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(cont.)
Hainan Gibbon
Nomascus hainanus |
Linking up the conservation community
Central to the team's conservation awareness-raising
function has been Living Forests, appearing twice-yearly
since 2000. This was always aimed at a tricky target
group: the diffuse community of conservationists (active
and potential) in the region, comprising government
officials with varying degrees of interest in conservation,
along with dedicated academics and others. We wanted
to help fill a communication gap to unite these disparate
individuals, provide them with valuable information, ideas
and motivation, and entice them to share perspectives.83
The latter proved challenging particularly for officials, not
all of whom are free with their opinions; still, we have
found a flow of conservationists willing to share their
concerns and reflections,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93 and pay tribute
to inspirational colleagues.94,95 An extra challenge was our
own cultural "handicap" of being based in Hong Kong,
with a different set of assumptions and jargon to Mainland
counterparts; we were also uncertain how to pitch it in
terms of technical level. Through feedback we found most
readers valued ecological detail, including wildlife records,
96,97,98,99,100,101,102,103 and have tried to reflect this without
creating another academic journal. Original articles have
been supplemented with a rich stream of excerpts from
previously published reflections,104,105,106,107,108,109,110,111,
112,113,114,115,116,117,118 while readers have rated some of the
Team's own articles119,120,121 among their favourites. Since
Issue 6 we have gone in depth each time into a topical
theme, and this has been welcomed by readers.122,123 We
have also added other features including interviews with
conservation pioneers124,125,126 and spotlights on regional
fauna and flora.127,128,129,130,131,132 We acknowledge the
past contributions of editorial team members, including Vicky Lam and Norris (Rosario) Ng, to the magazine's development. We envisage greatly improving the online accessibility of Living Forests, past and present, and limiting circulation of the paper version.
Various publications are released on a regular basis to promote nature conservation |
Boosting ecological capacity
A guiding theme of the Programme and of KFBG
has been to promote ecology, the science of where
organisms live (and for our own capacity in this
science we acknowledge a debt to The University of
Hong Kong's Division of Ecology and Biodiversity,
and particularly Professors Richard Corlett and David
Dudgeon). From our start in 1998 it was evident that the
craft of field biology was in crisis in China. The average
age of skilled field biologists was increasing, and young
scientists were drawn to "safer" hi-tech disciplines; it was
becoming difficult to find scholars who could identify
species in the field, or "view their native countryside
with appreciation and understanding" (a crisis noted
in 1940s North America by Aldo Leopold133). Our
KFBG Studentships tried to help fill this gap, supporting
dedicated postgraduates in their studies on ecological
subjects especially built on fieldwork, and often helping
them tighten the conservation focus of the projects.
Almost 40 students have been supported to date, of whom
at least 20 successful graduates are currently employed
in the field or engaged in further research. Besides this
primary "product", of better-informed scientists, the
studies have led to a range of outputs, on mammals
134,135,136,137,138,139,140 birds,141,142 plants,143,144,145,146,147,148,149,150,151 invertebrates,152,153,154,155,156,157,158 amphibians,159
fishes160,161,162,163 and reptiles.164,165,166,167,168,73,169,170 Thus the region's field and ecological capacity has been bolstered, though a shortage remains. Increasingly we have supported studies supporting other programme goals, to enhance our interactions with the students.
Resource managers too have been in need of a technical
boost. Besides working with reserve staff at key sites (see
below), along with KFBG Fauna Dept. staff we have
organised or supported training of enforcement officers
in Hong Kong and Guangdong. We have sought to direct
the fruits of international and national experience to
South China on key areas such as ecological recovery,171
monitoring and research,172,173,92 nature tourism174 and
integrating ecology into policy.175 The first edition of our
book on managing South China's forests for biodiversity176 is being translated and will, we hope, become a useful source for management and training throughout the region. Since English proficiency is beneficial to conservation staff in various ways, and since there is much miscommunication between colleagues inside and outside China, we have also helped Yunnan Forestry Department produce guidelines (in Chinese) on editing English for forest conservation.177
Action on the ground
As the thrust of our programme moved from information gathering to action, we refined strategies to address "driver" problems of societal sustainability as well as "symptoms" of direct conflict with nature, and promote KFBG's broader mission of increasing environmental awareness.178 The broader China Programme (CP) required a full-time head, and Michael Lau was duly appointed. In 2004
we were joined in CP by Idy Wong to spearhead the
new sustainability direction, subsequently transferred to a
separate Department of Sustainable Living and Agriculture.
While KFBG's crystallising strategic directions - sustainable
living, compassion for nature and conservation impact
- suffuse all its programmes, CP retains its conservation
emphasis.
With an area of 500km2, Yinggeling Nature Reserve is currently the largest reserve in Hainan
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Our early direct conservation actions had been somewhat
ad hoc, supporting others' initiatives; they included support
for the experimental native tree nursery at Zengcheng,
Guangdong,179 fencing to protect the habitats of Crocodile
Lizards at Dayaoshan, Guangxi,180 and helping villagers
at Guangxi's Mulun Nature Reserve buy more fuel efficient
stoves (reducing pressure on the forest). For more
effective conservation we knew we would need sustained
involvement in particular areas. The new CP has worked
mostly in Hainan,181,182 encouraged by the welcome of
our partners the Hainan Wildlife Conservation Centre in
the provincial Forestry Department.183 At their invitation
we have proudly contributed to the creation of the great
Yinggeling Nature Reserve protecting the island's forest
heartlands.184 Besides spawning a host of biodiversit
findings 185,186,187,188,189,190,191,192,193 we continue to work
closely alongside the reserve's new management team,
where Bosco Chan is now a part-time seconded special
deputy director. Training of the new staff is ongoing. At
Bawangling we were invited to convene a partnership
to conserve the Critically Endangered Hainan Gibbon;
besides organising a comprehensive population survey
and international conservation workshop in 2003,194
we have helped the reserve and scientists fund and
implement many of the agreed priority actions,195 such
as improved patrolling and monitoring, expansion of
habitat, understanding habitat use and early steps toward
community engagement.196,197 Elsewhere a project led
by Ng Sai Chit to study and conserve the island's karst
ecosystems198,199 has initiated protection of the important
forest of Exianling, while further studies on wetlands and
forests have added to the authorities' understanding of
priority sites.200,201 To spark and reward more proactive
engagement from reserve staff, last year we launched a
new grant scheme aimed at them, and the first successful
projects, from 38 applicants in 25 reserves island-wide, are
under way.
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