Environmentalists raise awareness of Nanling National Forest Park

When nature lovers found some virgin forest in Guangdong's Nanling National Forest Park destroyed, they confronted a developer, winning an admission of culpability. The environmentalists maintained their PR momentum by recruiting the Nanling Discoverers to raise awareness. Yang Heng, a 26-year-old botanist, explains a nature education programme that the developer now helps fund.

Most are university students or graduates who love nature. The programme includes field trips to the reserve to catalogue the area's biodiversity. Botanical researchers provide briefings for the amateur nature lovers and professional photographers who document the flora and fauna of Nanling. So far, over 200 discoverers have joined field trips since the programme was launched last summer. There are also free public lectures.

Nanling refers to the mountains that border Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. The range forms a natural barrier to shield southern China from the cold northern winters. Guangdong's second largest water catchment is in the reserve. Until the 1980s, it was home to the South China tiger and leopards, but they're all gone due to destruction of habitats. The area is now a protected reserve but there are few large animals, although insects and small mammals are abundant.

The contractor failed to remove many rocks and sand properly, dumping material and destroying parts of the forest. The developer - Dongyangguang - blamed the contractor. Under pressure, the company admitted it failed to supervise the construction. It provided funds for restoration and replanting of trees. However, as the original rich topsoil was removed, many tree seedlings have already died. Restoration of this kind takes a long time. After criticism from NGOs and media, the company now agrees that protecting the environment is important for their business.