1 .

The day starts early for Tang Shengli, a bird protection volunteer in Lanshan county, Yongzhou, Hunan province. At about 5 am, the 60-year-old is in uniform and ready to start his day’s work protecting and recording migratory (迁徙的) birds. Located on the northern side of the Nanling Mountains, Lanshan is an important passageway for migratory birds. From September to December every year, more than 240 species of migratory birds fly from Siberia to Australia via Hunan. In the past 10 years, Tang has recorded more than 120 species of such birds with his camera. “The flight calls of the migratory birds at night attract me so much that I cannot sleep. All I want to do is get up and record them,” Tang says.

When Tang joined the Hunan provincial bird protection organization in 2013, he knew he faced a tough task. Numerous migratory birds were lost each year as a result of killing and illegal trade. At that time, poachers (偷猎者) lit up the hillside to attract the birds there and hunt them. Some nights hundreds of birds would be killed or caught, remembers Liao Changgui, an official with the local forestry bureau.

By day, Tang distributes brochures to villagers in Lanshan to raise public awareness of bird protection, while at night, he goes deep into the wilderness to tackle illegal hunting. “Many villagers didn’t think bird hunting was illegal, and some made a living from it. Our work has affected their business,” Tang explains, adding his wife was threatened at their home in order to stop him doing his work.

To stop poaching, in October 2012, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration issued a notice to prevent the illegal hunting of migratory birds. In December that year, the Hunan provincial government promised to fight against poaching and establish a bird monitoring and protection system. So far, 43 migratory bird protection stations have been built across the province, covering almost all key points on the passageway. In 2020, a “lights out” program started in Lanshan county to prevent the birds from being distracted (使分心).

On Nov 1, the Hunan provincial government issued a ban on hunting migratory birds and other wildlife listed under national and provincial protection. Nationwide, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration is carrying out a two-month special action plan to strengthen patrols and remove illegal hunting equipment in national parks, nature reserves and bird migration routes across the country.

3 . A new device could save lives by sounding an alarm when children or pets are left alone in vehicles (车辆).

Developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo, the device uses radar technology and artificial intelligence(AI)to detect unattended children or animals with 100% accuracy.

Small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, the device is designed to be attached to a vehicle’s rear-view mirror (后视镜). It sends out radar signals that are reflected back by people, animals and objects in the vehicle. Built-in Al then analyzes the reflected signals.

“It solves a serious problem,” said George Shaker, an engineering professor at Waterloo. “The device is so affordable that it could become standard equipment in all vehicles.”

Analysis by the device determines the number of people and their location in a vehicle. That information could be used to set rates (费用) for ride-sharing services, or to qualify vehicles for car-pool lanes (共乘车道).

In primary purpose, however, is to detect when a child or a pet has been left behind by accident, a situation that can result in serous harm or death in extremely hot or cold weather. In such cases, the system would prevent vehicle doors from locking and sound an alarm to remind the driver, passengers and other people in the area that there is a problem.

“Unlike cameras, this device preserves privacy and it doesn’t have any blind spots because radar can get through seats to determine if there is a child in a rear-facing car seat,” said Shaker.

Small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, the device can recognize differences between living beings and inanimate (无生命的) objects by detecting breathing movements.

Researchers are now exploring the use to watch the signs of drivers for distraction, illnesses or other issues.

4 . An earthquake hit Turkey and Syria last month. Over 40,000 people lost their lives in the natural disaster, and that number is expected to climb. But people are staying strong and holding out hope as rescuers continue to search for and rescue survivors.

33-year-old Necla Camuz was trapped inside her home with her 10-day-old son, Yagiz, in her arms. She waited for 90 hours before being rescued. While Camuz was worried that they would never be found, she looked to her baby as a source of strength. “I think if my son hadn’t been strong enough to deal with this, I wouldn’t have been, either,” she shared. This story had an even happier ending. Camuz was told that her husband and 3-year-old son had also survived. They would get together after this terrible experience.

But babies and young people aren’t the only survivors. 77-year-old Fatma Gungor was trapped for 212 hours before being freed. “I am so excited. I don’t know what to say. We almost got to the point of giving up, but our struggle has ended well,” one rescuer said. Finding Gungor provides new motivation (动力) for rescuers, who have been working around the clock. They are encouraged to keep up their search.

According to Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, it’s uncommon to find survivors after they have been trapped for more than 100 hours, but low temperatures might be the factor. “On the one hand, the cold weather makes the rescue very difficult, for it is below freezing right now. On the other hand, it may reduce the demand for water. Perhaps that is the case this time,” he said.

As always, these stories give hope that there are many people still waiting to be rescued. But once people are pulled from the stones, there is a hard road ahead as people have lost their homes, and many have also lost their families. If you are looking for a way to help, consider donating to Global Giving’s earthquake fund.

5 . The Davis Stampede is a long-standing tradition with running and walking. The event includes 5km, 10km, and half marathon routes, which are loop (环形) courses that travel along both roadways and Davis’ tree-lined greenbelts.

Entry to the event includes a short-sleeve T-shirt, a finisher medal, timing and post-race refreshments (点心). Experienced pacers will lead pace groups in the half marathon for goal finish times from 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 2:55 to 3:00. They can help you reach your goal time, set a new personal best record and have a great race.

A free kids’ fun run is offered to kids aged 13 and under. Both a 1/4-mile course and a 1/2-mile course are offered. The kids’ runs start at 10:30.

Date: Sunday, December 17, 2023

Location: Playfields Park, South Davis

Distance: 5km, 10km, half marathon, kids’ run.

Post-race email: Please read out post-race email (sent to all registered athletes on Sunday, December 17) here.

Photos: Available here

Status of medals: All medals have been distributed to Fleet Feet’s as indicated in the above email, or shipped (based on the county of residence). You can view our list of shipped medals and the shipping date in the email. For those whose medals were shipped, if your medal hasn’t arrived, contact us so that we can track it.

7 . Being recognized by National Geographic (《国家地理》) is one of the highest aims for many photographers. 14-year-old middle school student Gong Zijie from Changsha, Hunan, received this honor in 2014.

Gong was the China winner of the 2014 International Photography Contest for Kids. It was hosted by National Geographic Kids. Gong got first place in the Wild Vacation theme section. He photographed a shadow(影子) of a weed(杂草) on the Forbidden City’s tall red walls. In famous photographer Li Shaobai’s words, “Black, red, blue; the three colors form a striking contrast(强烈对比) together. The picture is silent, which stands for past life in the palace.” So why did he choose to take this photo? “I just saw the weed and thought it looked lonely and helpless.” Gong said.

Gong has learned about photography from his father, a professional photographer who works for Hunan TV. Since the age of 4, he has been following his father to take pictures of nature and social phenomenon(现象).

Gong is a patient photographer. It took him nearly four days to take the most suitable shot of a sunset in his hometown. He spends a lot of time waiting for the perfect chance to capture the best shots.

Gong said he is worried about environmental problems. Some of his photos of the Liuyang River show serious water pollution. He plans to photograph this river at least once every year to call more attention to the river’s pollution.