Wind down and embrace the nature!
From 2 to 6 October, the 2023 Youth Forest Nature Education Activity in Wuyishan National Park with the theme of "Focus on Forests, Explore the Wuyi Mountain" was successfully held. 35 students from across China including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Nanchang, Changsha, Jinan, Fuzhou and Xiamen, as well as local cities of Nanping and Wuyishan who love nature gathered in the Wuyishan National Park and had a lively and profound nature education lesson in the tangible nature.
The education activity started with five indoor courses. Through the lectures of the nature instructors, students got to know more about the Wuyishan National Park, learnt in-depth about amphibians, reptiles, plants and birds, and on top of that improved their overall knowledge of the forest ecosystems and the rich biodiversity. The outdoor nature observation activities make the journey reach a climax. Students stepped into the hinterland of Wuyi Mountain National Park which is also a world-famous "biological model specimen production area" - Guadun and Dazhulan and observed various plants and birds in the dense forest; They also explored Wuyishan's Danxia Landform and cultural heritage, and appreciated the outstanding universal value of the world's Cultural and Natural Heritage Site. In addition, the students were able to seek answers to their questions about nature and ecological environment, questioning the current situation and looking to the future. This demonstrates their potential of becoming young future masters.
One of the students, Guan Zitong from Shanghai, has always loved to go into nature to observe all kinds of creatures since she was a little girl, and has already explored many of China's nature reserves for seven consecutive years at Camp Green Camp, making her an expert in exploring nature. She is looking forward to her trip to Wuyishan National Park. Quoting from Auntie Ma Xia of Green Camp, she hopes to encourage her classmates: "Don't just rush along, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to what's around you; you should settle yourself down and embrace the nature. "
Make friends with nature
· Nature names bring me closer to nature
In this Youth Forest Nature Education Activity, five indoor courses opened the door to nature in Wuyi Mountain for the students.
In the "Nature Observation and Nature Notes" class, students learnt how to observe and record nature, and in the process of exploring nature, they also came up with nature names for themselves, using a plant or animal as a nickname to refer to themselves, so as to express their own character and aspirations.
Students are exhibiting ther nature name and nature notes works ? Green Camp
· Meet new animal friends, while also learn to care about other animals around me
"I hope that when the students return to the city afterwards, they will still be able to pay attention to the animals around them and reflect about the relationship between human beings and nature. "
Mr Huang Lihan, affectionately called "Hummingbird", is the nature instructor for the course "Nocturnal Observation: Amphibians and Reptiles of Wuyi Mountain", and is also an expert in the study of amphibians and reptiles. In the lecture, he explained to the students about the various frogs and reptiles that are unique and common in the Wuyi Mountain area, and also shared his own footage taken in the field during the breeding season of the Leptobrachium liui in November.
The Leptobrachium liui is a rare frog endemic to China with a peculiar body shape, which is of some significance in the study of amphibian evolution. The Leptobrachium liui has a very special breeding habit. It breeds in November and December, when most amphibians have long been in hibernation. At courtship time, the male will call out at night in the forest streams thousands of metres up in the mountains to attract females. After paring, the females will lay frogspawns in the mountain streams. The frogspawns are attached to rocks in the water and are formed in clusters or rings containing 200-500 eggs. These fertilised frogspawns will go through around 3 years to hatch into tadpoles and metamorphose into juvenile toads. Henceforth, a new cycle of life begins.
Click below video to observe the egg clusters of Leptobrachium liui＞＞
The images and footages captured by Mr Hummingbird and his team are rare to see. We may think that cities built of reinforced concrete are spaces isolated from these animals, but in fact they are active in the neighbourhoods and parks around where we live. Mr Hummingbird's teaching goal is to show how close we actually are to nature by using these amphibians and reptiles as an example, arousing students’ curiosity and calling on them to pay more attention to various kinds of plants and animals in their ordinary lives as well, and ultimately to pass on the idea of protecting the environment.
"The best way to protect plants and animals is to understand their habits and create and protect an environment suitable for their survival. "
——Mr Hummingbird
· "I saw it!"
In addition to the indoor courses, students also conducted outdoor nature observation, led by their nature instructors, where they had real close encounters with animal and plant friends.
Chimonobambusa quadrangularis (Franceschi) Maki (literal translation of Chinese name: square bamboo), bambusa multiplex (literal translation: piety bamboo), pinus massoniana, tettigoniidae, measuring worm, damselfly, lophura nycthemera,grey herons… All of these plants, insects, and birds that they had never seen before were now on the students' lips all the time. At night in the field, the students would also follow the instructors with flashlights, searching carefully in the grass, trees and streams, and burst into exclamations of surprise when they found strange species.
It is believed that with these tangible experiences in nature, they will have deeper impression and understanding of nature.
I am a Little advocator
Although this activity ended, it was also the beginning of many students' journey into nature. Many students insisted on their own observation and research into nature after the activity. Some of them even act as little docents, sharing and lecturing about their knowledge, stories and reflections learned in the Wuyi Mountain to other classmates after returning to the school.
I still have plenty of probing questions
During the nature education activity, many students also interacted with Prof Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, and raised their own questions about biology, nature and the environment.
Lv Mingyu from Xiamen came with questions he had in school, and now has a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of desertification and measures to prevent it.
After visiting the Nature Museum in Wuyi Mountain, Liu Zhuzhihan from Putian was concerned about the fate of endangered species and asked "why do species become extinct and what can we do as teenagers to prevent extinction?" To this question, the courses in the education activity might have provided an answer: "the best way to protect plants and animals is to understand their habits and to create and protect an environment that is suitable for them to live in. "
Summary
It was very pleasing to see that the students had demonstrated their concern and reflection about some major issues regarding the natural ecosystem and the planet during this activity. Upon returning to campus, they further conveyed important concepts and knowledge learnt in Wuyi Mountain, a World Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site, to others, sharing touching stories and best practices, which will be the key to awareness-raising and future leadership nurture. It is believed that they will become Global Citizens with a strong sense of social responsibilities, masters of the future, and a lasting driving force for sustainable development.
The future is in our hands!
