Liaoning couple foster forest in mountains
The Luling Mountains in Jinzhou, Liaoning province, used to be a desolate area without even a single tree.
Now, it is a leafy paradise for birds, and tourists are flocking in.
The huge transformation has occurred thanks to the consistent efforts of Tian Wangui, 67, and his wife Lu Min, 63, over nearly half a century.
In 1982, the couple contracted the land-use rights of the two mountains near their home. They planned to plant fruit trees in the mountains to make a living.
“Back then, the mountains were desolate with no trees at all,” Lu recalled.
To help seedlings they planted survive in the barren land, they had to carry water to the mountains on their backs, she said. They also bought whatever seeds were available from a nearby forest farm and sprinkled them every spring, hoping to afforest the mountains.
With such an extensive planting method, however, they initially failed to see many seeds take root in the barren soil.
But the couple didn’t give up.
“If they didn’t grow out, we would have simply kept sowing seeds the second year. We were determined to transform the desolate mountains,” she said.
The couple’s perseverance finally paid off. They discovered that some tree species were tough enough to survive, including pine and mulberry.
Now, more than 50,000 trees of over 20 species cover the land they contracted, following their consistent efforts to sow tree seeds year after year.
Their afforestation effort has cost them not only a lot of time, but also a great deal of money. The couple used proceeds from fruit sales to fund the effort.
“It has been so long, and we have spent so much money that I have lost count,” Tian said. “But it was all worth it to witness the mountains turning green.”
As the mountains became lush, Tian and Lu were charged with a new task — patrolling their nearly 67 hectares of forest every day to prevent fires. The patrol even didn’t stop on the eve of last year’s Chinese Lunar New Year. Instead of watching the CCTV Spring Festival Gala on Jan 21 like most Chinese, the couple went to patrol the mountains with the families of their son and daughter. Many people set off fireworks to mark the arrival of the new year, so the holiday is a time when they have to stay vigilant against fire hazards, Tian said.
The couple has also welcomed some unexpected winged visitors since the turn of the century.
In the spring of 2000, several egrets and herons came to the mountains and took advantage of a nearby reservoir, and they didn’t leave until the weather turned cold.
Egrets and herons are often recognized as environmental monitors, as they have very strict requirements for environmental conditions in their habitats.
More birds have come in the ensuing years. Currently, the number of birds that inhabit the two mountains during the warm period every year stands at around 2,000.
Last year, local authorities named the mountains “Luling” — which literally means “the mountains herons inhabit” — as tourists kept pouring in, lured by the trees and rare birds.
The couple has no plans to quit their work, and they hope their children will follow in their footsteps.
“We cherish the mountains and trees as we cherish our own children,” Lu said. “Even as we grow old, they will continue to guard the woods and watch over the birds.”