China – Generation Change

Eco-tourism in China

mueserk — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 13:48:44 +0000

Xiao Zuo, outdoor adventurer and entrepreneur, represents a growing number of young Chinese interested in exploring their country’s wild places.

Since founding the 54 Traveler tourism company with her husband, she’s organized countless outdoor trips, always emphasizing responsible travel guidelines, like packing out trash and respect for local communities.

Xiao Zuo says she hopes the people who join her excursions will become invested in protecting China’s environment. China’s government has vowed to address environmental concerns after taking a growth-at-all-costs approach during the country’s economic opening.

Listen to the report by Ruth Morris in Hangzhou, China:

Eco-tourism in China

Xiao Zuo combines tourism with environmental protection (Photo: Glen Fu)

Xiao Zuo works together with her husband, Glen Fu (Photo: Glen Fu)

Keeping Gansu green

admin — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:31:45 +0000

Gansu province in western China is poor, polluted and parched. After 29-year-old Zhao Zhong survived a serious climbing accident, he decided to dedicate himself to preserving Gansu. He founded the environment protection organization, Green Camel Bell and also publicized the water pollution map to raise awareness among residents of just how pollution their region had become.

Listen to the report by Ruth Morris in Gansu, China:

Keeping Gansu green

Zhao Zhong’s life was changed by a dangerous climbing accident

Empowering Chinese kids with books

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:58:08 +0000

Mao Ju, 29, was concerned when she found out that many Chinese children don’t read for fun. She founded a free library in Beijing, for migrant children in particular, to help them discover the pleasure of reading. She involves the kids in the management of the library and encourages them to express their own opinions on the library blog.

Listen to the report by Gaia Manco in Beijing:

Empowering Chinese kids with books

Mao Jugoes over the blog with a young helper

A young reader in Beijing

A glimpse into the small library

The kids enjoyed reading with reporter Gaia Manco, too

Check out the blog that the kids at the library write every day.

Saving Sea Turtles in Hainan

Shant Shahrigian — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:25:30 +0000

Frederick Yeh is an American-Chinese biomedical engineer who was driven into conservation work on a trip back to Hainan to visit family. He had happy memories of Hainan’s Sea Turtles from early childhood, but was shocked to discover that locals – who were hard up against the realities of a struggling fishing industry – were selling the turtles and no one was doing anything about it.

Check out the report by Jennifer Dunn in Hainan:

Saving endangered Sea Turtles in Hainan

Sea Turtles face threats like fishing nets, pollution and poaching.

Frederick founded the organization Sea Turtles 911.

If you want to know more about Frederick’s work, you can visit seaturtles.org.