Hey there! Have you ever thought about how nature and people can team up to make the world a better place? 🌍 Well, let’s journey to Qinghai, a province in the Chinese mainland, where amazing things are happening!
Saving Special Fish and Happy Birds 🐟🐦
At the sparkling Qinghai Lake, there lives a special fish called the naked carp. This little swimmer makes up over 90% of the lake’s fish and is super important because it’s the main food for birds like brown-headed gulls. But guess what? Years ago, too much fishing made the naked carp almost disappear!
So, the people decided to help. In 2001, they stopped fishing the naked carp to let them recover. And it worked! Now, there are tons more naked carp swimming happily. This also helped the birds and even an endangered animal called the Przewalski’s gazelle. Now, there are around 3,400 gazelles running around! Isn’t that cool? 🦌
Guardians of the Lake 🛡️
Local people like Dorje Tsomo became ecological rangers. That means they help protect nature! She carries a camera to take pictures of changes around the lake and learns all about the birds. Villagers even help by reporting injured birds so they can be cared for. Together, they’re making sure Qinghai Lake is a safe and happy place for all its creatures.
Villages Becoming Visitor Spots 🏡✨
Nearby, there’s a place called Dekyi Village. It’s right next to Kanbula, a special geopark recognized by UNESCO. What’s a geopark? It’s a place with really cool rocks and landscapes. 🗻 The villagers have started homestays and agritourism, which means visitors can stay with them and learn about their way of life. This helps the villagers earn money while sharing their culture!
Last year, a villager named Jorgyi earned over 70,000 yuan (that’s nearly $10,000!) from these activities. That’s a big help for their community.
Sheep Under Solar Panels? Yes! 🐑☀️
In Gonghe County, there’s a giant solar power park. But it’s not just solar panels. Between the panels, grass grows, and under them, sheep graze! This clever idea means they’re making clean energy and helping the land. The sheep are happy munching on grass, and herders like Zhao Guofu have doubled their income. Now, he has about 800 sheep!
This way, the land has become green again, with vegetation covering 80% of the area. It’s a win-win for energy and the environment.
Learning from Each Other 🌐
Visitors from other countries, like Japan and Spain, came to Qinghai to see all these amazing things. They were impressed by how everyone is working together to protect nature and help communities thrive. They hope to take some of these ideas back to their own countries.
Qinghai’s story shows us that when people care about nature and work together, incredible things can happen. Maybe one day, you’ll come up with a brilliant idea to help our planet too! 🌿
Reference(s):
NW China's Qinghai pioneers green growth with ecology-first strategy
cgtn.com
