SHAN SHUI Conservation Center Address: Peking University Conservation Biology Building, 5 Yiheyuan Lu, Haidian Qu, Beijing, 100971, China Tel: +86 1062761034 Fax: +86 1062761035 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.shanshui.org/ Weibo: http://weibo.com/shanshuibaohu Blog: http://blog.sina.com.cn/shanshuibaohu WeChat: SSbaohu SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report
The cover background illustration is Nicholas Roerich’s work Courtesy of Lei Bo and Peng Jiansheng from IBE
This print uses eco-friendly paper. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Who We Are /1
Sanjiangyuan: The Nature Guardians Program /4 Community-based Conservation in Sanjiangyuan /7 Snow Leopard Research and Conservation /8 Conservation Story: One Year with Mother Snow Leopard /9 Sanjiangyuan New Hope Forum /15
Southwestern Mountainous Areas: A New Harmony with Nature /16 Community-based Conservation in the SMAs /19 Conservation Story: Two Bears Showed Up! /20 Bee-PANDA Honey: Conservation in a Jar /22 Forest and Climate Change /23 Conservation Story: Return to Yele /24 Our Land-Trust Conservation Station /25 Forest for Water (FW) /26
The Lancang River: The Lancang Institute / 28 The Lancang River Conservation Fund / 31 Conservation Story: Saving Mt. Aka / 34 The Lancang River Source Tracing and Surveys /38 The Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) in Sanjiangyuan /39
Nature Watch: A Biodiversity Information Platform /40 China Nature Watch 2014 /42 The Nature School /44 Nature Watch Website /46
More About Us /48
Acknowledgments / 50
Who We Are
Shan Shui Conservation Center (hereinafter referred to as “Shan Shui”) is a Chinese non- governmental organization dedicated to conservation practices rooted in Chinese society and culture. Since establishing our team in Beijing in February 2007, we have strived sticking to our root in science and culture when directing multiple facets of fieldwork in the remaining parts of western China – where change can happen. We create value by safeguarding nature. We benefit local villages through various means, including experimenting with new mechanisms to balance ecological, economical, and community interests. To seek social and public support, we promote local publicity, production, and participation in a way that links conservation with Chinese mainstream society. We also undertake effective conservation initiatives to show that we are worthy of greater inputs and long-term support from these social and public channels. Our young, professional, and aspiring team consists of 36 full-time workers and 25 long-term consultants, fellow researchers, and volunteers.
Our strategies incorporate field practices, fellowship programs, and value chains. In the context of this report, “field practice” refers to consistent efforts to carry out research and practical work, to train nature guardians, and to pilot nature safeguarding mechanisms. “Fellowship programs” , on the one hand, help to convert field experiences into know-hows and the mechanisms for extension and, on the other hand, to promote the applicability of theories and findings in the course of action. Along these “value chains” are a variety of “eco-equity” products (e.g. : Bee-PANDA Honey, Nature School Tours, etc.) that are intended as a means to raise public awareness of ecological values and through their sales, to open up eco-value feedback channels which involve the public.
In 2014, we focused on Sanjiangyuan, southwestern mountainous ● Arranged to have Community-based Conservation: An ● Carried out 7 nature areas (SMAs), and the Lancang River basin. These are beautiful and Overview through Case Studies published: 13 cases of experience activities directly
community-based conservation were put together to show engaging 98 persons; built fragile areas where snow leopards and giant pandas take shelter. the ideas and practices Shan Shui and other NGOs have 3 Nature School bases;
● Started to build a land- explored on topics about community protected areas, village carried out 4 types of ● Established a Community ●Signed the 2014- governance, group action, and rural natural resource campaigns in the nature Resource Center (CRC) in 2020 Cooperation trust conservation station, management . education industry directly Sanjiangyuan, set up village Framework Agreement Baixiongping rules on the use of natural with the Sichuan Forestry impacting about 200 Conservation rd ● Supported the planting of ● Launched the 3 RAP in resources, took group action Administration to explore nature-education NGOs / Station in 87 ha. of multiple-value Sanjiangyuan (the source to conserve the ecosystem in four areas of attention: Tangjiahe, and signed a privately owned enterprises area of the Lancang River) forest, completed 2 CCER / nature reserves / forest which snow leopards are the alleviation of five-year cooperation memo and the Lancang River projects and 1 VCS project farms, reaching out directly classified as a flagship and adaptation to with Sichuan Tangjiahe Source Surveys to provide species. In 2014, we reached design , covering 19 towns to 750 people; co-issued climate change, National Nature Reserve to the needed baseline data. and townships, villages the further out to the New Eco- develop a “patrol-research- 55 Sichuan Forest biodiversity Migration Urban Area of education” integrated and benefiting about ● Filed applications 123 Nature Educational conservation, the Huteng Town in Zadoi mechanism for this station 14,600 households for the Lancang River Action Manifesto. conservation of Conservation Fund and County as well as to the (namely patrol-monitoring, (62,600 villagers); forest and water township of Zhaqing, scientific research, and published Forest Carbon passed projects (each ● Selected 5 young 16 resources around conservation practitioners conserving an area of nature education). Practices and Low-Carbon was 50,000-200,000 2 communities, and into our fellowship program, approximately 15,000 km . Development in China; held yuan and 30 smaller nature education. ● Nurtured forest carbon sink training which is designed especially 1 2 projects (each was no more ● Carried out monitoring in ● Signed a three-year to provide unique 8 sessions and IPCC conservation society and 1 5 than 50,000 yuan), areas of Sanjiangyuan, where cooperation agreement with opportunities for young seminars, attended by over infrared cameras were set farmers specialized co-op; totaling 2,786,000 yuan 150 Gansu Baishuijiang National people with passion and 2 up covering 2,500 km of key completed baseline surveys 500 people from 70 of grants. Nature Reserve and Peking can-do spirit to explore snow leopard habitats and where companies/organizations. in 6 communities as well as local communities were assigned University Center for Nature environmental fronts. to monitor 18 species, including and Society to further conservation plans; set up 6 ● Co-issued an independent snow leopards and brown bears; promote training, community-based funds carried out 7 monitoring training observation report on scientific research, and formulated their sessions for 42 herders and 10 China’s ecological forestry administration workers; awareness building management procedures; conservation: China had 2 papers published in and education, and supported 54 patrollers to Nature Watch 2014. professional journals; submitted collectively-owned carry out community-based 2 snow leopard study reports to the Qinghai Forestry non-commercial monitoring for 1,087 Shan Shui is a platform for all nature lovers to come Administration. forest management. times/person, covering together and fulfill their aspirations. We hope to join 9,535 km of land. your efforts to preserve Mother Nature's beauty for as long as possible.
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Sanjiangyuan: The Nature Guardians ●Work Areas of Sanjiangyuan Program
SN Site Tasks Region 1 Soja Township snow leopard research and community-based conservation Sanjiangyuan 2 Xiarisi Nature School Sanjiangyuan 3 Haxiu Township snow leopard research and community-based conservation Sanjiangyuan 4 Dianda Village snow leopard research Sanjiangyuan 5 Yegye Nyima snow leopard research Sanjiangyuan 6 QandoiVillage Village snow leopard research Sanjiangyuan 7 Zhaqing Township snow leopard research, community-based conservation, Nature School Sanjiangyuan 8 Amne Machin snow leopard research Sanjiangyuan 9 Nyanpo Yutse snow leopard research and community-based conservation Sanjiangyuan
Community-based conservation in Sanjiangyuan
Set up regulations in four Since 2011, Shan Shui has been Financially supported 17 villages with 3,000 working to direct social and government households to build cement
resources towards a community-based walls and wire fences harvesting licenses and
against offensive bears (the 5,000 leaflets issued as a conservation model in Sanjiangyuan,
where the majority of participants are incidence of bear attacks way to regulate cordyceps
local farmers and herders. We have set was lowered to 4 harvesting and reduce its
impact on grassland, forest, up Community Resource Centers (CRC) households; the losses
as a mean s to focus on village-level were reduced to about and wildlife.
conservation under the leadership of 7,000 yuan. In the Nyanpo Yutse area,
the Villager Committee. We have also local communities and Built 10 garbage sorting 2 helped the villages regulate their use of chambers with 700 km of societies helped us find
natural resources and to take group pastures/rivers cleared of local small populations of
action to conserve the ecosystem in garbage, lowering the otters and their key which snow leopards are classified as a garbage-caused livestock habitats. flagship species. With four CRCs and Carried out research on death toll from 4-5 topics about traditional one township -level service center set in head/household to 0-1 2 culture and conservation: place over 1,353km of land in Haxiu head/household. Township of Yushu City, we reached out Used the community (1) The role of holy ● Yaqu, Sanjiangyuan further to the New Eco-Migration Urban “ecological fund” to mountain culture in Tibetan
Sanjiangyuan is located in the interior of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, mostly across the Area of Huteng Town in Zadoi County as address financial difficulties settlements, as exemplified by sacred mountains in Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures of Yushu and Guoluo. It is the origin of the Yangtze River, well as to the township of Zhaqing in 1/3 of the local herders had Yushu; and (2) the impacts the Yellow River, and the Upper Mekong (Lancang) River, hence named Sanjiangyuan, 2014, conserving an area of in their lives; the proceeds 2 ’ meaning "the source of three rivers” in Chinese. It is also known as “China’s Water Tower" approximately 15,000 km with the of the village fund were of Sanjiangyuan s eco-
supplying water to over a billion people downstream. It is an example of unique biodiversity following highlights: used to finance public compensation and other with endangered species such as wild yaks (Bos grunniens mutus), Tibetan wild asses (Equus Over 300 people engaged in affairs, such as community incentive mechanisms on kiang ), and Tibetan antelopes (Pantholops hodgsonii). It is also the world's largest habitat for anti-hunting efforts and 300 senior care and garbage the social norm system. snow leopards (Panthera uncia), the most mysterious member of the cat family. wire traps cleared within a radius treatment. 2 As climate change and human impacts intensify, Sanjiangyuan, one of the world's most of 1,500 km . important and fragile eco-regions, has been showing signs of deterioration in recent years, including deglaciation, soil loss, and water pollution. Such deterioration will not only affect
the health of Sanjiangyuan’s ecosystems, but it also poses great threats to the water supply in river basin areas where millions of people live. This situation prompted Shan Shui to take action at two focal points: One is how to conduct more interdisciplinary research (when there is a lack of basic studies and baseline data) so as to guide conservation practices on topics such as grassland degradation, mining, infrastructural construction, human-wildlife conflict, domestic garbage, and water-borne pollution. The other focal point is the effort to encourage group action under a community governance structure which preserves
traditional culture so well that it is possible for the farmers/herders to “lead the way” when addressing external threats and regulating internal procedures for conventional resource management.
All the team members of the Gangri CRC
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Snow Leopard Research and Conservation One Year with Mother Snow Leopard
The snow leopard is a large Helped communities Provided 30,000 yuan The following story tells of a River in Sanjiangyuan. We also They have a smaller head female snow leopard we found trained 20 herders to do the and jaw-size than males. feline species inhabiting the monitor 18 species as compensation under raising her cubs around Yunta work, including data collection Snow leopards like to Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, (snow leopards, brown the human-wildlife Village of Sanjiangyuan, where and maintenance. move along mountain particularly Sanjiangyuan, one of bears, etc.) with conflict plan which 150 infrared cameras were set up to One of the cameras caught ridges or rocks underneath the few suitable areas in China. infrared cameras covering covered 4,000 head of Retaliatory killing, illegal hunting, 2 follow the traces of individual snow 42 images of a mother snow cliffs. They prefer to mark 2,500 km in 8 zones of yaks from 36 households. 2 animal husbandry, and leopards within a radius of 400 km leopard and her two cubs, prominent places, such as Sanjiangyuan. Submitted 2 snow infrastructural construction for one year. leading us closer to the mountain passes, cliff Provided training leopard study reports to constitute major threats to this 7 1. The mother snow leopard mysterious life of this species. bases, and river classes for 42 herder the Qinghai Forestry In July 2013, we started to set up The first image taken on July intersections. magnificent, mysterious animal Administration th and its habitats. We work closely monitors and 10 forestry a 5x5 km grid (the smallest home 12 , 2013, revealed a majestic, with the government, administration workers. range for the animal) of 30 infrared big cat which was unmistakably communities, monasteries, and cameras within a radius of the heroine in our story. 2 research institutes to reduce approximately 300 km around Female snow leopards are Yunta, a village along the Tonghtian usually covered in clear spots these threats in Sanjiangyuan and the plateau area in western
Sichuan based on our findings.
Female snow leopards are usually covered in clear spots. They have a head and jaw-size than males.
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2. The family This is the first image of the
snow leopard
family taken on nd 4. The children When the young snow -ter when they can’t find a new August 2 , 2013. Most of the images leopards reach two years of age, home range and are bullied by Generally, a snow featured the mother moving the mother will force them to other males. leopard gives birth about alone after one last leave home because she needs to 2-5 cubs in one snapshot of all three of them to get ready for another gestation period. going out together in March, gestation period (January to This photo was 2014. Since then, only four March). According to taken when the snapshots of the cubs have observations, the cubs might two cubs were been taken. return home for temporary shel- one year old and
looking like energetic young
boys.
Generally, a snow leopard gives birth to 2 - 5 cubs sometime between A p r i l a n d J u n e .
3. Activity rhythms Generally, snow leopards choose to be active in the morning and evening. Their specific activity rhythms are usually affected by climate, food, and the environment. The mother snow leopard observed in this story was more active at night than in the morning/evening. A cold, snowy night When the young snow leopards are 2 years old , the mother will couldn’t even stop force them to leave home between January and March to g e t her from going out to enjoy a world of ready for another gestation c y c l e . darkness.
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5. Flagship species:
As a local flagship species, the snow leopard shares the ecosystem with
other rare animals in
Sanjiangyuan. The mother snow leopard’s neighbors
over the last year include Pallas's cats, leopard cats, beech martens, red foxes,
bharal, Himalayan vultures,
and ravens. In many areas, wolves and brown bears frequently visit and mark beech marten the same spots that snow bharal leopards mark. Obviously,
many other species with leopard cat
considerably weaker red fox ecological niches choose to
stay away from them.
Here are some of the
mother snow
leopard’s neighbors
over the last year:
Pallas's cats, leopard
cats, beech martens,
red foxes, bharal,
Himalayan vultures,
ravens.
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Sanjiangyuan New Hope Forum
In December 2014, the 4 th The attendees included New Hope Forum was held in
Sanjiangyuan New Hope Forum officials from the Qinghai Peking University in April 2011 6. The c onservation practices of (New Hope in Sanjiangyuan: The government, the Qinghai that engaged government the indigenous peoples ‘Conservation First” Concept and Department of Agriculture and officials, intellectuals, and The remote, deprived 393,000 2 Practice) was held in Beijing on Animal Husbandry, the laymen to share ideas about km region of Sanjiangyuan lacks various topics, including the provincial Forestry orientation, paradigm design, basic data to carry out research effectiveness of eco- Administration, the provincial and other critical issues and conservation. A new path to compensation, the current Department of Water concerning the conservation of overcome this obstacle was found species and grassland Resources, Qinghai Academy Sanjiangyuan. The meeting when we authorized and trained conservation practices in of Governance, the Chinese became an annual event. The local herders to do all the Sanjiangyuan, and case studies of Academy of Governance, and following two years, in Xining monitoring and conservation work the Lancang River basin area in governments at all levels in and Beijing respectively, we planned from Yunta Village. Zadoi County of Yushu Yushu Prefecture. The forum opened up discussions about
Prefecture. These discussions was also attended by conservation and development This is the only photo provided profound insights into intellectuals engaged in eco- efforts in the region and sped of an otter spotted innovating systems and compensation designs at the up the environmental mechanisms for the conservation Ministry of Agriculture and legislation process. in Sanjiangyuan over and development of the region - other interests of study, such recent years, taken ideas that will help reinforce the as grassland and ecology. by a Yunta villager on “the Water Tower of China.” The first Sanjiangyuan
his patrol duty.
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Southwestern Mountainous Areas:
A New Harmony with Nature
●Work Areas in the SMAs
SN Project Site Project(s) Location 1 Guanba Village CCA, Nature school, FCS Mianyang, Sichuan 2 Jixingou Village CCA Gansu 3 Liziba Village CCA Gansu 4 Yanggashan Village CCA Gansu 5 Changchun Nature Reserve CCA Shaanxi 6 Lixian County FCS Aba, Sichuan 7 Maoxian County FCS Aba, Sichuan
8 Zimei Village Nature school Ganze, Sichuan 9 Qingchuan County FCS Guangyuan, Sichuan 10 Ganluo County FCS Liangshan, Sichuan 11 Jinyang County FCS Liangshan, Sichuan 12 Leibo County FCS Liangshan, Sichuan 13 Meigu County FCS Liangshan, Sichuan 14 Mianning County FCS Liangshan, Sichuan 15 Yuexi County FCS Liangshan, Sichuan 16 Zhaojue County FCS Liangshan, Sichuan 17 Beichuan County FCS Mianyang, Sichuan 18 Pingwu County FCS Mianyang, Sichuan 19 Wanglang National Nature Reserve Nature school Mianyang, Sichuan
20 Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, Land-trust conservation station Qingchuan, Sichuan Baixiongping Conservation Station 21 Mt. Ailao National Nature Reserve FW Yunnan 22 Wuliangshan National Nature Reserve FW Yunnan 23 Mt. Gaoligong National Nature Reserve FW Yunnan 24 Mt. Huanglian Nature Reserve FW Yunnan 25 Nangun River National Nature Reserve FW Yunnan 26 Tianchi Nature Reserve FW Yunnan 27 Wenshan National Nature Reserve FW Yunnan 28 Xide County FCS Liangshan, Qingchuan 29 Datong County FCS Qinghai
CCA – Community Conserved Area FCS – Forest Carbon Sink FW – Forest for Water
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Community-based conservation in the SMAs
Our Community Conserved funds and their management Center for Nature and Society to Area (CCA) Project is designed to procedures. further promote training, help locals conserve their Supported 54 patrollers to carry scientific research,
homeland, change their livelihoods out community-based awareness building and and lifestyles, and promote an monitoring for 1,087 times education, and forest economic-ecologic balance. The CCA /person, covering 9,535 km of management. Project in the SMAs bases its land. Community-based Conservation: strategies on China’s eco- Took 150 valid infrared An Overview through Case compensation policy to support snapshots of various species, Studies, published by Peking conservation and the community- incl. giant pandas, black bears, University Press, contains 13 based sustainable resource golden snub-nosed monkeys, cases to reveal ideas and practices management. With community- Asian golden cats, and other Shan Shui and other NGOs have based funds in place, it is possible to national protected animals. explored on topics about encourage group action, grow the Trained persons ( in community protected areas, community’s economy, strengthen 600 30 village governance, group action, the community’s self-governance, monitoring, 500 in forest and rural natural resource and build the CCA, all at the same stewardship, and 70 in 2 management. time. Shan Shui, a conservation livelihoods); conserved 116 km The case of forest management practitioner, strives to build a of forest. and giant panda conservation in support/exchange platform for local Prepared the Management The southwestern mountainous areas (SMAs) on the eastern edge of the Qinghai- Lixian County was included in Guardians, propose policy Manual for Collectively-owned Tibetan Plateau host the world's most diversified temperate forest ecosystems, the majority Sichuan Blue Book: Sichuan Eco- recommendations, and influence Non-commercial Forest in construction Report 2015. of which are located in western Sichuan, northwestern Yunnan, eastern Tibet, the the use and input of government Baishuijiang National Nature Launched the Upper Yangtze southeastern corners of Qinghai, and the southern end of Gansu. Of the over 12,000 higher and private funds. Outcomes are Reserve and sent it to 71 Forest Conservation Project, plants discovered in these areas, 29% are endemic - nowhere else in the world boasts such presented as follows: communities in the reserve as benefiting 5,000 people in five abundance. Wild animal species abound as well, with over 300 mammal and 686 bird Nurtured one conservation well as the Gansu Forest communities within one nature species recorded. There are also a large number of endemic species and rare/endangered society and one farmers Administration. animals, including giant pandas, golden snub-nosed monkeys, takin, forest musk deer, and cooperative; took baseline Signed a three-year cooperation reserve across three counties in Sichuan and Gansu, a guarantee 27 pheasant species. Seventeen of China’s 55 ethnic minorities live in these areas, surveys in six communities as agreement with Gansu maintaining a rich knowledge base with their diverse languages and lifestyles interacting well as conservation plans; set Baishuijiang National Nature for safe water supply to one
with nature. A few of the largest rivers in Asia flow through this area, including the Yarlung up six community-based Reserve and Peking University million people in Chengdu. Tsangpo, the Irrawaddy River, the Upper Mekong, the Salween, and the Yangtze. Together bbbb mmm they provide a lifeline for more than 500 million people on a land of three million square kilometers downstream. However, these mountainous areas are increasingly threatened in terms of ecology. The habitats of giant pandas and other species are being damaged, fragmented, and
deteriorated as a result of illegal hunting, grazing, herbs harvesting, and other human- imposed impacts. There is a lack of comprehensive studies on ecosystem service functions and values. Mainstream society has yet to recognize the value of nature. Few cases can be
found in which a market mechanism is provided reflecting ecological values to align livelihoods with conservation practices in order to make the latter more sustainable. The scope and depth of community-based conservation is very limited, particularly in terms of communicating and interacting with the outside world and its policies. These are major Project feasibility study in Xionger Village, Lixian Community-based Conservation: threats to local conservation. An Overview through Case Studies
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Two Bears Showed Up!
五年来，巡护队取得了很多 -ine in the valley. some time to place these 大大小小的成Animal绩 ，去年协助警察 appearances in cameras. Once they even tied 抓捕了两次进沟电珍稀鱼类的不infrared cameras have been a camera to a tree next to increasing. All this is due to where they found giant panda 法分子，捡回了几个猎套，在巡 their consistent effort in feces. Two months passed 护途中遇到外来进沟挖药的人并 consolidating resources, without spotting any trace of 对其进行教育，红外相机里出现 restructuring the team, and the panda. Many more trials 的动物也逐渐的多了起来improving the system. ……这 and errors later, the two bears Originally, the patrol was finally showed up. 些成绩是坚持的所得，也是整合 affiliated to the village’s On the previous day, the 资源、重整队伍、建好制度的所 apiculture co-op to protect the patrollers set out on their 得。villagers’ environment-friendly routine patrol bound for the lifestyle.关坝村最早的一支巡护队隶 Starting from 2012, remotest Zhigou. They covered the co-op has been turning a more than 30 kilometers of 属于村上的养蜂合作社，当时合 profit and contributing to a mountain paths in two days to 作社发展生态养蜂产业，也成立 village conservation and reach the outermost cameras. 了巡护队做相应的保护工development fund. The作，甜 drive ●The Asian black bear Their mission was twofold: to ●The giant panda 蜜蜜的产品背后有很多辛勤的劳for sustainability and replace the camera batteries 动和付conservation出，所以这晶莹剔透的蜜 is no longer and memory cards, and to restricted to the co-op but has forest ecosystem, including fish swimming in the river, and On July 27, 2014, patrollers Bear 2 emerged at 20:27 patrol the Guanba Valley for 里包含的不仅是大自然的馈赠， 保护的热情高涨，带动着整个巡 测以及反盗伐盗猎行动外，对于 become a common action of giant panda and other fauna the villagers living a from Guanba Village were pm walking slowly with its two any illegal mining or poaching. 更是合作社村民们一种新的生态 护队也屡屡的有了更多 的“战 水环境的保护目前开展了针对冷 all the villagers. Since late and flora, but also the water prosperous life. We are sure of excited to discover the images big eyes watching very Two traps were removed on 生产和生活方2013, the 式； patrol2012 has 年 起， been 果source”，在 for 2014 more 年国家天然林保 than 600 local its水鱼的保护行 achievement动，行动除了防范 in the very of “Bear 1 (Asian black bear)” carefully where it was heading. their previous patrol but none 养蜂合作社逐渐开始盈formally under利 ，并建 the 护工程二期项目启residents. In 动 addition，村里面有 to near和抓捕进沟毒鱼电鱼的不法分子 future.” and “Bear 2 (giant panda)” Why did it have to take were found this time around. administration of the village monitoring and anti-poaching stored in infrared camera three years for us to shoot These villagers have 立起了回馈社区的资金循环，随 了集体公益林管理的资金，更是 外， 更 是在 今年 7 月 野 生 鱼 类 committee. Mister Qiao Liang, activities, efforts are being memory cards, something they these pictures? It by no means accomplished a great deal 着生态公平产品“熊猫蜂蜜”销 至少在十年内解决了巡护队员们 调查的基础上，针对沟内有的原 the new village Party chief, has made to protect cold water had looked forward to for suggests that the bears over the past five years. Last 售利润的返led the patrollers利，关坝村社区保护 in making 的补助的资金问题fish. On top of。 measures队伍齐整了， to 生鱼种进行了野生增殖放流的行 three years. They rushed to appeared only after three year, they assisted the police 发展基金也建立了起more progress. In来 ，可持续 2014, the 资金有保障resist and了 ，大大小小的制度 capture criminals 动。在今后，还会更多地涉及进 the hill top, where the signal years of conservation, but in rounding up criminals who state initiated the second poisoning or electrocuting fish, was better, to spread the good rather it is because the used power nets to capture 发展和保护行动从合作社的层面 和工作计划也都建立了起来，关 沟人员的垃圾管理等方向。 phase of a natural forest based on a study of wild fish news by calling the village CCP villagers had to learn how to rare fish. They also counseled 正式的跨进整个社区的层面，保 坝村正在拟建自然保护小区，让 在一次会议上乔良书记说 conservation project. The carried out in July of this year, Chief. use infrared cameras. It took folks digging for herbal medic-. 护不仅仅是合作社成员的事village now has funds情， to 保护的平台更native fish 大 species，也逐步走向规 are now 到，“咱们关坝的愿景就是，大 The data showed that the them quite a while to find out 而应该是全体村民的共同行manage its collectively-owned动， 范化。bred and released to the wild. 熊猫和羚牛都更愿意到关坝沟里 two bears were captured by where non-commercial forests, which In the future, more action will 面来住，河里能像以前一样看得 different cameras. Bear 1 是大家一起守护自己家园的行 关坝村的保护行动，不仅仅 means that the patrollers have be taken in areas such as appeared at 7:38 am running 动，于是巡护队开始逐渐从合作 针对以大熊猫为旗舰物种的森林 见鱼儿自在地游，村民们也都因 their subsidies secured for at garbage management. past the camera; perhaps it 为保护得到了很好的发展和生 社向村级层面过least ten years.渡 With；从 2the013 team, 年 生态系As统 ，也包括作为木皮乡场 the CCP Chief Qiao was beating a fast retreat after 下半年开the funds,始，巡护队正式过渡到 the system, and the 镇Liang 600 once多位村民水源地的关 said at a meeting,坝 活。” stealing a villager’s honey. 村级层面由村委管work plan in place,理，新上任的 the village 沟流域的水环“Our vision shows境，除了针对森林 a picture of 对此，我们大家都深感自信， is now setting up a nature giant pandas and takin ●Releasing man-bred cold-water fish ●Talking sense into herb pickers 乔良书记本着对家乡的热 生态系统的物候以及红外相机监 这愿景就在不久的将来。 reserve to protect not only the roaming in the Guanba Valley, 20 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 21
Bee-PANDA Honey: Conservation in a Jar Forest and Climate Change
Our Forest and Climate Change Program aims to restore
forest vegetation on deteriorated land in China’s biodiversity hotspots. Other tasks include
forest carbon stock evaluation and prioritized FCS project zoning / development / implementation.
We also work to slow climate change and to promote multi-
beneficial projects focused on
community development. Carbon sink forests, forestry business, and carbon trade are
our means to expand multi-value forest, build conservation ●A carbon sink baseline survey along the Huangshui River in Datong, Qinghai
corridors, and restore habitats. We hold seminars and training with our forestry and business partners to raise public awareness. Here is some of what we have done: 87 ha. carbon sink forest Three protected areas are All profits from our sales go exemplars of nature’s beauty: the back to Shan Shui and the planted;
Wanglang of Sichuan, the Baishuijiang conservation efforts of local Two CCER designs (6,867 ●Community baseline survey in of Gansu, and the Changqing of communities. This project ha.) and one VSC design Shaanxi. Here, trees grow lush and currently benefits 1,194 Liangshan
thick; giant pandas roam amidst Guardians and more living things (1,667 ha.);
bamboo. Under the shelter of the coexistent with giant pandas: The program covers 55 woods are Asiatic honey bees buzzing 4,175 plant species, 248 bird villages in 19 towns and among several hundred kinds of wild species, and 92 mammal species. benefits 62,600 villagers flowers from spring to autumn. Unlike In 2014, our output grew by 66% (14,600 households); Italian bees you often see around a and sales by 69% year-on-year. Their participation ● Forest Carbon Practices and hive by the roadside, Asiatic honey We also launched a series of added quality assurance forest sink training Two Low-Carbon Development in bees cannot easily adapt to local public events (free transparency. Days of sharing classes, five IPCC seminars, China vegetation, water, and habitation samples/reservations, birds work and almost everything ●Tree Nursery bike-riding activity on with which they are particular. This watching, etc.). For the first time else in the field with one explains why they gradually we gave customers a choice: They beekeepers and Guardians the No Car Day involving disappeared in many places. Only in a could either refuse to quit urban made them feel and 500+ people from 70+ well-preserved natural environment, comfort or get involved in honey understand more about the companies/organizations; such as a giant panda habitat, can production. Those who chose the giant panda habitat and how Forest Carbon Practices and they survive and produce good latter witnessed the whole it connects to local human Low-Carbon Development in quality honey. This is what we offer - process of harvesting honey in lives, how much value our China published. Bee-PANDA Honey, a product that the fall. honey holds, and what it upholds "eco-equity." takes to make good honey. ●Building fences in Yele
22 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 23
Return to Yele Our Land-Trust Conservation Station
The week before Planting very difficult to arrive at the advance before they come out
Day 2015, we came to Yele optimal time for tree planting. of hibernation to improve their Nature Reserve in Mianning The land is frequented by cattle survival rate. In the event of County, Liangshan Prefecture, and sheep. The past four years drought in the spring, water is to see the carbon sink forest we have witnessed extensive drawn from the adjacent had worked in for several years. destruction of seedlings due to reservoir. In view of the local Yi Starting from August 2010, spring drought, cattle and sheep ethnical tradition of animal with corporate sponsorship, we trampling and nibbling, and husbandry, we use steel wire to have collaborated with Sichuan even artificial sabotage. fence up the seedlings while Province Wildlife Conservation Vexing as it is, we simply will leaving passageways for cattle Station and Liangshan not let the problem go and sheep. We encourage local Prefecture Forestry Department unsolved. The seedlings are in a participation by consulting in carrying out a carbon sink river valley at an elevation of villagers on site selection, forest project in the more than 3,000 meters. When cultivation method, seedling Shenguozhuang, Yele, and spring approaches, the land type, and profit distribution. Baicaopo nature reserves in here is still frozen. When the Communities, however, also Daliangshan, Sichuan, to spring comes to the area, the have their complexities, which recover vegetation, to protect seedlings already start affect some of our operations, rare species and their habitats, branching and leafing and are stalling our management system and to improve community not suitable for replanting. We on a few occasions. Thanks to production and their living solve this problem by growing repeated coordination efforts environment. seedlings on the margin of the made by the reserves’ Seedlings were planted here plot. Based on our first-year administrations, management four years ago and have since observations, we came to know personnel are now back in been our utmost concern. In the best season for foresting. charge. times of spring drought, Seedlings are temporarily The frustrations we This conservation station patrol, scientific study, and station’s co-management model. variations in elevation make it placed around the plot well in encountered in Yele have given in Tangjiahe National Nature nature education). The land- For management we appointed cc vvv us experience in community Reserve is designed to operate trust practice provides the the director and research participation in foresting and under a land-trust framework. means to bring young fellows; our partner selected the management, which will benefit Initially, Shan Shui and conservation practitioners, deputy and workers. Other 2 us in our future projects in Tangjiahe mapped out the site voluntee rs, and NGOs into the achievements include a 57 km ethnic minority areas. based on surveys and nature reserve mechanism for conservation area, eight fixed We are now back in Yele as consultations. Then, the sustainable conservation. monitoring transects, patrols, another new year begins. To our International Cooperation Our cooperation entails science volunteer activities, co- delight, new seedlings are Department and the Wildlife the following efforts: 1) to carry planning for scientific monitoring growing well. We fully and Nature Reserves out monitoring and to build a and village resource understand that the success of Management of Sichuan community-based co- management, and the this carbon sink forest depends Forestry Administration management mechanism construction of panda houses. on our joint efforts in collaboration with local arranged for us to sign a five- across regions; 2) to study
●Rebuilt fences for cattle to pass villagers, the nature reserve, year memo and a management more about adaptation to forestry departments, and local agreement as well, under climate change and biodiversity governments. which we were to develop a conservation; and 3) to run the “patrol-research-education” Nature School, Forest/Nature ●Cattle grazing around the plot integrated paradigm for the Experience, Forest Resort station (namely monitoring by activities; and 4) to explore the
vv 24 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 25
Forest for Water (FW)
The use and management of water resources designed to pipe water to seven selected Water channeling and purifying Water-source forest restoration presents one of the most important and complex communities through water-source forests in five We built 30 cisterns (each is 4m3) and The Bazidi Group planted 2,000 st challenges we need to address in the 21 century. nature reserves in Yunnan. We worked with the pipelines in the Bazidi Group, supplying willow trees along their creeks to strengthen The forest ecosystem is widely known to be a key local government and other stakeholders to carry water to 126 people in 30 households. the banks and retain the soil. freshwater provider for all living things on Earth, out the program. We provided water supplies to 93 Water-source forest conservation but nevertheless we are still faced with demanding In the following few years, the drought households in the villager groups of Asong, Tianchi Nature Reserve and the
problems such as the loss and deterioration of persisted throughout Yunnan. Built from what we Wunong, and Matong, as well as 800 community signed the Community-based forests, climate change, and water-borne pollution. had accomplished in the first stage, FW Phase II was teachers and students at the Qiaotou Village Water Source Conservation Agreement to In the spring of 2010, one of the worst implemented to provide new water supplies in co-manage almost seven hectares of forest Primary School. droughts in history struck much of southwestern three villages of three nature reserves: Qiaotou of We built 34 garbage collection depots around the community. China. We, Shan Shui Conservation Center (“Shan Gaoligong Mountain Nature Reserve, Bazidi of in Qiaotou Village of Yunnan and the Alternative livelihood development Shui”), a non-governmental organization committed Yunlong Heavenly Lake Nature Reserve, and Ah villages of Gangri and Walong in Yushu We selected five households in Bazidi to conservation in western China, found that many Song of Huanglian Mountain Nature Reserve. Water Prefecture, Qinghai, as a way to reduce into our alternative livelihood development local nature reserves, though affected by the supply maintenance was incorporated into the water-borne pollution. project to plant Paris polyphylla. The drought, managed to provide water needed to program as a way to sustain our drought relief practice became lucrative in the first year. relieve the drought in the surrounding communities efforts. To this end we carried out a number of These households promised to promote and as part of our disaster-relief efforts in that region. activities concerning waste treatment, forest teach this skill. This discovery led us to the special program, Forest restoration, and forest co-management. for Water (FW), which is a series of initiatives xxxxxxx
26 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 27
The Lancang River:
The Lancang Institute
Eryuan: Lancang River Conservation
Fund Project Sites ●
Lancang River work areas
澜 沧 江 工 Mt. Gaoligong: Forest for Water 作
Project Sites 区 域 地
图
28 山水自然保护中心 2014 年报 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 29
The Mekong is the seventh longest river in Asia and the tenth in the world flowing through six countries from the north to the south: China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and The Lancang River Conservation Fund Vietnam. Its upper reaches in the Chinese territory are commonly known as the Lancang. This
winding body of water is home to endangered animals and plants such as snow leopards, black snub-nosed monkeys, gibbons, Chinese yew, and Parashorea chinensis. Diverse habitats make In June 2014, Shan Shui launched the Lancang River Conservation Fund (LRCF), a grant- the Lancang one of the world’s most biologically diversified rivers. Rich biodiversity in this area making program with a mission to spread the values of ecological service, to promote connects a total population of over 700 million to a variety of ecosystem services, including sustainable conservation and development, and to address environmental threats by financing fresh water, food, nutrition, livelihoods, adjustment of water flows and climate – natural the ecological and cultural diversity conservation practices of communities, educational or endowments which have been disappearing at an alarming speed over the past few decades research institutes, non-governmental organizations/groups, and private companies. due to an unfortunate combination of the excessive exploitation of natural resources and Out of 123 valid grant applications submitted throughout 2014, we accepted 16 projects climate change. (each was 50,000-200,000 yuan) and 30 smaller projects (each was no more than 50,000 yuan), totaling 2,786,000 yuan of grants for an extensive coverage which included snow leopards,
primates (most notably Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys), alpine and endangered herbal plants, priority species (e.g.: Orchidaceae) and habitats (e.g.: the Biluo Snow-capped Mountain, the Yunlong of Deqin, the Lincang of Dali, the southern borderlands between Yunnan and Laos, and some gaps in the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve). Seven beneficiaries are local newly
founded non-profit organizations. Apart from financial support, we also provided training and communication networking that helped NGOs build up their institutional and conservation capacity.
30 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 31
The 2014 LRCF Grant List
Project Title Grantee (new organizations are marked in Project Title Grantee (new organizations are marked in green) green) Walnut Plantations impact to Biodiversity in Dali Prefecture Dali College Demonstration and Training in rescuing and reintroduction of Yunnan Nyssa Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Forest Plants of State Forestry Administration,Yunnan Academy of Forestry synopsis North Erhai Watershed Artificial Wetland Functions Evaluation Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research Eco-farm reforestation in Laoying Mountain in Dali Laoying Mountain Eco-farm Eryuan County Xihu Village NPS Pollution Survey and Early Intervention Yunnan Pesticide Eco-Alternatives Center Public participation of the sulfuric acid plant in Dali Yuantou Aihaozhe Environmental Institute Paphiopedilum spicerianum conservation research and education project Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden Wetland conservation infrastructure construction in Dalangba Community Shuchang Community in Yunlong County, Yunnan Yunnan snub-nosed monkey and other wildlife patrolling and conservation project Bamei Village Tajiu Wildlife Conservation Association Local Ecological Knowledge assessment on the wildlife resource exploitation in International Center for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) Northwestern Yunnan of Lancang basin Porphyrio porphyrio status survey and conservation in Xihu Lake in Eryuan County Yunnan Wild Birds Association Soil conservation and school water supply in Yunxian County Mandao Primary School in Aihua Town, Yunxian County "Through their eyes" Images School- Environmental enlightenment Yunnan Through their Eyes Rural Cultural Conservation and education project Research Center Research in the decision making process and public participation of Yi Tai Rui Wo(Beijing) Environmental Consulting Co. Huangdeng and Dahuaqiao Hydropower stations Biluo Snow Mountain Image Biodiversity Survey and Conservation Capacity Images Biodiversity Expedition Ins. (IBE) Building Project Research and Conservation of frugivorous birds in Xishuangbanna Nature Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden "Kawagarbo Dialogue" Forum Shangrila Laizhe Media Co. Reserve Visitation-based public participatory conservation in Dali Dali Good Life Conservation incentive mechanism demonstration by Women’s Cooperative Qinghai Desertification Control and Deserticulture Association in Maozhuang Township, Nanqen County Deqing Hongpo Village Endangered Medicine Plant Resource Conservation Gerao (individual) and Animal Reintroduction Project Survey into the Hydropower and Mining Development Impacts in upper Heng Duan Shan Society Lancang River Survey and Conservation of Big cats in Eastern Xishuangbanna Boundary Area Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS Investigation in the ecological impacts of stray dogs on Tibetan Plateau Gangri Neichog Research and Conservation Center Recovery of traditional waterhead forest and ecological culture of Aka People Huotang Culture Society of Pu'er City Snow Leopard Survey in Gayang Township Gayang Township Wildlife Patrolling Group Western black crested gibbon Conservation in Wuliang Mountain in Jingdong Jingdong Western black crested gibbon conservation in Wuliang Capacity building of civil environmental organizations in Nanqen Nanqen Association of Youth employment and education County Mountain
Sustainable wetland management of Dong lake in Eryuan County Yunnan Biodiversity Conservation Foundation One drop of water, one piece of grass - Sumang Monastery Environmental Sumang Home Environmental Protection Association Education brochure Project Asian Elephant human conflict community warning system Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden Waste management and Environmental Education in Sulu Township Central Middle Sulu Township Central Middle School School Endangered Wildlife Survey and Conservation in Meri Snow Mountain Yubeng Sinong Seniors Association in Yunling Township, Deqin County and Mingyong Villages Conservation of Jiqu branch of Lancang River in Zadoi County Duoxiao Village, Sulu Township
Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey Community Conserved Area Demonstration Baima Snow Mountain Community co-management association Experimental Nature Education in Sahuteng Township Centre School Sahuteng Township Centre School Project in Bamei Village Survey into the species population and habitat evaluation of Monitor lizard in Xishuangbanna Tropical Forestry Science Academy Rare medicinal resource distribution survey at the source of the Lancang River Ah Chunfeng (individual) Xishuangbanna Environmental Protection and Wildlife conservation in the area of Guoqie Environment Protection Group of Guoqie Monestry in Nanqen Zhanila Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey Population survey in Weixi County, Shangrila Weixi Snub-nosed Monkey Conservation Association Monastery Yunnan Demonstration of Waste disposal and recycle in the source of Lancang River in Jinaitan Community Service Station in Zadoi County Survey of Snow Leopard population in Baima Snow Mountain Yeri Village Yongdui village group Zadoi County
Lahu People Endangered Medicine Plant Resource Survey and Conservation Yang Jiuyun (individual) Contrast study of Transfer Payment Policy for Ecological Conservation in Policy Study Group of Cadre sent to Qinghai Grazing land in Tibetan areas of 4 provinces Survey of firefly species and status in the Lancang River basin of Yunnan Dong Zhiwei (individual) Chakme Sustainable Rural Livelihood of traditional handcrafts Chakme Environment Society Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Waterhead Forest in minorities of Lancang Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden Watershed
32 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 33
Saving Mt. Aka
Villages/Tribes
In Mangjiu New Village of
Menglian County, Pu’er City, Yunnan, on a mountain slope, lives an Akha-Hani tribe. At a
higher elevation there spreads a thick old-growth forest with good capacity to
retain water. Down below is the village’s farming field The Mekong River (the upper part is known as the Lancang River), one of the key trans- where domestic wastewater boundary rivers in Asia, has been fast losing its biodiversity and ecosystem services in recent is conducted to irrigate a years as both climate change and human exploitation intensify, hurting the ecological benefits of variety of crops, including 700 million people in associated areas. To address this crisis, in June 2014, Shan Shui launched corn and rice. From this the Lancang River Conservation Fund (LRCF), a grant-making program designed with a mission to terrestrial layout came a well- spread the values of ecological service, promote sustainable conservation and development, and known saying: Trees keep the to alleviate environmental threats by financing the ecological and cultural diversity conservation water that man needs in his practices of communities, educational or research institutes, non-governmental field. organizations/groups, and private companies. The Lancang Institute was established to join the This Akha tribe is well cause. structured and, as usual, The Huotang Culture Society and its director, Ah Bu in the following story, are beneficiaries contains three indispensable under this program. roles: Chief (equivalent to
A morning view over Mt. Aka is one “head of state”), pa jee (an of beauty, but if you look down, expert in ironworks), and you’ll see nothing but one tree left what is known as Tsokha, atop. This risk of losing water supply which functions like a when the forest is gone demands our parliament for leadership and immediate action, without which the administration. The Djew maa Aka will perhaps turn out to be a is the spiritual leader in scene of desolation in just a few charge of religious activities years’ time. within the tribe. Such establishment has functioned well in deserted forestland for generations of tribal unity and governance.
Without forest, the Akha wouldn’t be able to grow their food or enjoy their get-together as they do now after a day’s work in the field s. 34 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 35
Damage done Lessons learned
Minority people in the mountainous border A few years ago, a paper company started generation regain a reverence for nature? Nine years ago, Ah Bu came to the Akha areas of southwestern China usually practice to plant fast-growing eucalyptus trees in leased hill tribe in search for “lost homeland.” For What can be done to encourage
animism. Traditionally, their worship of nature fields where the Akha grew their crops. Losing years she lived and worked with the conservation by restoring and inheriting
helps preserve what we call “holy land” which their livelihood, the tribe had to cut trees at a villagers. She helped them find water, made the “holy land” culture? How can we draw includes forests and water sources. A “sacred higher elevation and planted more sugar cane, a point to preserve the cultural values of an animist perspective to activate eco- forest” can prevent corrosion, retain water, and further aggravating the loss of primary forest. their old houses, and advocated against the smart saving modes and to practice raise soil fertility, whereas a well-protected Consequently, the village no longer has enough local tradition of killing twin babies. She conservation? These questions await the “sacred water source” is used as a water supply water from the disappearing forest above. Their developed more insight and foresight after HCS to explore with young tribe members. in religious ceremonies. forest-village-fields structure collapsed. she founded the Huotang Culture Society Ah Bu’s society delivers holy land (HCS) in 2014. surveys by the participatory approach, conservation areas/programs, and tree The HCS advocates/maintains eco- farming and conservation, upholds tradition, planting in the clearings. They will also
and spreads a sense of reverence as well as build a conservation network of 19 villages
civilized conduct. What does it take to at Mt. Aka and establish the Eco-Cultural
redefine “holy land”? How can the younger Festival. nnn
Extensive eucalyptus plantations in the place of the Akha’s farms have left a red scar of the exposed land.
What happened to Mt. Aka is only one of many cases in the southwestern mountainous areas where live the Wa, Lahu, and other peoples apart from the Akha. Before their eyes, their forests are also disappearing, traditional cultures are falling apart, younger generations are
struggling in a world of competition, and their ways of living peacefully with nature being The Akha have an animist culture. The question to think about is how to pass it down future disregarded…. generations. Faced with these crises, what are we going to do? The answer lies with Ah Bu and her team. They are certainly the hope for Mt. Aka. The young HCS is uniting more people to reveal the wisdom of hill tribes in these mountains in order to recreate a sense of reverence for nature and
to help the local community tackle the global challenges of environmental deterioration. 36 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 37
The Lancang River Source Tracing and Surveys The RAP in Sanjiangyuan (the Lancang River source area)
Shan Shui took three Sanjiangyuan RAP field surveys with in 38 days with PUCNS, IBE, and
Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve where 40 plus workers were engaged at some point during the surveys.
The townships of Namse and
Zaqing in Zadoi County as well as Baizha Forest Farm and Juela Township in Nanqen County were targeted, covering four sub-zones of
Jiangxi, Palzha, Namse, and Godsong Muzha. Specimens were collected of 191 insect species (112 genera, 44
families). The ant survey found 12
ant species (7,037 head): two are . baseline data were collected first-
new, three are newly recorded in Sixty-nine specimens hand to answer the questions of China, and six are newly distributed containing eight small-sized species what, where, and how many in in Qinghai. Though unsophisticated, were collected from 14 small animal terms of biodiversity in the
the local ant community is quadrats. Sanjiangyuan Conservation
significant in terms of origin, Images Biodiversity Expedition Experimental Zone. These results dispersal, and natural selection. shot more than 2,300 valid photos provided a solid basis on which key The fish survey caught six and nearly 100 hours of video. Seven biodiversity zones and conservation short ads were produced as well. guidelines will be further identified ●A Lung ta-flying moment endemic and plateau adapted for the Cultural Survey species: Schizopygopsis anteroventris, The RAP Report and the IBE for the region. Triplophysa microps, Schizothorax Report were prepared. In July 2014, Shan Shui Such description is based on Team lissolabiabus, Schizothorax For the past three years the joined the Zadoi County the findings drawn from the langtsangensis, Ptychobarbus Sanjiangyuan RAP has covered ten government, Sanjiangyuan surveys to give an objective kaznakovi, and Triplophysa stenura, thousand kilometers of land and led National Nature Reserve, view. mostly Schizothoracinae and the way for substantial Peking University Center for Once we know more Nemacheilinae. achievements. Dozens of new Nature and Society (PUCNS), about this source, as made species were found. Biodiversity IBE, SEE, and experts from the possible by the surveys, we bbbbb National Geomatics Center of will be able to forge a balance China (NGCC) and the Chinese between all-round Academy of Sciences (CAS), in conservation efforts and conducting a series of surveys human needs in the Lancang at the source of the Lancang River basin. ●The Geological Survey Team is setting a monument at the source River in Zadoi County. These surveys allowed us to describe of the Lancang.
the conservation values and ecological status of the Lancang River source in China.
38 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 39
Nature Watch:
A Biodiversity Information Platform
The China Nature Watch Report serves as an independent annual evaluation of conservation status in China. Based on the data Peking University and Shan Shui have
disclosed over the years, this report first tries to interpret China’s ecological history from the past decade and then presents the findings to the public and decision makers in the form of charts. The resulting discovery of new threatened species has led to a deeper understanding of their distribution, population, and key habitats yet outside the scope of conservation areas
(major targets include poorly highlighted/recorded bird species with national first-level
conservation status and IUCN CR/EN status as well as wild feline species of ecological significance). Such knowledge is instrumental in improving biodiversity conservation practices. The Nature Watch Program also includes the Nature School, an outlet for the public to
experience and learn about nature. Nature lovers and “citizen scientists” help deliver training, field surveys, nature experience and publicity campaigns. These activities can raise the public understanding and awareness of endangered species, increase public participation in their conservation, and provide more information about their distribution. A young conservation practitioner on his
routine patrol with a nature reserve worker.
40 山水自然保护中心 2014 年报 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 41
China Nature Watch 2014
China Nature Watch 2014 is a Chinese conservation status report co-published by Shan Shui, the China Birdwatching Association , and the Peking University Center for Nature and
Society. Based on the data Peking University and Shan Shui have disclosed over the years, this report first tries to interpret China’s ecological history from the past decade and then presents the findings to the public and decision makers in the form of charts. Its topics includ e the interpretation of 2000-2013 forest remote sensing data, the distribution patterns and conservation and research status of the most watched endangered species, and conservation practices inside nature reserves. The report also found that the national conservation list only achieved a partial coverage of endangered species and needs updating in terms of distribution and population. Private studies can be a reliable force for basic data collection and conservation monitoring. In the densely populated northern areas, small population reserves based on local participation may be an effective means for conservation. It is imperative to ensure information disclosure as well as the long-term research and monitoring of both ecosystems and species.
42 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 43
The Nature School
The “Nature School” project over the past three years has been committed to nature education as a means for the public to get close to nature, take part in conservation, and to find hope for a greener tomorrow.
Delivered 7 Nature
Experience activities for 98 persons.
Built 3 Nature School bases;
Carried out 4 types of
campaigns in the nature
education industry directly impacting nature- 200 education-specialized NGOs,
privately owned enterprises, nature reserves, and forest ●A Nature School base as part of the nature education plan at the
farms, reaching out directly Wanglang Nature Reserve A record of science find and identify animals along
to 750 people. volunteer activity at Tangjiahe two different routes. They Nature School: observed their traces along the “Today we followed the way, filled out the patrol sheets,
nature reserve’s workers along a wrote notes, and collected patrol trail that was clearly not worthy pieces of excrement and designed for human access. We hairs. The team members also used the GPS trackers, filled out spent time searching for animal the monitoring forms, and trails, drinking spots, and other
collected animals’ poo. It is the likely areas to install infrared most exciting and meaningful cameras, which would be used to Back at the campsite that night, experience I’ve ever had!” A record wildlife day and night for Team A shared the images they science volunteer joyfully shared future research and conservation took of a female takin, some
his experience. at Baixiongping. patrol records they made, and st From October 31 to It was not an easy trip. the specimens of some giant November 2nd, 11 science Everyone had to jump between panda’s scent trails and hairs. volunteers did their share of boulders higher than a man, Team B was even more patrol and monitoring duties at crawl through dense patches of successful. In their specimen bag
the Baixiongping Conservation bamboos, run across what one could find fresh feces from Station; Shan Shui helped build it appeared to be a log over a takin, goral, serow, and leopard up inside Tangjiahe National stream – sometimes they even cat. They found a willow Nature Reserve. At an elevation had to step into icy cold water to warbler’s nest that resembled a of 1,900 meters, mornings and get across. Fortunately, no one delicate artifact hidden in the evenings are bitterly cold there. got hurt under professional bushes. And one photo of the The volunteers were divided guidance by the workers. Temminck's tragopan feathers into two teams supported by Exhaustion and wet trousers strewn all over the place pointed specialists including Tangjiahe hadn’t dampened the least bit of to an unseen murder deep in the
and Shan Shui workers. They team spirit by the end of the day. forest. The Nature School Network: The First China National Nature Education Forum were expected to learn how to bb
44 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 45
Nature Watch Website
Hinanture.cn is designed to be interactive and informative for both computer and mobile phone Ecosystem Fund, the website will be further optimized and publicized next year. The use of the ArcGis users. Its developers, the Peking University Center for Nature and Society and Shan Shui, built Server framework in its data storage management system guarantees easy extension to cover more databases into Nature Watch’s website to show the distribution of most national protected animals spaces and species as required for conservation and management planning in China and neighboring and plants that inhabit China’s mainland and some endemic species as well (including all birds, some countries. beasts, and amphibians, and reptiles). Currently running on a trial basis and supported by the Critical bb
46 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 47
More About Us Financial Overview: Board Members Revenue & Expenditure (RMB)
Name Profile 三江源物种研究及 Revenue Expenditure Balances
2013 10,649,900 11,024,600 374,700 Chair of the Esquel Group; Member of the National Committee of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference; Non-official Member of the Executive 2014 14,917,700 14,923,800 6,100 Ms. Marjorie Yang Council of Hong Kong SAR; Vice President of China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment; advisory board member at several universities, incl. Tsinghua, Change in Net Asset Value (RMB) Chair emer. Harvard, and MIT; Chair of the Board of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University; 澜沧江保护基金 24％ Independent Non-executive Director of Novartis, Swire Pacific Limited, and HSBC Bank Beg. of yr. End of yr. Change Shanghai and Hong Kong; consultant of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). 2013 10,987,300 10,779,200 208,100
Founder, Director, and Chief Scientist of Shan Shui Conservation Center; Professor of 2014 10,779,200 11,685,800 906,700 Prof. Lu Zhi Peking University (doctoral advisor), leader of Conservation Biology; Giant Panda Expert Team Chair in IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group; Director of Conservation Biology Chair Society; standing committee member of China Association for Science and Technology; Global Agenda Councils member of World Economic Forum.
Professor of Peking University National School of Development, Director of China Center for Energy and Development; Executive Director and Deputy Secretary-General Prof. Xu Jintao of China Forestry Economics Society (CFES); Deputy Director and member of the CFES We are a young and professional team: Economics Committee. His interests of study include pollution control policies for director industrial companies, changes in the use of rural land and GHG reduction, Chinese Thirty-six of us work full-time and 25 are long-term consultants, young conservation climate policies and international climate negotiations, forest economics, economics practitioners, and volunteers of water resources, urban traffic control policies, and the surveying and research of rural household behavior. One of Shan Shui’s founders. She also founded the Green Life Society, the first Ms. Sun Shan environmental group in her alma mater Peking University. She received her Master’s degree in Environmental Studies and Public Policy from George Mason University in director 1999. A few years later, in 2002, she and Lu Zhi launched the CI China Program. Currently, she manages 6.5 million US dollars of the Critical Ecosystem Partner Fund in the mountainous areas of southwestern China. Ms. Weng Ling Former director of Shanghai Gallery of Art at No.3 Shanghai Bund; director of China director Center; senior gallery manager and art planner. Jennifer Lu Shareholder and founder of Shan Shui Partners Co.; one of our old supporters who director over the years has repeatedly helped us plan and carry out fundraising dinners and activities. Partner of Dingtian Zhuoyue Investment Center; management consultant of Ai You
Foundation; member of Ai You Venture Philanthropy Committee; EMBA graduate from Mr. Cong Zhigang China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). Mr. Cong started his career in 1992 and accumulated a wealth of experience in business marketing, project director management, and human resource management, in either directorship or senior management positions. He moved to the investment sector specializing in target company valuation and investment management. He has long been active in providing consultation and guidance for the public service sector, apart from his responsibilities as a lecture for various training requirements, including the Required Course for Secretaries-General.
Ms. Chen Haiying Chief Representative of the Esquel Group Beijing Office. Ms. Chen graduated from Shanghai University of International Business and Economics in 1992. Then she worked ●Our entire team at the 2104 Tangjiahe Annual Meeting supervisor in the Human Resource Development of the then Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and the Chinese Consulate General in Canada.
48 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 49
We acknowledge the concerted efforts from the following partners
（In alphabetic order）
Ambassade de France en Chine L’Oreal China Qinghai, Datong County Forestry Administration The Forestry Administration of Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Research Center for Baima Mountain Culture, Yunnan Academy of Social Beijing Haidian District government Lanzhou University Center for Community and Biodiversity The government and CPC Committee of Haxiu Township, Yushu City, Qinghai Sciences Beijing Shan Shui Partners Cultural Development Co., Ltd Legal Affairs Office, Qinghai government Sanjiangyuan Office, Qinghai Development and Reform Commission The government and CPC Committee of Soja Township, Zhidoi County, Qinghai Liangshan Prefecture Green Earth Agricultural and Forestry Development Co., BMW China / CCF-BMW Warm-Heart Fund SEE The government and CPC Committee of Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai Ltd Bridgestone (China) Investment Co., Ltd Liz Claiborne-Art Ortenberg Foundation Shaanxi Changqing National Nature Reserve Administration The government of Nanqen County, Qinghai Caixin Media Co., Ltd MacArthur Foundation Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences The government of Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai Chengdu Aisi Marketization Consulting Co., Ltd Marong Tongge Eco-tourism Cooperative in Aba County, Sichuan Sichuan Apiculture Management Station The government of Zadoi County, Qinghai Chengdu Institute of Biology, CAS Meters/bonwe Shanghai Sichuan Baicaopo Provincial Nature Reserve Administration The government of Zhaqing Township, Zadoi County, Qinghai Chengdu Urban Rivers Research Institute Mr. Shi Yuzhu and Giant Investment Group Sichuan Baishuihe National Nature Reserve Administration The Ministry of Environmental Protection China Agricultural University Mr. Wu Huimin and Ms. Lu Yinghua Sichuan Dadu River Forestation Bureau The Nature Conservancy (TNC) China Green Foundation Mr. Xu Jintao Sichuan Forestry Inventory and Planning Institute The Wetlands Administration of Eryuan County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan China Youth Development Foundation Ms. Wang Jing and Toread Outdoor Products Co., Ltd Sichuan Forestry Research Institute Tianjin TV Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Ms. Weng Ling Sichuan Gagong Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration Travel Channel Media Co., Ltd Coca Cola Shanghai Ms. Yang Minde Sichuan Gexigou National Nature Reserve Administration UNDP Conservation International (CI) Narada Foundation Sichuan Giant Panda Conservation Fund UNESCO County-level Forestry Administrations in Sichuan, incl. Lixian, Maoxian, National Geographic Air and Water Conservation Fund Sichuan Ma’an Mountain Provincial Nature Reserve Administration US National Science Foundation (NSF) / Michigan State University Qingchuan, Pingwu, Beichuan, Leibo, Yuexi, Ganluo, Meigu, and Zhaojue Critical Ecosystem Partner Fund National Plateau Wetlands Research Center Sichuan Mamize Provincial Nature Reserve Administration Wenxian Green Motianling Conservation Society National Research Centre for the Studies of the Ethnic Groups of China’s Dr. George Schaller Sichuan Provincial Forestry Administration Ya’an Rural Photography Association South-Western Borderlands, Yunnan University Esquel Yang Yuanlong Education Foundation Novartis Sichuan Shenguozhuang Provincial Nature Reserve Administration Ya’an World Heritage Management Office FAW-VW/Audi One Foundation Sichuan Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve Administration Yachang Culture Group Ford China Panthera Corporation Sichuan University Yunnan Gaoligong Mountain Nature Reserve Administration Forest Public Security Bureau in Tianjun County, Qinghai Peking University Sichuan Wanglang National Nature Reserve Administration Yunnan Huanglian Mountain Nature Reserve Administration Gansu Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve Administration Peking University Center for Nature and Society (PUCNS) Sichuan Wolong National Nature Reserve Administration Yunnan Kawagarbo Cultural Society Gansu Provincial Forestry Administration Qinghai CPC School Sichuan Yele Provincial Nature Reserve Administration Yunnan Provincial Forestry Administration Global Environment Facility Small Grants Project Qinghai CPC School Snow Leopard Trust Yunnan Wetlands Office Haiwen Law Firm Qinghai Department of Environmental Protection State Forestry Administration Yunnan Yunlong Tianchi Nature Reserve Administration HSBC China Qinghai Forestry Inventory and Planning Institute Symantec Beijing
Huayi Brothers Foundation Qinghai Normal University Taobao Software (China) Co., Ltd
Images Biodiversity Expedition (IBE) Qinghai Sanjiangyuan Conservation Society The Embassy of Canada to China / Canada Fund
Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Qinghai Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve Administration The Environmental Protection and Forestry Bureau of Henan County, Qinghai
50 SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report SHAN SHUI Conservation Center 2014 Annual Report 49