Luo Rongchuan and Rong Dongxue were among this group of youths whose efforts and deeds greatly enhanced our capability to raise awareness of biodiversity in the local community as well as the effectiveness of our campaign.

Luo and Rong are 5th-grade primary school students in Daguan County, Yunnan Province. Their hometown of Yinji Village, Daguan County, is known to be a highyielding area of Qiongzhuea tumidissinoda a rare and highly valued form of bamboo.

Its shoots can be served as a tasty delicacy, and its culms, born with a bizarre and unique structure, make unusual walking sticks and collectible artifacts. Local villagers make a living by collecting tumidissinoda shoots and cutting culms to sell to factories.

Unfortunately, the unique value of tumidissinoda lured the villagers onto unplanned harvesting, which heavily denuded the grove and resulted in an annually falling yield and decreasing quality. Villagers now rarely harvest culms that can satisfy the quality control of the factories. Extensive harvesting has threatened the survival of this endangered bamboo species and the income of local villagers.

This programme for biodiversity conservation in bamboo forests is funded by ECBP and executed by International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR). The aim is to better the livelihood and raise the incomes of those peasants whose lives are dependent on the bamboo industry through promoting sustainable management based on biodiversity conservation. The first step toward this goal is to replace

24

Biodiversity Matters

News from the Field

random, unplanned harvesting with a planned shoot

in the programme as the youngest volunteers,

collecting and culm felling scheme. However, long

dedicated to developing an awareness of

accustomed to the traditional, depredating way of harvesting,

biodiversity in the village. The notion of biodiversity

the villagers wouldn’t listen to us because they didn’t like their

was spread to their parents, their classmates, and

“freedom” of harvesting to be restricted. Dr. Jiang from INBAR

finally their classmates’ parents and all fellow villagers.

and Village Party Branch Secretary Xiao Lin were almost desperate.

They had given several lectures to the villagers, but the villagers were still rejecting the programme, knowing their incomes would fall in the short run. What can we do when the programme was not going anywhere? Then one night, when Xiao Lin and his wife Ms. Tian were chatting, an idea dawned on him. Ms. Tian taught at the local primary school. She mentioned to Xiao Lin another teacher in the primary school, Mr. Tang, who had a talent for writing kuaiban .

“Why don’t we ask Mr. Tian to write a kuaiban for our programme, “ Xiao Lin thought? “We can try teaching the kuaiban to the pupils first, and gradually spread it among their parents and fellow villagers.”

On June 2008, at the annual conference of bamboo forest section of ECBP held at Daguan County, Yunnan Province, specialists and officials on the programme reported their delight when they visited Yinji Village and saw the changes in the villagers. The villagers were gradually understanding and accepting our notion of biodiversity and sustainable management. They no longer steal shoots or graze their cattle and sheep in the sample bamboo cultivation field, and they were opening up their minds to our programme. When asked how they changed their minds, some explained: since the experts and teachers said the programme would raise our income and better our livelihood in the long run, we would certainly support it. There were still some other villagers still uncertain about this programme,

Mr. Tang was a teacher well respected by the villagers. When he

but they said: according to our kids, the programme is scientific. We

learned that our programme would help preserved biodiversity

cannot let our children down; when they are advancing, we don’t

and better community livelihood in the long run, he gladly wrote a

want to lag behind. Thus, the efforts of the youths changed the

catchy kuaiban with Ms. Tian for the programme, and asked Luo

attitudes of the villagers, allowing our bamboo forest biodiversity

and Rong of Grade 5 to perform it. Nothing positive came from

conservation programme to proceed much more smoothly. The

the villagers after they watched Luo and Rong’s performance, but

future of our programme becomes brighter than ever.

children’s minds were already changing. As performers, Luo and Rong had to memorize the kuaiban, and as they do so they tried to understand the lyric. They asked their teachers many questions: What is biodiversity? What is INBAR doing in our village? When the teachers explained to what sustainable management was, they realized that the programme aimed at helping the villagers today and, more importantly, sustaining the livelihood of Yinji Village’s future generations. Upon that realization, Luo and Rong participated

Indeed, “if the youths advance so shall the nation.” Our promotion strategy not only instilled the concept of biodiversity into the youngest generation, but we successfully influenced and educated the villagers through these youths. It is to my belief that bamboo forest biodiversity conservation programme will shine in Yunnan Province, and the concept of biodiversity will influence an even larger population.

Biodiversity Matters

25

News from the Field

The chief of Saikang monastery management committee - Suonan Gengqing

I

n this era of digital cameras, all the recording seems so easy and convenient that you don’t have to think much of the angle when you put up a camera to seize the beauty. Yet, we gradually forget

how to take a picture from a proper angle, let alone the appreciation of perspective. The picture above is supposed to elaborate a story between human and flower, life with life, and a world for red lotus “One flower, one world”, we know about the deep meaning from Suonan Gengqing’s story.

The Gaduojuewu sacred mountain is one of the four most famous mountains of Tibet. It is on the Plateau within Chengduo County.

Besides the sacred mountain is Saikang monastery.

The local government and Saikang monastery joined hands to found a Hope School which now has more than 100 students. The school offers elementary courses such as environmental education/ ethnical and traditional cultural/traditional handcraft etc. The teacher of environmental education is monk Suonan Gengqing, who is also the chief of Saikang monastery management committee. While he initiated environmental education, he is also a fan of photography and video. He has walked through the Gaduojuewu sacred mountain and

Red Lotus Blossom

took pictures of every single flower he saw. He said that some Tibetan herbs were becoming fewer and fewer.

Through applying the Small-grant Project, Community-based Conservation in Qinghai and Sichuan, he had the support to assemble the pictures of Tibetan herbs into a book and listed their Tibetan names and Latin names as well as their usages in Tibetan medicine. Through study and scientific monitoring, he grasps more skills to help his work. Moreover, he contributes to the environmental education of the Hope School for its new textbook. Also Suonan Gengqing had asked the herdsmen to take care of the plants on the plateau in case anyone would steal the medical herbs. In the future, Suonan Gengqing plans to take a documentary film about the plants of Gaduojuewu Mountain and its wildlife, with the aim of raising attention to the eco-conservation there.

26

Biodiversity Matters

News from the Field

ECBP-Chang Tang Project Launches Demonstration Project for Brown Bear Protection

T

hey look cute in the zoo but imagine f i n d i n g a 2 . 5 m e t r e bear in your kitchen helping itself to your livelihood! Well this is every day reality in Tibet.

Since Chang Tang Preservation Zone in Tibet was established, the quantity of wild animals has been steadily growing, thanks to the strengthened protection measures.

However, a growing wild animal population has meant more overlap of living areas of local herdsmen and the wildlife and, consequently, increasing cases of humananimal conflicts. The most notable cases are those where Tibetan brown bears damage herdsmen’s buildings and livestock. Brown bear is under second class wildlife protection in China, and Tibetan brown bear is an Asian breed found uniquely in Tibet. In order to maintain wildlife protection and at the same time minimize economic losses to herdsmen,

A Sichun quake lake

the forestry department of Tibet issued an order in 2006 to thoroughly investigate cases of brown bear-created disturbances and compensate the victims.

In recent years, various conservation areas in China have carried out survey on humananimal conflict within their respective areas, and unveiled compensation policies at different levels. The EU countries and North America have accumulated nearly 20 years of experience and lessons on containing disturbances created by bears. Based on the lessons and experience both at home and abroad, ECBP-Chang Tang project deems it necessary to complement offering economic compensation with teaching the herdsmen active self-protection measures to minimize economic losses caused by bears; compensation will only be offered provided that such precautionary measures were taken. This idea aims at impelling the herdsmen involved to take active measures to defend against brown bear attacks instead of passively wait for the government to compensate. Moreover, active defensive measures can reduce the number of cases where herdsmen sustain economic losses and thus relieve government’s burden arising from such compensation. Such measures would also create a better foundation for the whole community to participate and get involved in brown bear protection and bear attack containment. Thus the ECBPChang Tang Project launched this July the demonstration project on protection against

brown bear attacks.

The specialist team for the demonstration project on brown bear protection comprises staff form ECBP-Chang Tang Project, local consultants, the leading cadres of the villages concerned and local forestry and husbandry department. Through interviews and fieldwork, the team gathered data of recent years including convincing cases of bear attacks, the appeals of the victimized herdsmen, and possible prevention measures, and finally chose 20 herdsmen families from six settlements in the Fourth and Fifth Village, Pubao Town, Bange County as the demonstration sites of the project. To begin with, the team assisted the herdsmen with installing metal fences enclosing houses and sheep pens that are likely to suffer bear attacks, and trained the herdsmen to measure the effectiveness of the fences. In the next step, the Chang Tang Project will combine experience and lessons gained locally and abroad into a handbook for prevention of bear attacks. The team will also summarize prevention tactics and measures with the herdsmen through educational seminars within the community, and improve bear attack protection schemes through an effective monitoring system.

With these actions, the team will, together with local government, publicize a complete and tested set of measures for protection against bear attacks to other areas where human-bear conflict has also become an issue.

Biodiversity Matters

27

News from the Field

Story One

>> It’s an Auspicious Day

Today

D

oesn’t it sound like a story from the

the preliminary

A r a b i a n

selection, and is

h a v e

a

N i g h t s b r o w n

t o

b e a r

one of the six that

living in your own house? Well, in Chang

are not connected

Tang, this is not impossible, because it’s a

by a vehicle-accessible road. The so-

raided by

place with a high bear attack rate, a place

called “road” that leads to Sita Wangqin’s

brown bears since 2005. The facts that

where brown bears would frequent the

home is not a road in modern sense; rather

Sita Wangqin was poverty-stricken and that

homes of local herdsmen and steal food.

it is grooves of wheels imprinted on rock

his household was short of manpower only

What should the herdsmen do when they

patches, grasslands and marshlands, and

made him more frustrated facing the brown

are faced with such bears that are under

not even these grooves lead to the Sita

bears’ assaults.

second class national wildlife protection? A

Wangqin’s home. The team got off the

Before entering Sita Wangqin’s home, the

specialist team from EU-China Biodiversity

vehicles about two kilometers away from his

team noticed a stack of cracked wooden

Programme-Chang Tang Project is there to

home and trek the last leg across a torrential

boards - they used to serve as the door

launch a survey and demonstration project

stream and marsh. Our Tibetan guide told

to the home before they were battered by

focusing on bear attacks.

us that the Sita Wangqin family married their

bears. On the new door there was a small

For metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai,

daughter today, and the procession had just

stripe of iron which, according to the host,

it’s scorching hot in July, yet at the same

left.

could enforce the door. When the team

time north Tibet is still covered by a white

Sita Wangqin’s pasture is over 5,000 meters

entered the shed, they saw nothing of much

blanket of snow. Crossing a pass located

above sea level, and his home is just at

value. Scattered everywhere were worn-out

more than 5,200 meters over sea level, a

the foot of a rocky mountain. This area is a

stuff. With a few people inside, it was not

specialist team from ECBP arrived at the

haunt of the brown bear, and Sita Wangqin’s

easy to find a place in the shed where the

home of Sita Wangqin, Bange County,

home is right at the path of the brown bears

roof could shield the raindrops.

north Tibet, on July 31st, to investigate the

when they descend from the mountain.

From the gabbling of the Sita Wangqin

report of bear attck. Sita Wangqin’s home

According to leading cadres of the village,

couple and their neighbours, the team

is among the demonstration sites chosen in

Sita Wangqin°Øs home had been frequently

realized that the family is facing an even

The specialist team demonstrates a fence model in, a clear way for the herdsmen. The leader of the township in red airs his view. Chunks of timber are scattered around, evidence of bear’s intrusion days ago.

28

Biodiversity Matters

News from the Field more serious situation than originally

found himself no competitor against the

his simply couldn’t come true. Since nothing

imagined. “When we were out grazing our

brown bears, he “surrendered,” conniving

he did worked, he gave up even trying,

livestock during the spring of 2005, brown

at the destruction to his shed done by the

leaving the shed as it was, messed up and

bears rushed our home,”Sita Wangqin said.

brown bears. His “best”counter-measure

unprotected from rain.

The brown bears ate and drank up almost

was to keep as little food at home as

On the basis of prearranged plan, the

everything they could in the house, such

possible, and every time he went out grazing

specialist team measured the land around

as tsamba (a kind of glutinous rice cake

he would bring his food and his valuable

Sita Wangqin’s shed with white stripes, and

commonly eaten by Tibetans), rice, ghee

things together with him. At the same time,

set down a couple of markers. A few days

and dried meat. The rest of the food were

he would remove the door to his house

later, the specialist team returned with fence

messed up and thrown out of the shed.

before he left, so that at least he would find

mesh, and erected the fence.

Worse still, the brown bears tweaked the

the door undisturbed and reusable when

“It has been snowing since last night, and

cooking utensils, smashed the furniture,

he returned. Thus, the brown bears began

the snow is the water bestowed on us and

pushed down the back wall, and trampled

to make themselves at home in this shed -

our pasture by the God. It’s an auspicious

the roof down. “After grazing my livestock, I

in fact, they were very willing to make it a

day today as we married our daughter. And

immediately fixed my shed and the door and

temporary lodge so that they could sleep

now the specialist team is installing for us a

the windows. Our life was settled for now,”

there in the morning and go out hunting

mesh fence to protect against bear attacks;

said the pessimistic Sita Wangqin. “But every

marmots at night.

the stripes used for positioning are as

time I went out grazing the livestock, the

Sita Wangqin certainly longed for an

white as hadas,” Before the specialist team

shed and everything inside would be ruined

undisturbed house, new furniture and orderly-

left, Sita Wangqin expressed his gratitude

by the brown bears all over again.

arranged appliances, all of which were enjoyed

through the Tibetan guide. “It really is

The host had to fix his shed every time the

by his neighbors. But with brown bears visiting

a day of having “triple happiness at the

brown bears ruined it, and finally, as he

and revisiting his shed, this humble wish of

door’.”

Story Two

>> The Bears were Here,

yet the Sheep are Still Here

T

h e r e h a v e b e e n numerous cases of bear attack in Chang Tang Area of Tibet in the latest two or three years.

Nyainqentanglha Mountains to the south of Bange County and the Langqin Mountain near the County are both activity areas of the brown bears. A number of the herdsmen’s homes in the Fourth and Fifth Village were located along the routes which brown bears would take when they descend from the mountains. Every once in a while, brown bears would come down from the mountain and eat the herdsmen’s sheep.

In order to protect their livestock, the men of the families living along the brown bears’ route had to sleep with a dog outside of the house near the sheep pen every night.

They don’t have any better tactics against the brown bear attacks. All they can do

when such attacks occurred was to report to the county’s local departments concerned, and receive an amount of money as compensation.

A specialist team for human-bear conflict from ECBP-Chang Tang Project arrived at Pubao Town, Bange County in early August, 2008 and started its tests in bear attack prevention. The team brought materials to six herdsmen settlements, and the 20 families there were to tailor the materials into defensive mesh fences. These 1.8-

meters-tall mesh fences were actually a large piece of iron wire mesh made up of wires and angle irons. Attached to the top 70 centimeters of the fence were eight barbed wire rings. The herdsmen spent two days erecting and fortifying the fences, and at night they shut their sheep inside.

For herdsman Bianci, the fences came right on time. The second night the fence was completed, a brown bear “paid a visit” to his home as usual. But this time the bear couldn’t get what it wanted, as all the sheep were shut inside the fence. The dog Biodiversity Matters

29

News from the Field detected the smell of bear as the visiting brown bear was wandering outside the fence, and started barking. Then the yaks grew uneasy, and were running about in their pen. Hearing the noise outside, Bianci and his son knew the brown bear was here again, and when they stepped out of the house with a torch to drive away the bear, the bear fled. Bianci and his son were relieved. They were happy that the fence was effective - in the past, death and injury would certainly occur to their sheep in a situation like this.

The next morning, however, people from a household settled to the south came to Bianci, asking for their help with finding sheep. It turned out that the brown bear

that visited Bianci’s home the night before attacked this household to the south because the bear failed to get anything at Bianci’s. The victim’s home was not protected with a fence. The consequence of this attack was one sheep being eaten and a large flock scared away and gone missing.

These sheep must be found immediately because they may get eaten by bears, wolves or even dogs if they mistakenly went up into the wild mountains.

The specialist team heard similar stories from other herdsmen: their sheep were safe because of the fences, but their neighbors became the victim. It seems that fences do effectively make it much more difficult for bears to enter sheep

A bear bite victim was telling his story.

pens, and thus minimize losses to the livestock.

Those households who have not yet installed such fences are still suffering from bear attacks, yet if all households in brown bears’ activity areas were to install protective fences, how would brown bears’ foraging pattern change? Could man and the bear live in true harmony by installing fences? The answers will only be clarified as the specialist team continues their observations and experiments on human-bear conflict.

The specialist team visited a nomadic family whose home-raised sheep was attacked and eaten by a brown bear.

Story Three

>> Hope the Two Brothers will Forgive and Forget

X

ide Town, a small town subordinated to Shuanghu Special Administrative Region, Naqu Area with less than 50 households, is located between Bange County and Mani County at south Chang Tang. Most of the townsmen make a livelihood by grazing, while the

30

Biodiversity Matters

rest by owning a small shop, doing small business. Since the establishment of Chang Tang Preservation Zone, wildlife protection has been significantly strengthened, and brown bears, which were never seen again since more than 30 years ago, are again in

News from the Field sight of the local herdsmen. Unfortunately, the number of cases of people being injured by brown bears has been growing in recent years since the first cases occurred in 2005.

During a survey for human-bear conflict, a component of a biodiversity conservation programme in Tibetan Chang Tang area, staff members from Wildlife Conservation Society hear many real stories of how people got injured by brown bears.

In view of bear disturbance, the government of Tibetan Autonomous Region initiated corresponding compensation policies, in which submitting photographs of the scene was one of the requirements in applying for compensation. Amu, who lived in Xide Town, owns a simple camera. But it was this camera that almost cost him his life by bear paw blows.

May is a month when herdsmen are out to graze their livestock, and when brown bears are prone to take advantage of the herdsmen’s absence. One day in May, 2005, herdsman Zhajia from Xide County reported to the county government that brown bear broke into his house, destroying the door, the windows and other appliances in the house. Not even the tent next to the house escaped being trampled down.

The brown bear was still lingering around his home. Knowing the situation, cadres of the county set off to the scene to collect evidence, bringing Amu, who knew how

to use a camera, with them. It was out of everyone’s expectation that the brown bear had no fear of humans, and it pounced right on Amu, biting deeply into his leg.

Amu instinctively gripped the bear’s head, and pulled it downwards so that the bear couldn’t raise its head. The man and the bear were both on the ground, tumbling and fighting each other. When Amu finally escaped from the bear after a tough struggle, he was covered with wounds. His right leg sustained a V-shape bear bite of over twenty centimeters long, which kept him limping for the next couple of months.

Just a few days later, a mother bear and her three-year-old cub ransacked the village, leaving more than 60 sheep dead or injured.

The angry, victimized herdsman chased after the two perpetrators on his motorcycle for over 40 kilometers, catching the exhausted cub in the end. He tied the cub up and brought it back to the village. Later, under the persuasion of the functionaries from Shuanghu’s forestry department, the herdsman left a mark on the cub and released it to a remote mountainous area.

But it wasn’t long before this cub returned to the same place and did the same evil deeds to the sheep.

In the eyes of the herdsmen, the brown bear is an intelligent and powerful creature.

Herdsmen’s efforts fight off bears mostly fail, though almost every possible tactic has

been employed - this is especially true since brown bear protection policy was published.

It was humorously said that the brown bear, man and the marmot are the three brothers on the grassland, with the brown bear as the big brother, man the younger brother, and the marmot the youngest brother. According to the herdsmen, the brown bear use to eat marmots, rats, rabbits, ginseng fruits and a plant locally called “sesame grass.” But now it began to attack human residents, and extended its diet to include livestock, ghee, dried meat and tsamba. Is it the revenge against men for intruding into brown bear’s domain? Is it that the bear has turned too lazy to find their own food? Or is it an evil habit taught by the previous generation of brown bears? The herdsmen have all sorts of guessing.

The specialist team heard many stories regarding the relationship between human and bear throughout the survey, and these stories were human-bear conflict in miniature. The herdsmen’s willingness to participate in protecting the brown bear will be severely undermined if the brown bear continues to endanger the lives and property of the herdsmen. It is hoped that the demonstration project for brown bear protection can find a solution here in Chang Tang so that brown bear - the big brother - and herdsmen - the younger brother - can both forgive and forget.

The specialist team is setting up a fence

Biodiversity Matters

31

Announcements

“Animals Teach Us How to Be People” Exhibit

In order to efficiently raise the public awareness of biodiversity conservation, “Animals Teach Us How to Be People” exhibit is one of the gifts from EU-China Biodiversity Programme in this lovely Christmas season in the Beijing Zoo. This exhibition including 6 of designs is inspired from the animals’ point of view to teach us: against bullying, being equal and friendly, and promote a harmonious life.

During the exhibit, EU-China Biodiversity Programme will distribute a series of “animals teach us how to be people” posters to our field projects sites, partners, grass root NGOs, zoos, university campuses, primary and middle schools, museums, public parks, communities, etc. These strong visual displays teach and lead the general public to love animals, protect the natural resources and take care of our share planet.

Nature China - I am in the eyes of nature

T

photography collection is being published soon he Nature Conservancy and EU-China Biodiversity Programme

book features many works from that acclaimed exhibition, brining the

are joining forces to produce a stunning new photo book on

photos to a larger audience for many years to come. China’s spectacular

China’s biodiversity, and will be delivered in the early of

biodiversity is still relatively little understood, especially in the context of

2009. The two organizations collaborated earlier in the year for a

its rapidly developing economy. This photo collection has been selected

major photo exhibition and educational displays at the Beijing Zoo

to display the beauty and importance of the lesser known natural China,

during the Beijing Olympics. This Natural China Photo Collection

inspiring more people to participate in its protection.

“Home” Photo by Ge Yuxiu Ohoto

“Morning Pasturing” Photo by Pan Ruowei

32

Biodiversity Matters

Who’s Who in ECBP

Who’ s Who in ECBP nearly the next two years researching

model and demonstrative projects; and

into China’s conditions of biodiversity and

the European Union, which would see

devised the structure for the partnership.

to the promotion of the programme and

In June 2005, Under Secretary Yi

realizing the programme’s awareness

Xiaozhun of Ministry of Commerce

and educational role. The three entities

signed a 30-million finance agreement

would form a central office to oversee

of the project on behalf of the Chinese

and manage the implementation of

ello, everyone. My name is Sun

government with the European Union. On

the programme. This central office

Xuefeng, currently working for

May 22nd, 2006, EU’s largest overseas

was situated at the Foreign Economic

Foreign Economic Cooperation

biodiversity conservation programme was

Cooperation Office of the Environmental

Office, Ministry of Environmental

officially instigated at the Great Hall of the

Protection Administration, exactly the

Protection of the People’s Republic of

People, China.

office I was heading.

China. It’s nice to meet everyone via

Through the hardships and the happiness

Now the mechanism was established,

ECBP newsletter.

over more than 1800 days and nights,

but a smooth cooperation between the

I have much feeling for the ECBP, and

ECBP has grown from a new-born

three entities was never easy to achieve.

I am deeply emotionally tied to this

baby into an internationally influential

At any time, as many as 16 people

programme. I remember talking with some

programme. The programme’s innovative

representing the three components

“hot-blooded” youngsters in the office

management mechanism has contributed

coexisted in the same office, including

about establishing a new mechanism in

to this success. When the programme

those from Denmark, Sweden, Britain

the field of biodiversity conservation in

was first brought onto the table, the

and China. Cultural diversity created

China back towards the end of 2003. In

EU suggested adopting the traditional

sharp contradiction over some issues, and

fact, many of my peers in the same line

management system, which meant

reconciling those disagreements was an

of industry in China found it difficult to

splitting the duties of each project

unimaginably tough task. Heated debates

accept such a concept, and that’s why

between departments and agencies so as

became commonplace, and I used to joked

we had to seek foreign partners. The

to share management responsibilities and

about having a mini “United Nations” in

first foreign entity we talked to was the

balance resource distribution. However,

our Office. Fierce as the arguments may

Delegation of the European Commission

this system would significantly raise

be, people in the office all shared the

to China. That day, in a conference

management cost and negatively affect

same goal: to get our jobs done well, to

room in the State Environmental

efficiency on the whole. Accordingly, I

shoulder our own responsibilities, and

Protection Bureau (now the Ministry for

insisted on adopting a unified managing

to do our shares for China’s biodiversity

Environmental Protection), First Secretary

method, which would be complemented

conservation. With this common goal in

Mr. Sven of the Delegation showed great

by an effective internal mechanism of

mind, we made the programme our home

passion as I put forward the proposal of

cooperation, believing that such a plan

and our child, taking care of it with full

setting up a partnership. Mr. Sven was in

could lower management cost and

devotion and love.

charge of environmental affairs. He told us

maximize the benefit of the programme.

Half of the duration of the programme has

that there was actually an EU programme

Through hard rounds of negotiation, we

gone, and the effects are starting to be

aiming to offer aid for biodiversity

finally reached a consensus of sharing

clarified. In the days to come, I will work

protection, and that he was willing to

duties between three components: the

even more passionately with my colleague

cooperate with China’s government

State Environmental Protection Bureau

in the office, and stand up for our

via this programme to establish such a

of China, which would be in charge of

programme. And I hope that we would

partnership.

improving nation-wide environmental

keep receiving supports from you all !

Experts from China and Europe spent

policies; UNDP, which would carry out

Sun Xuefeng

H

Biodiversity Matters

33

Who’s Who in ECBP

Lin Gu

H

cost lies behind China’s sprung-up high

biodiversity from EU to the Chinese soil.

rises. These injured migrant workers

In a way, each of my colleagues at ECBP

have kindly allowed me to retrace their

should be a good story teller, a skillful

journey, and recount how they came to

salesman to get the message cross over

cities with hope, and how their dreams

to officials, local farmers, and journalists.

i, I’m Lin Gu, and I joined ECBP

shattered in the end. Their generosity

My mission is to help my colleagues be

in October 2008 as its senior

and warmth has sustained me to

more confident and convincing in playing

media expert.

overcome my own emotions and continue

such challenging roles, while also join

to record the otherwise untold bitterness,

the whistleblowers to ring the alarm to

agony, and hope as well.

the public and media to no longer ignore

For the past ten years I’ve been working as a journalist, contributing to BBC,

this vital issue of biodiversity, and rethink

Al Jazeera International, China Central

Besides the human cost, what

Television, South China Morning Post,

environmental price we have to pay

Lonely Planet, among others. The

for our development is also part of my

fascinating thing about being a journalist

journalistic quest. To this day I can clearly

There is already a modest roadmap

is the suspense before you sit down with

remember the looks on a fisherman

to embark on this ambitious mission.

your next interviewee, with the mystery

from Chongqing in southwestern China.

We are going to present a special gift

of what kind of stories are there for you

Most of his fish had been killed by the

for Chinese journalists- biodiversity

to tell.

pollutants from a local chemical factory,

media fellowships. With this, at least

followed by a seven-year legal battle

25 journalists can feel free to pursue

for compensation. After one failure

stories they like on China’s important

after another at local courts, he was

yet endangered biodiversity. They can

determined to petition the case to the

be vital messengers to alert the nation

highest court in Beijing. “What if you

to pay more attention to our fragile

lose again?” I asked him. “Then I’ll

environment. Meanwhile, communication

continue to fight and bring the case

workshops will serve our local partners,

to UNEP (United Nations Environment

especially those who work at grassroots

Programme)!”

levels.

talking to fishermen about their life on

Such resolution exemplifies China’s

We have already had one training

the river. I also remember vividly my

unyielding public participation on

workshop in Chengdu, where I witnessed

first trip to the United States thanks to

environmental issues. Thanks to both

some dramatic change among our

a lottery ticket- on my cross-country bus

the media coverage and NGO advocacy

colleagues. Huang Ying from Shan Shui

tour, I met so many interesting yet weird

on China’s deteriorating environmental

Conservation Center drafted a vivid story

people on the greyhound bus that I could

crises, more and more everyday folk

about the workshop itself, Zhang Yingyi

hardly bump into at a fancy airport.

have come to realize the urgency to

from FFI (Fauna and Flora International)

save China’s diminishing greenery,

China developed a communication

endangered species and a dazzling

strategy for her Chongqing team right

variety of indigenous cultures.

after the workshop, and Xu Qiang from

Closing my eyes, I can easily recall some moments in my journalistic career: I found myself in a drug rehabilitation along the Sino-Vietnamese border facing its youngest resident, a 13-year-old drug user who knew everything about the local AIDS crisis. On another occasion I was traveling with a group of Asian journalists along the Mekong River for a month

I feel grateful for such moments, when these people have chosen to accept a stranger like me when they do not have to. Two weeks living with a room full

With the same sense of urgency, I

of handicapped victims of occupational

joined ECBP, trying to work at the other

accidents in China’s iconic reform

end of the notebook. In my eyes, this

city Shenzhen, I learnt a lot more

ambitious international programme does

than any lectures from my Cambridge

have one big story to sell: to learn from

anthropology study about what human

lessons and transplant experiences on

34

Biodiversity Matters

seriously what world we want to leave for the generations to come.

WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) China has directed his international colleague to already write two stories from the field - I guess one can expect no better reward than this.

Who’s Who in ECBP

Huang Ying

M

y name is Huang Ying. The character of ying, in Chinese, means broad-minded.

I still remember, a few years ago when I worked for GTZ s Natural Recourses Conservation Programme in Sichuan Reservation Area, my colleagues gave me a lovely nickname: Xiao Huang.

In 2005 when I became a member of the Sustainable Tibetan Communities Programme by Winrock International I got another nickname from my young Tibetan colleagues: A Jia (meaning elder sister in their language).

Then in April 2008 I joined Shan Shui Conservation Center and became a project promotion coordinator for the EU-China Biodiversity Programme. Several post80 young people nicknamed each other as Lao Li, Lao Guo, Lao Yu, Lao Yuan and the likes, and naturally I was labeled with another nickname: Lao Huang, Almost right after joining Shan Shui, I went on a business trip to Wanglang National Nature Reserve, where I once again met with my friends from GTZ. Welcome back, Xiao Huang, they said. Old nicknames, sincere handshakes, warm hugs - all these deeply moved me, who had now already become Lao Huang.

Xiao Huang has trod an eight- or nineyear path to become Lao Huang. In retrospect, I am glad to find that I have got rid of the boringness and ennui I used to feel when I was in the world of business, that so-called Monday Syndrome is gone, and that the obscure sense of loss and vanity no longer haunts me. There was so much that I have gained while I was treading that path...

I organized a painting competition with

the theme of Nature and Me for the

dedicated to documenting the culture

children in the natural reserve community

and biodiversity in the earthquake-

when I was working at GTZ. 12 winning

afflicted communities. A team of ten

participants were registered for a winter

people, made up of community workers

camp in Wanglang National Nature

from disaster-afflicted areas and villagers

Reserve. There was an impressive piece

from nearby communities, took three

of work by a 13-year-old girl, Yuan

months to carefully document the process

Menghua, who came from a community

of post-quake reconstruction, making

near the Big-small Langou Nature

field patrols with a portable digital

Reserve. One half of her painting was

camcorder, and editing the footage into

filled with felled tree trunks, while the

ten documentaries. I, together with Lu Bin

other half showed turbid flood water

and Di Dong from Shan Shui promotion

inundating houses. Her cheeks red,

team, spent a great deal of time and

Menghua cuddled me and said to me:

effort in preparation for the documentaries

Auntie Huang, it is the happiest thing in

road show in Chengdu on December 10

my entire life to go to this winter camp!

and in other communities afterwards.

Menghua s father had died when she

What I loved to hear most during our just-

was little, and her mother abandonned

concluded documentaries road show in

her. She had to stay with her uncles. It

the communities was the hearty laughter

already burdened her relatives to fund

of local villagers when they saw their

her primary school education, and to go

own figures on screen. When we showed

on a winter camp away from hometown

the documentary titled Road in Tianchi

was beyond her dreams. With tears in my

Village, An County, the author, who

eyes, I hugged her: No, it isn t, because

himself was a Tianchi villager, commented

moments of greater happiness awaits

with great pity that he hadn t done his

in your future. But eventually, for one

job well enough. He said he had missed

reason or another, Menghua dropped out

a great deal of highlights, because he felt

of school, and I have never heard from her

unable to stand idle holding a camcorder

since. It still pains me whenever I think of

while his fellow villagers were sweating

her.

rebuilding the road. His unaffected smile

At Winrock International, I heard a

and simple words warmed my heart in

Tibetan colleague Qiu Huarong singing

that bitter-cold evening at the village.

a local folksong. She is from the Ganzi

Thanks to my jobs, I have got to know the

pasture area, and the folksong was

docile Menghua, kind Tibetan colleagues

about someone who has gone through

like Qiu Ronghua, tough-minded villagers

six samaras recounting his past lives

in the earthquake-afflicted communities

as animals like dog, sheep and cow.

who picked up digital camcorders to

It revealed the avarice and brutality of

document their lives, and many more

human beings. The part that impressed

brilliant and devoted colleagues in Shan

me most told of a mother goat returning

Shui. I have learned from them to treasure

home after grazing only to find her baby

and respect, and have understood what

kid gone and the sun shining upon a

temperance, pessimism and perseverance

dozen kidskins outside the camp.

really mean.

After joining Shan Shui and due to

All that I have experienced has convinced

the Sichuan Earthquake, I have been

me that what I am doing is meaningful

busy since July with the project of We

and worth the effort. Those memories will,

are the Protagonists . The project

whenever needed, recharge me and give

was instigated by Shan Shui, and is

me the momentum to keep moving.

Biodiversity Matters

35

New Books

《The Golden Green of China》

By John MacKinnon and Wang Haibin, ECBP This 300 page book with over 430 glorious colour photos tells the story of China’s Biodiversity richness and explains why it is so essential to preserve this treasure to safeguard irreplaceable ecological services such as climate amelioration, soil formation, flood control, water supply, renewable resources such as wood, fish and traditional medicines and retain opportunities for eco-tourism, research and education.

The book explains the links between cultural diversity and natural biodiversity and why both should be conserved hand in hand.

Different chapters describe the wonderful range of species and ecosystems that occur across the face of China but also explains the threats that are facing biodiversity as a result of tremendous population pressure on land and resources combined with the fast pace of development in modern China.

The book goes on to describe the various programmes in place to counter these

Finally the book explains the role of the large

threats and ensure that species and ecosystems of the country are preserved for

ECBP programme in China - why the EU consider

future generations and can adapt to a changing world. Global warming is already

biodiversity a priority for assistance and why China

changing the distribution of vegetation and species distributions across the country

should be the recipient of the EU’s largest ever

and much greater changes can still be expected as sea levels rise, glaciers melt,

project for biodiversity conservation.

storms and floods become more frequent and diseases flourish.

The book is produced in a lavish “coffee table’ format and is a delight to the eye with some unique

The book points out that the range of species that we farm and domesticate are also the products of biodiversity and that such agro-biodiversity is also facing threats and in need of conservation attention. Preserving wild species safeguards the genetic resources that will be needed to continue to improve our domestic species and crops and give them adaptability in the face of fast changing conditions.

photos from all over the country by some of China’s best wildlife photographers. But the photos are a lure to catch the readers’ attention whilst the text sows important messages of awareness.

《Media Handbook For Grassroots NGOs》 Writer: Mei Yue Language: Chinese language only China issued its first ever handbook to guide its NGOs on how to ally with the media in achieving their objectives.

The 200-page guide, entitled "Media Handbook for Grassroots NGOs" is expected to give an impetus to the China's NGOs, and even its fledgling civil society. It is also a significant step indicating that media could play an increasing surveillance role in China's national development.

The guidance was jointly developed by the China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO ) and Germany's Heinrich Boll Foundation. The book uses 20 cases to demonstrate the failures and successes in NGOs' media work; lists nearly 80 media which have been actively reporting social welfare issues in China, and highlights nearly 500 NGO websites and blogs.

NGO staff across the country will get free copies of the handbook, whose online version is also free for Internet users to download at: www.boell-china.org or http://cango.org/newweb/ pdf/media%20handbook.pdf.

36

Biodiversity Matters

Autumn Speandour

EU-China Biodiversity Programme Add： Rm.1005, Tengda Plaza No.168, Xizhimenwai Street, Haidian District Beijing, 100044, P.R. Fax： (8610) 8857 7811 Email：info@ecbp.cn