Ecological protection rangers safeguard China's natural heritage

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and the 10th anniversary of China's national park system reform.

At a press conference of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) on Thursday, deputy director Sun Hongyan of NFGA's Department of Protected Areas noted that the country's national park system has moved to systematic coordination and full-scale advancement.

As the World Ranger Day is observed on July 31, we celebrate the professional ranger corps that have become a cornerstone of biodiversity protection.

Sun Hongyan stated that the first five national parks recruited nearly 50,000 local residents as ecological protection rangers, each earning over 10,000 yuan (about $1,400) extra annually, and helping to drive eco-tourism and wellness industries.

Jiri Manek, former director of the Czech Republic's Sumava National Park, observed that China lets residents become "the mainstay of protection," enabling them to realize their own value while safeguarding nature.

At Sanjiangyuan National Park in the hinterland of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, the "one ranger per household" policy, with each family having one ecological ranger, employs 21,432 ecological protection rangers for the park. Northwest China's Qinghai Province has created 145,100 public-interest conservation posts, distributing more than 1.7 billion yuan in subsidies in 2024 and engaging 44,800 herders and farmers in the ecosystem restoration work.

In Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, the network grew from 7,530 households with rangers in 2023 to 7,874 in 2024 – each receiving 10,000 yuan (about $1,400) annually. In southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, 516,000 ecological posts have been added between 2016 and 2024, underpinning both ecological conservation and rural incomes.

Technology continues to boost rangers' work efficiency. In Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, the integrated monitoring system has logged over 26,000 instances of detecting Siberian tigers and over 34,000 of Amur leopards, issuing more than 20,000 human-conflict warnings.

In southwest China's Yunnan Province, facial recognition AI is used to identify elephants, monkeys and peafowls. An Asian elephant alert app has been developed to ensure precise flagship-species monitoring. The public can track elephant herds in real time via the dedicated app, seamlessly linking technology with community to protect China's natural heritage.

At south China's Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, infrared monitoring and drone patrols have helped the critically endangered Hainan gibbon population to increase from 35 to 42. The critically endangered Magnolia sinica (huagaimu), initially recorded in Yunnan with only six trees, has now expanded to approximately 15,000 individuals.

Through professional team-building and innovative technology, China's ecological protection rangers have forged a robust shield for ecological civilization.

(Cover: Rangers work at a desertification control site in Zhangye, Gansu Province, northwest China, August 27, 2024. /VCG)