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“Awesome! We fi nally got it!” Shao Liangkun and Hou Zhonghua, patrollers of Wanglang National Natural Reserve were so excited as they watched the computer monitor, “we fi nally fi nd giant panda’s activity in this area! Look! It is resting next to a rock!” Hearing this, all people in the offi ce rushed to the computer to see the majestic Giant panda wandering under the stars along the Huangtuliang Corridor in Pingwu County of Sichuan Province.

The infrared camera took a total of nine pictures this time. From the images and action in the pictures, we can see that the giant panda is very healthy. On that cool and drizzling night, it sometimes sat on the ground and sometimes rubbed its body on the rock, so naughty and cute.

Corridor to giant pandas is as important as a bridge to humankinds

Huangtuliang Corridor lies in Pingwu County, Sichuan Province. In WWF’s previous research, it has been recognized as a very important corridor that links Wanglang, Baishuijiang, Wujiao and other surrounding giant panda nature reserves. Now there is real evidence at last.

The term “corridor” refers to the “living lifelines” of habitat that connect different fragmented habitats and isolated species groups. Corridors restoration and conservation is essential in maintaining movements

Species

of species, ecological processes and gene fl ow in landscapes fragmented by human activities.

The Minshan Mountain Ranges where the Huangtuliang Corridor lies is a globally signifi cant part of the area where wild giant panda occur, According to The 3rd National Giant Panda Survey Report, there are totally 708 giant pandas in the Minshan Mountain Ranges out of a total population of 1600 wild pandas. This makes the Minshan the area with largest giant panda population in the world. The Huangtuliang Corridor is critically important to connect giant panda populations in the Northern Minshan Mountain Ranges. The question is: “How well do corridors work?”. Monitoring is very important to answering this question and camera traps can provide an answer.

Monitoring of Giant panda use of the corridor

“The infrared camera was installed 200m away from the old mountain highway. The photos taken this time gave us very positive news that panda really uses this corridor. Meanwhile, the cameras in Huangtuliang area also recorded many other animals like takin (Budorcas taxicolor), spectacular rare birds such as Temminck’s tragopan. In 2009, WWF China helped Pingwu County Forestry Bureau develop the Huangtuliang Vegetation Restoration Plan. We believe that with the implementation

of vegetation restoration plan and corridor management plan, plus the use of Huangtuliang Tunnel, which will be open in June 2012, there will be more wild animals use this corridor”, said Dr. Lin Ling, Deputy Director of Operations, WWF China.

Ever since 2006, WWF has supported conservation projects in the Huangtuliang area with its local partners. These have included projects to raise community awareness about wild animal and plant conservation and the need for anti-poaching actions. Collaborative monitoring, highway car fl ow monitoring in different seasons, and monitoring using infrared camera have been undertaken.

“We are in the fi rst stage of the corridor restoration---fi nding out the key elements of giant pandas using the corridor”, Dr. Lin Ling said, “the ultimate goal is to recover the forests which act as corridors so as to build connection among different isolated small species groups and fragmented habitats. We are doing necessary vegetation restoration to create nature environment for wildlife, and camera tracking to research how they use the corridors.”

Corridor restoration is an urgent task

Because of natural reasons and long-term infl uence by human activities, panda habitats has been divided into at least 18 isolated areas and small groups and most of the groups only

Giant panda in Huangtuliang corridor. ©Wanglang National Nature Reserve

CORRIDOR AND GIANT PANDA

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have dozens or even several giant pandas. What even worse is that some of the small groups now have to face the danger of disappearing and living in extremely critical situation?

In order to enhance communication among different isolated giant panda groups, WWF worked on conservation and restoration giant panda corridor in key areas to fi ll in the gaps among the fragmented habitats. According to giant panda group and habitats distributing situation, WWF and its partners identifi ed 13 corridors in

China for integrated conservation intervention. Among them, four corridors have been prioritized to pilot effective management models. These are fi rstly, the Huangtuliang corridor that connects the northern group of the Minshan. Secondly, the Nibashan corridor that links the Daxiangling Mountain Ranges and Qionglai Mountain Ranges. Thirdly, the Tudiling corridor that bridging northern groups with southern groups in Mianshan Mountain Ranges and fourthly, the corridor near the original 108 national highway inside Qingling

WEST QINLING: A NEW HOME FOR PANDASIn July 2011, an integrated survey and assessment on panda habitat in west Qinling was completed with the support of WWF. This project mainly focuses on fi nding the possibility of panda habitat expansion and the feasibility of the panda corridor establishment in the region for future conservation considerations.

In west Qinling, there are three nature reserves for panda conservation, including Zibaishan Nature Reserve, Motianling Nature Reserve and Sangyuan Nature Reserve. Zibaishan NR, similar to the Qingmuchuan NR, is disconnected from the main distributed area of the Qinling giant panda. In 2005, the Reserve tracked panda activity evidence within its territory. To its east is the panda habitat in the Motianling Nature Reserve and Sangyuan Nature Reserve. Linking these two habitats is a 20km long community forest, which is good protection over the past ten years thanks to the National Natural Forest Protection Project. This makes it possible in theory to establish a corridor to connect two sub-populations, one the Zibaishan sub-population in the west and Niuweihe Sub-population in the east. Also, to its west, the Zibaishan Nature Reserve neighbors Xiaolongshan National Nature Reserve in the Gansu Province, in which the Minshan panda population is distributed. If well managed, Minshan and Qinling panda population might be reunited in

the long term. In addition, to enhance the connectivity of habitat and to establish panda activity corridor is now considered as an important way for pandas to adapt the climate change. During the past years there have been researches and studies indicating that the panda population in Qinling has a likelihood of movement to the northwest.

Thus WWF led in this biodiversity and socio-economic survey to assess the feasibility of potential giant panda habitat and establishment of panda corridor for the purpose of providing data support to the future conservation

work. The survey covered 40 monitoring routes, 75 vegetation plots and 147 bamboo plots, and the fi ndings were compared to the Third National Panda Survey for the fi nal conclusion. The report shows that the landscape richness index is high in this region, making it a suitable site for panda and

other wild rare species to live. Yet from the index of landscape diversity, dominance and evenness, the region is not well organized in terms of spatial distribution. Considering its potential ecological corridor function, there is still

Mountain Ranges. WWF hopes that through vegetation restoration, reduction of human interference and careful monitoring, these key corridor areas can be effectively managed. Data through this monitoring will be collected and analyzed for making and implementing a scientifi c corridor restoration plan. In this way, obstacles between different giant panda habitats will be overcome so that corridors functions effectively as a “living lifeline”.

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© W

WF

much work to be done for the overall landscape protection in this region to make it a health habitat for the wild species.

This project is a joint effort among these three nature reserves with the

strong technical support from the Qinling Giant Panda Monitoring and Patrolling Expert Group. Relevant forest management bureau and communities of Liuba and Feng County also participated

in the survey. This project is also one of its fi rst regarding the integrated protection initiatives as it addresses the connected protected area rather than an individual nature reserve.

Top: Rangers departing for a survey work. Top: Rangers fi lling in the survey worksheet. Bottom: Rangers doing a bamboo survey. Bottom: Rangers working in the fi eld.

EVERY GRASS, FLOWER AND TREE UN-TOUCHED FOR PANDASA lightweight steel building constructed with low carbon concept, designed with special animal corridor and three-dimensional windows for visitors to get close into the nature was offi cially opened to the public on Sept 20th 2011 in Anzihe Natural Reserve, Sichuan Province.

The education center is especially designed with the concept of “keeping every grass, fl ower and tree untouched”, and great emphasize was put on both inner and outside

designing and construction of the building to make it as environment-friendly as possible.

During the construction, an innovated, environment-friendly system was adopted and lightweight prefabrication constructing system was developed for building an earthquake proofi ng, forest climate adapting education center that can be used for both exhibition and conference. Heat and wet proofi ng lightweight steel materials were used to replace common steel and

concrete, which makes the building movable and detachable so as to produce less construction waste and be “greener”.

Meanwhile, the unique designing of the Education Center also brings a fresh image for visitors. Looking afar, people would fi nd the building covered with inerratic “black-spots”. However, when people get closer, they will fi nd they are actually silhouettes of giant pandas and other animals and among which the special designed shapeless shadows

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represent and reminding people the species that keep vanishing from the earth.

To further reducing impact on the nature environment, the Center chose to use photos and simulation models to replace the traditionally zoological and botanical specimens. Under the building, a hollowed and lifted fl oor leaves a corridor for small animals to pass through. The three- dimensional windows give the audiences a true view standing in the nature.

Mr. Lasse Gustavsson, Executive Director, Conservation of WWF International, Mr Jia Jiansheng, Deputy Chief of Conservation Department of State Administration of Foresty, Mr Jiang Chu, the Deputy Director of Sichuan Province Forestry Department and Chongzhou Municipal Government participated in the opening ceremony and together opened the Center for the public. Mr Jia Jiansheng said in his speech: “The center was sponsored and designed by WWF, who has integrated ecological and environmental concept into its overall designing, construction and exhibitions. All these efforts made it the fi rst and pioneer in panda natural reserves. Hereby, I represent the Department of State Administration of Forestry to express our great interest and appreciation.”

Conservation Director of Operations,

WWF China, Mr Zhu Chunquan said when he visited the Center: “Though it is not very big, we believe it will defi nitely play a key role in providing environmental education for the public. WWF hopes that this building would be a model and good example for future standard construction in nature reserves.”

Background information:

Anzihe Natural Reserve is a very important Naure Reserve in Qionglai Mountain System. It lies in the transition zone between Woling and Heishuihe River Nature Reserves

and is a key corridor that connects giant panda groups inside Qionglai Mountain. The establishment of Anzihe Natural Reserve make it possible for creating a big protection network of Qionglai Mountain System that combines Wolong, Heishuihe, Fengtongzhai and Labahe NRs so that 877,980 hectors of giant panda habitat in Qionglai Mountain can be a connected area as a whole, which is extremely important for gene exchange of giant pandas.

Openning ceremony of education center in Anzihe Nature Reserve. © Anzih Nature Reserve.

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In September 2011, WWF and Taibaishan Nature Reserve jointly launched the tourism monitoring in the whole Taibaishan Region, Qinling mountains. This is a multiple-stakeholder action with four forest parks, three nature reserves and neighboring communities involved. Also this monitoring is the fi rst of its kind in Qinling for the purpose of improving tourism management and practice for sustainable development and conservation.

This eco-tourism monitoring would enable the stakeholders to better understand whether their resources are best utilized and the operation practice are in line with the market need or not, based on which the success and failures can be summarized for next step solutions. This benefi ts not only the forest parks which are driven by the maximum profi t, but also the nature reserves focusing on nature conservation. This monitoring would help them to scope the most disturbed areas and the tourists so that in their daily management measures can be taken to mitigate such threats from the mass tourism to the

TOURISM MONITORING IN TAIBAISHAN REGIONpanda habitat.

The background of this monitoring is that Taibaishan region has a complex social and economic environment with nature conservation and economic development managed by different stakeholders. Within this region, there are 3 counties with 7 town and townships, jointly managed by the 3 county governments, 3 nature reserves and 4 forest parks. Driven by different needs, confl icts also arise between the nature reserves whose duty is to conserve the natural landscape and its neighboring forest parks and communities who have set economy development as their goals. Currently, the most outstanding threat to the area is the unbalanced tourism development from different tourism developing stakeholders. In order to better balance the situation and to demonstrate a new sustainable management mode in the Qinling, in 2009 WWF supported Taibaishan NR to take the lead to establish Taibaishan Ecotourism Club for the purpose of promoting interactions among the relevant stakeholders. Based on this,

WWF also supported the Reserve to conduct the tourism monitoring work, focusing on the impact of the tourism on the panda habitat and covering other members as well.

This year would be the second year implementation of the monitoring after the fi rst one done in 2010. Different from the previous one, this new monitoring would be more general and cover wider scope. Also, a complete monitoring standard would be taken to unify all the fi eld work and data processing. Currently this monitoring plan and standards are being reviewed by the experts from the tourism sectors.

At the same time, WWF will also support the Taibaishan Eco-tourism Club to realize its shared learning and information exchange function by organizing annual meetings and training workshops. This would also help to enhance the management and operation capacity of the relevant stakeholders regarding the tourism operation, policy & regulations, marketing and sales, as well as the external communications.

A SUMMARY OF WWF’S EFFORTS ON COM-MUNITY DEVELOPMENT

In July 2011, the Community and Biodiversity Research and Protection Centre, Lanzhou University began a series of fi eld work with the support of WWF to conclude the achievements and impact of WWF’s community

development projects in Qinling. The fi eld work has fi nished in August and the report is expected to be delivered soon.

2011 is the tenth year of WWF’s work in Qinling, which started from the panda and its habitat

conservation and now extended to a more diversifi ed and wider scope on the overall panda landscape conservation. Over the years, sustainable community development projects have been a signifi cant component to

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In July 2011, more than 100 panda candle holders were produced as the special gifts from the giant panda habitat in Qinling for the WWF 50th anniversary. They were made from the removed mechanical fences demolished in Huangbaiyuan Nature Reserve as an effective approach of

contribute to the overall panda habitat conservation work. WWF has introduced a diversifi ed alternative livelihood projects, including Chinese beekeeping, home-stays, green rice plantation, and traditional Chinese medicine plantation. The alternative energy projects include energy-saving stoves, bio-gas pools and

solar panel. Furthermore, a platform for nature conservation and community development is established to balance the confl icts between resource conservation and economic development.

This community project summary work would help

to identify achievements and problems for next step consideration. The review and summary will be concluded from the economic, social as well as ecological aspects. To refl ect its possible contribution to the nature conservation, approaches such as the remote sensing images would be used as well.

PANDA GIFTS TO WWF’S 50TH ANNIVERSARYpanda habitat recovery.

With the support of WWF, the project removed a total of 10.7 km of mechanical fence. Apart from measures to recover the grounds from any damages from previous construction for harmony with its environment, these removed materials were then reused in the modifi cation

of the ranger station, fi sh ponds, and other community facilities.

These panda candle holders used the removed steel wires and made into the shape of a panda holding bamboos in its hand for candles.

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WWF WON AN AWARD FOR ITS GREAT CONTRIBU-TION TO EU-CHINA BIODIVERSITY PROGRAMME

WWF was awarded “Outstanding Contribution” by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), EU-China Biodiversity Programme (ECBP), Ministry of Commerce, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Mr. Zhuang Guotai, Director of Ecological Department, MEP, presented the award for WWF’s “Sustainable Management of Traditional Medicinal Plants in High-biodiversity Landscapes in the Upper Yangtze Ecoregion,” the only winning project by an NGO.

At the end of 2007, WWF started “Sustainable Management of Traditional Medicinal Plants in High-biodiversity Landscapes in the Upper Yangtze Ecoregion” with support from the EU-China Biodiversity Programme. In response to the growing threats and challenges of traditional herbal plant resources like unsustainable harvesting methods, the project aims at developing a model that combines the restoration and protection of the herbal plants’ eco-system with giant panda conservation and local community development.

Different pilot project sites were chosen in Sichuan, Gansu and Shanxi provinces and, among other things, the projects have helped towards establishing alternative livelihoods for the local ethnic Yi villagers; sustainable harvesting methods have been taught to communities; and cooperation between communities and

local purchasers have been established.

One of our greatest outcomes has been in Daping Village, Pingwu County of Sichuan Province. In 2009, the Daping project successfully implemented China’s fi rst sustainable harvesting and sales model of the wild herbal medicine, Schisandra. It also helped the community to establish its own TCM cooperative and sign a major contract with an American company. Since then, the impact of the project has been progressing and in November 2011, the cooperative will sign a 5-year MOU with an international purchaser.

Dr. Zhu Chunquan, Conservation Director of Biodiversity and Operations, WWF China when collecting the prize: “Now in China, many TCM plants are facing the threats of over-harvesting. The value of the Daping Model is not only that it helped to protect one species of Schisandra or that it helped the communities in Pingwu; but that

the model is an example to be applied to the conservation and sustainable utilization of many other wild medicinal plants, and can be replicated to other eco-regions for biodiversity conservation.”

Back ground information:

The EU-China Biodiversity Programme (ECBP) is the EU’s largest overseas biodiversity conservation programme. It is a joint initiative between EU, MOFCOM, UNDP and MEP. It lasted from June 2005 till September 2011 and aimed to conserve specifi c ecosystems in China by strengthening biodiversity management. It supported 18 local pilot projects and established a public platform for environment training and education. The programme successfully supported three sessions of the EU-China Biodiversity Strategy Dialogue, which was aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and strengthening cooperation between China and EU.

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QINLING YOUTH AMBASSADORS IN 2011 The Qinling Youth Ambassador

activity has stepped into its

sixth year in 2011. In this July,

fi eld activities were successfully

concluded in the communities

neighboring giant panda habitat. The

ambassadors formed teams and went

on 10-day journeys into 10 nature

reserve villages, 3 wetland areas, and

4 cities to perform environmental

research, education and training to

residents in or nearby Qinling.

This activity was jointly organized

by WWF, Northwest Agricultural

and Forestry University and

Shaanxi Forestry Department in

2006 for the purpose of providing

technical support and conducting

awareness raising activities to the

communities neighboring giant

panda habitat. Since its launch, the

activity has attracted more than

13,000 candidates to apply for the

openings. The working regions

were also expanded from the panda

habitat to the wetlands as well as the

cities, covering more target audience.

The project has also won the Nature

Conservation Award of State Forestry

Administration in 2008.

This year, the Qinling Youth

Ambassador has also grown in media

attention and regional participation.

More than 6 national media followed

the activities for special coverage

on the project. Staff and students

from prestigious schools as far as

Tsinghua University in Beijing,

Fudan University in Shanghai and

Macao University were among

the volunteers. Additionally, on

WWF’s website calling nationwide

volunteers, nearly 5000 participants

competed for only 10 openings to

qualify for the event. Immediately

after the event, hundreds of

individual stories and thousands

of photographs were submitted by

volunteers to WWF, which is also

shared online with thousands of

public.

As a result of this year’s effort, the

Qinling Youth Ambassadors visited

1,000 rural families, conducted

systematic analysis of over 1,000

socio-economic surveys; provided

over 20 agricultural trainings for

over a thousand residents. A team of

experts named the “Doctoral Team,”

also went into 4 Qinling reserves

to conduct meeting with locals and

resolve agricultural problems.

Top: Qinling Youth Ambassadors going to the wetland. Top: Ambassadors in the farewell party with community kids.Bottom: Ambassadors crossing river for community survey. Bottom: Ambassadors interacting with school kids.

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PANDA SCOUTS TRIP TO HEIZHUGOU NATURE RESERVEPhoto Story 1: The Beautiful Sichuan Heizhugou Provincial Nature Reserve

Heizhugou Provincial Nature Reserve was established in 1997. It is located in Ebian Yi Autonomous County in Liangshan Mountain for 30,000 ha forests. According to The 3rd National Giant Panda Survey (1999-2003), there are 115 pandas in Liangshan Mountain, 7.21% of the total wild population in China. However, the Liangshan Mountain is the most fragmented giant panda habitats.

Heizhugou Nature Reserve is the most concentrated Liangshan panda population with the highest density. 33 pandas take 28.7% of the total Liangshan population inside the reserve and another 15 distributed closely around reserve. Therefore, Heizhugou Nature Reserve protects 48 pandas and their habitats. The reserve is in center area of the 7 other natural reserves of Liangshan Mountain, acting as the key connecting zone. The reserve has 30 staff working in Heizhugou, Juemo

and Lewu three protection stations doing patrolling and monitoring, scientifi c research and protection communication andeducation in the reserve and in surrounding communities. From October 23 to 27, 2011, 4 Panda Scouts, recruited by WWF had a trip to Heizhugou Nature Reserve with Hu Haiquan, a famous Chinese singer from the band “Yuquan” for a real life experience on wild animal monitoring and patrolling.

Giant panda habitat in Heizhugou Nature Reserve. © Jiang Zeyin.

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Photo Story 2: Crack Troop Training for the Field Work

In order to help scouts effectively fi nish their task in the next couple of days, WWF prepared a comprehensive training for them. WWF introduced in detail the existing challenges for wild giant pandas and the efforts have made. Patrollers in Heizhugou Nature Reserve also prepared GPS and infrared camera courses as well as training on identifi cation of wild animals and plants. When training infrared camera using, the “Bean”, patroller Chen Xuefeng

patiently taught Hu Haiquan the secret on installing the camera, “there are lots of tricks in installing the infrared camera. We need to select different spot, height and inducer for different animals. If you want to take pictures of big and middle sized mammals, the camera should be installed in their way that they often walk through. The level height should be 40-70cm and cover the camera with special smelling agent to attract the animal. And, then wait them to come! ” Starting from 2007, WWF has been supporting six

reserves, including Heizhugou, in using infrared cameras for fi eld monitor. Giant pandas, Ailurus fulgens, Budorcas taxicolor, red fox, black bear, Temminck’s Tragopan and many other rare wild animals were captured by the cameras. The infrared camera monitoring project not only enriches the baseline data for NRs, it also refl ects the animals’ distribution and activity situation after combined with investigations and analysis. And with all these information, it can provide visual evidence to make better conservation strategies.

A ranger training Hu Haiquan for infrared camera use for capturing pandas. © Jiang Zeyin.

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sharing meeting, “we have to make a tent with tarpaulin at nights so that people can sleep in it. Winter is the hardest time, neither you lie down nor sleep on side, you feel freezing all the time; and sometimes, we have to keep sitting straight to sleep over night”.

Panda scouts up to the mountains. © Luo Xingbi.

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Photo Story 4: Finding Panda’s Droppings

When the scouts climbed up a 80° slope, they found excrement, food and sleeping traces of giant panda in the bamboo forest at the elevation of 2,800.

“Here must be panda’s ‘bedroom’!”

“I think it is living room!”

“It might be the place where it meets its beloved one!” Hu Haiquan laid himself on the place with sleeping traces of the panda when he was talking to

the others with a big smile on his face: “Just imagine two pandas-in-love lying here, enjoying the quiet beautiful night with millions of starts in the sky.” Though the scouts didn’t see pandas during their trip, fi nding of its excrement and traces is just as exciting as meeting it in person, everyone wish the giant pandas live happily in the forest. However, the wild giant pandas have to face lots of challenges nowadays. Habitat degeneration, fragmentation and lose and other factors have divided the giant pandas into 18 separated

small groups. At the same time, fi rewood cutting, bamboo shoot collecting, poaching, animal grazing,unsustainable none-timber forest products collection,etc, together with new challenges of the massive infrastructures construction, extreme natural disasters, climate change also coming on the way threat giant pandas . The situation is harsh and there are still 1/2 habitat and 1/3 population of the giant panda in danger and cannot have effective protection.

This is a giant panda’s bedroroom. © Li Geng.

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Photo Story 5: Alternative livelihoods for Three Wins

In order to deal with a series of threatens and challenges, the Chinese government, WWF and other organizations and institutes have strived on great effort in the past decades. WWF’s work on biodiversity conservation and patrolling in giant panda natural reserves in China can be dated back to year 1996. Ever since then, WWF have been providing trainings, funds and equipments as well as attentively cooperation with natural reserves on multiple alternative livelihood projects that including beekeeping, energy-saving stove promotion, bio-gas, micro hydro power station and sustainable collection on medinal plants. Around Heizhugou Natural Reserve, there are 4 Yi minority towns: Lewu, Haqu, Heizhugou and

Juemo. According to 2009 statistics, there are totally 17 villages and about 3,100 households in the area. Villagers have been living on mountain for generations. They have very limited income and comparatively low living standard. Before the liberation, many villagers made their living by traditional agriculture, hunting, herb and bamboo shoot collection. Since 1988, the Chinese government has gradually enforced “National Forest Protection Project”, “Wildlife conservation Project” and “Grain for Green Project”. For counties in forest area which were used to get their main income from wood products, the local fi nance and villagers have less and less income from wood in the forest. WWF launched alternative livelihood projects in villages around the Heizhugou NR. The new bee-keeping project

helps the local villagers to make money in an relatively energy saving way. Now, the leading beekeeper, Qubie Kuahu can make an annual income of about 50,000 RMB and have more than 10 households under his guide to keep bees and earn money. WWF’s energy-saving stove project are also highly praised by the villagers. In the time before, a pot of water need to burn 5kg big dry wood for about 30 minutes to be boiled, but now with energy-saving stove, 2.5 small dry branches and 15 minutes would be enough. The living standard of the villager has been improved while the consumption of the natural resource can be reduced and wild animals would have little disturbances from human activities. This kind three-wins situation is the real harmony that we are aiming at.

Qubieguahu, a beekeeping pioneer in Jiawa villager, shares his beekeeping experiences. © Jiang Zeyin.

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Photo Story 6: Yi Villagers’ Panda Story

“Pandas often visit our village”, Shama Yuanbu, one villager told scouts about his encounter with a giant panda, “once a panda came down from mountain and went into one of our neighbor’s sheepfold. It killed one sheep and ate it. We stood outside and watched. No one dared to scare it. It is so precious! When the time got late in the evening, it seemed to stay overnight and wandered in the sheepfold. We guessed it must be thirsty and the home owner used a rope to

hang a pot of water from the roof and lowed down to panda. The panda immediately drank out al water. With a wonderful meal and drink, it lay down and slept in the sheepfold so satisfi ed. But we began to worry that it might feel cold at night and we throw a quilt into the sheepfold. Just like a baby, it took the quilt and put it under his butt and fell asleep. The next morning, before we got up, the panda left quietly. ” Stories like this happen occasionally in Heizhugou. Through years of work on awareness raising and

education, the villagers now have all formed the habit to inform the reserve staff at the fi rst time once they found a giant panda. Then reserve staff would check the scene and analyze whether the panda is healthy or need further help on rescue before they take any action. “Now our life is getting better and better and we all love and cherish the wild animals in this place. We are lucky to live so close to them. We will protect them so that people can see them when they come here.”

Yi villagers talking about a panda’s vitit to their village. © Jiang Zeyin.

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Photo Story 7: What Can We Do to Pandas?

Yi villagers and giant pandas are living in the same mountain, they protect the panda in their own ways, which made the scouts couldn’t help thinking about what we can do as people live in big cities. And a drastic discussion was aroused.

“Enterprises should take more social responsibility and give

more fi nancial support to wild giant panda conservation.”

“As media, we should use our pen and camera to promote giant panda conservation and inviting more people to join us!”

“As consumers, we can give more support to giant panda-friendly products from the communities.”

“Print on both sides of the paper!”

“Reduce the usageof disposable tableware and toiletries”

… ...

Everyone devote their ideas and opinions for giant panda protection that they can do in every moment in their future life. We believe that if you will, you can make their your contribution for wild giant panda conservation.

Handing together to protect giant pandas. © Jiang Zeyin.

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Chritaan van der Hoeven vists panda

Chritiaan van der Hoeven, Advisor Ecological Networks & Species Conservation, WWF-Netherlands, visited Qinling project site during August 22-30, 2011. The purpose of this visit was to review WWF’s work in the Qinling Mountains over the past 10 years and provide suggestions for the next step project implementation and operation. Also, Christiaan met with key stakeholders including Shaanxi Forestry Department, Shaanxi Forestry Design and Survey Institutes, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, etc, and visited the pilot sites in the fi eld. Chritiaan van der Hoeven also visited Beijing Offi ce for national panda policies.

Chritiaan van der Hoeven talking with Fan Zhiyong, Director of Species Programme, WWF China. Photo by Chang Youde.

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Legal text here ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat c culpa qui offi cia dese. wwf.org.uk

Why we are here

www.panda.org

To stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment andto build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

• THE GREEN HEART OF CHINA PROGRAMME • JULY - SEPTEMBER 2011 WWW.WWFCHINA.ORG

COMMUNICATORSChang Youde, Room 1609, Wen Hua Gong, Beijing Working People’s Culture Palace, Beijing, P.R. China. Post Code: 100006

Tel: +86 10 6511 6221, Fax: +86 10 6511 6222, Email: ydchang@wwfchina.org

Zhao Jinna, Room 539, Xi Ge Ma Building, No.18 South Feng Hui Road, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R.China. Post Code: 710075

Tel: +86 29 6263 1251 Ext. 807, Fax: +86 29 6263 1252-803, Email: jnzhao@wwfchina.org

Luo Xingbi, Room 603, Wu Ding Yuan Shan Yang Zuo, No. 100 Bei Er Duan, Yi Huan Lu, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. Post Code: 610081

Tel: +86 28 6800 3625 Ext. 811, Fax: +86 28 8319 9466-808, Email: xbluo@wwfchina.org

REVIEWERSLiu Xiaohai, Head of Xi’an Programme Offi ce, Room 539, Xi Ge Ma Building, No. 18 South Feng Hui Road, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China. Post Code: 710075

Tel: +86 29 626 31251 Ext. 804, Fax: +86 29 62631252-803, Email: xhliu@wwfchina.org

Li Ye, Head of Chengdu Programme Offi ce, Room 603, Wu Ding Yuan Shan Yang Zuo, No. 100 Bei Er Duan, Yi Huan Lu, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. Post Code: 610081

Tel: +86 28 6800 3625 Ext. 811, Fax: +86 28 8319 9466-808, Email: lli@wwfchina.org

Ling Lin, Deputy Conservation Director for Biodiversity and Operations. Room 603, Wu Ding Yuan Shan Yang Zuo, No. 100 Bei Er Duan, Yi Huan Lu, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. Post Code: 610081

Tel: +86 28 6800 3625 Ext. 811, Fax: +86 28 8319 9466-808, Email: lling@wwfchina.org

Dr. Zhu Chunquan, Conservation Director for Biodiversity and Operations. Room 1609, Wen Hua Gong, Beijing Working People’s Culture Palace, Beijing, P.R. China. Post Code: 100006

Tel: +86 10 6511 6266, Fax: +86 10 6511 6222, Email: chqzhu@wwfchina.org

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSSpecial thanks to WWF Netherlands, WWF-Switzerland, Fondazione Zegna and EU for their fi nancial supports to the Qinling Project Phase III, WWF UK, WWF US, WWF Germany and WWF Sweden for their fi nancial supports of Minshan Initiative, and WWF Netherlands, WWF UK, WWF US, WWF Germany, WWF Sweden, WWF Switzerl and WWF Canada for their supports of The Green Heart of China Programme. Sincere thanks to WWF Network and WWF-US Humanitarian Partnership Programme for making efforts to post-disaster reconstruction plans.