与鹤共舞

Trip to China
As part of education activity
Related to ICF project “Three White Cranes, Two Flyways, and the One World”And UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetland Project

 The idea to visit China schools developed by Kang Yung and supported by Jim Harris during my visit of International Crane Foundation and schools in Wisconsin in March, 2007, was realized in November, 2007.

Field work in Momoge Nature Reserve

My trip to China started from field work in Momoge Nature Reserve in Jilin Province. We reached Momoge on October, 19, and saw there many Siberian Cranes, stopped for several days on their fall migration from Yakutian tundra to Poyang Lake in southwestern China, to have rest and food before continuing their long way. One day we could to count up to 1600 Siberian Cranes!

To see them closer, we used the tent to hide in it. So we could see the Cranes sometimes from the distance just 50 meters! One from as, Sergey, was first who could hear as one Siberian Crane vocalized very clear as “ky-ta-lyk,  ky-ta-lyk, ky-ta-lyk…” You know, in Yakutian language Siberian Crane is sounds like “kytalyk”. But in Yakutia it is very hard to hear clearly Crane’s voice, - in tundra, at summer, at the breeding season, cranes are very shy, and each pair keeps far away from other. But in Momoge we could see crowded Siberian Cranes. Sometimes they had small fights for the best place on their shallow lake, where they foraged for water plants roots from sunrise to sunset.

School in Panjin

In November, 8, we are: Jim Harris, Fion Cheung, Elena Ilyashenko, and me, were leaded by Director of Panjin Nature reserve, to visit school in Panjin.

We have met school director and teachers. They showed for as the students beautiful arts related to wildlife conservation and protection. Not just arts, but also related newspaper, and articles in periodical by students. This school support interrelation with students from Japan –we could see art of young Japanese, too.   Especially, we were excited with movie created by one student. It was the movie about Panjin.

We saw Panjin wildlife, people, buildings… We learned of many things in Panjin own to this film! It was made so professionally –we were surprised it was created by so young author!   

We were very happy to see him after movie seeing! Elena Ilyashenko presented to him the beautiful bandana with flying Siberian Cranes. I presented to him the Yakutian badge with boy and crane.

Then, we went to classroom. We enjoyed there by great presentation of the boy and girl, supported by all boys and girls in the classroom.

Later, we ourselves had presentations for students. We talked them - students in China and Yakutia share with Siberian Cranes the same countries. In summer cranes breed in Yakutia, and they spent winter in China. We think that Siberian Crane may integrate students in China and Yakutia. When students became adult people, they will protect wetlands used by cranes in China and Yakutia. But now students can start to communicate. Elena Ilyashenko and I played with children special “crane games”. 

Students prepared their small gifts for Yakutian students – cranes in little pictures! I also left in this classroom arts from Yakutian students.

We were very pleased to see as disciplined this students, as they cleaver, as they educated, and they were really interested with our visit, and we could feel their hospitality.  We were happy to visit this school. Thank to all students, and to teachers!

School in surrounds of Xianghai Nature Reserve

On November, 9-10, we: Elena Ilyashenko and me, leaded by Yang Jun, Research Director of Xianghai Nature Reserve, and Zhang Juan, had meeting with the director and teachers of two school. We could see that teachers are so attentive to ecological education of student. One from young teachers, in the school where most of the students are Mongolian, is so talent –she can create crane art herself. We agreed to arrange regular mail correspondence between Chinese and Yakutian students, because students in both countries sometimes may have difficulties with Internet access. The only language students can to communicate is English, so, we believe that the teachers of English language may help to students in this communication.

On walls of this school we could see the stories in pictures made by students. These stories happened with cranes in result of interrelation with people. Some stories had good end, but some were sad-ended. These students are aware of their responsibility for wildlife around them. It is much more easily to aware with such educators around them. Even the school fence is decorated with cranes!

Zhang Juan rewarded teachers with the special Certificate from Beijing Brooks Education Center.  And two schools were rewarded by special tables what means the interrelation and supporting by ICF, BBEC, and XNR. 

The next schoolstudents we visited was school in Xianghai Nature Reserve, 10^th November. In the classroom we met with students from different classes. I showed them ppt about Yakutia and education activities there. These students were so sympathetic - many students said they would be happy to communicate with Yakutian students! After ppt show, we like actors and actresses, played roles of Siberian Cranes. We played conflict between the crane breeding pairs and the crane introducer. All actors and actresses where rewarded with crane bandanas and badges. One from actress played her own “Crane Dance”. She was gracious like a real crane!

Then, the students enjoyed with “crane games” suggested by Elena Ilyashenko. It was really fun, and also, students could feel as real birds. Some of them played roles of migrating cranes and they met with “Threats” (other several students). “Migrating cranes” should to run very fast from “breeding ground, Yakutia” (place marked by one from adults) to “wintering ground, China” (other place marked by other adult), and they should try do not be captured by “Threats” as “poachers”, “lead poison”, “fires”, “power lines”.

Work in Beijing Brooks Education Center and in Tianjin school

On November, 12-13, Zhang Juan and I visited BBEC. We had useful discussion with Zhou Wei who works with www.trackingcranes website, on possibility to link Yakutian information by Russian, and to let Russian-languaged Yakutian children to be more involved to tracking cranes, and to create wonderful communication between Chinese, American, Russian, and Yakutian students.   

On November, 14, we had meeting in Tianjin school with the best educators, who is really interesting and work in sphere of ecological education. Again I could see the high level of education work in China. We shared with ppts shows. Also, during a break between lessons, two students - the boy and the girl presented for as ecological show. It was like environmental poem, very fun and very cleaver.

In all Chinese school we could see that teachers very successfully educate children on the main environmental conservation problems, like lacking of wood and water resources, and ways of the problems solving (i.e. do not use wood for chopsticks producing). It is absolutely clear that students do not just pronounce nature conservation words but can feel all this by their hearts. I think we need to learn more from Chinese educators how to involve students in nature and wildlife saving in the best ways.