1 . From time to time, Ding Peng makes his way across the waves to Zhongtiedun, an island in Zhejiang Province. He has made a point of coming back to visit it to greet and observe the Chinese crested terns (中华凤头燕鸥) over the past ten years.

The medium-sized bird is 30—40 centimeters long, with gray wings and a white body. It was first discovered in Indonesia by Polish in 1861. The birds were spotted in 1937 on islands around Qingdao, Shandong Province, and it was not until 2000 that a bird photographer spotted them on the Matsu Islands off the coast of Fujian Province, which immediately caused a storm in international ornithology (鸟类学) circles for researchers assumed that the birds had already died out.

Born in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, Ding grew up seeing barren (不毛的) mountains and sandstorms, and has an awareness of environmental protection at an early age. That was why, after graduating from university in 2012, he readily took a job offer from the Jiushan Archipelago National Nature Reserve (JANNR) in Zhejiang. “I love the sea and my major could be of some use in protecting it, ”he says.

Looking back at his life on the islands, Ding admits that it was very tough. There was no electricity to charge mobile phones and no air conditioner in hot summer, and drinking water was sent in by supply ships. The worst was the loneliness, though things took a turn for the better in 2017, when more volunteers came to join the bird protection team.

Ding’s contributions were recognized by the local authorities of Ningbo this year, who named him one of the city’s “most beautiful people”. “Everything was worth it, now that more people are aware of the importance of protecting the birds, and now that the number of the birds is on the rise, ” Ding says.

2 . In the 1980s, millions of western monarchs gathered in trees from northern California down to western Mexico. Now, their wintering sites are mostly on California’s central coast.

Western monarch butterflies travel south from the Pacific Northwest to California each winter. They return to the same places and even the same trees, where they gather. The monarchs usually arrive in California at the beginning of November. They spread across the country once warmer weather arrives in March.

The western monarch butterfly population has decreased by more than 99 percent since the 1980s. Another monarch population on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains travels from southern Canada and the northeastern US to spend the winter in western Mexico. Scientists estimate the monarch population in the eastern US has fallen about 80 percent since the mid-1990s.

Monarchs from across the West migrate (迁徙) yearly to about 100 wintering sites along central California’s Pacific coast. One of the best-known wintering places is the Monarch Grove Sanctuary in the city of Pacific Grove.

Pacific Grove, California, known as “Butterfly Town, USA”, has worked for years to help the decreasing monarch population. The city holds a parade to celebrate the butterflies every October. It also bans human interference with the monarchs. The crime carries a $ 1,000 fine.

In 2020, no monarchs appeared in Pacific Grove. But in 2021, an early count found that more than 13,000 of the insects had moved in.

Scientists do not know why the population increased in 2021. But Jepsen, director of Endangered Species at Xerces Society, said it is likely a combination of reasons, including better conditions on their breeding grounds. The non-profit science group Xerces Society carries out the official study every year. Volunteer counters have reported the presence of as many as 50,000 monarchs in the last few weeks.

Monarch butterflies lack legal protection that could keep their territory from being destroyed. Last year, the butterflies were denied federal protection. But the insects are now among the candidates for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act.