A DAY IN THE CLOUDS

The air is thin and we have to rest several times on the short hike from camp. To our left, snow­covered mountains disappear into clouds that seem almost close enough to touch. On the plain in front of us, we can just make out a herd of graceful animals. This is why we’re here—to observe Tibetan antelopes.

Tibetan antelopes live on the plains of Tibet, Xinjiang, and Qinghai. Watching them move slowly across the green grass, I’m struck by their beauty. I’m also reminded of the danger they were in. They were hunted, illegally, for their valuable fur.

My guide is Zhaxi, a villager from Changtang. He works at the Changtang National Nature Reserve. The reserve is a shelter for the animals and plants of northwestern Tibet. To Zhaxi, the land is sacred and protecting the wildlife is a way of life. “We’re not trying to save the animals,” he says. “Actually, we’re trying to save ourselves.”

The 1980s and 1990s were bad times for the Tibetan antelope. The population dropped by more than 50 percent. Hunters were shooting antelopes to make profits. Their habitats were becoming smaller as new roads and railways were built.

In order to save this species from extinction, the Chinese government placed it under national protection. Zhaxi and other volunteers watched over the antelopes day and night to keep them safe from attacks. Bridges and gates were added to let the antelopes move easily and keep them safe from cars and trains.

The measures were effective. The antelope population has recovered and in June 2015, the Tibetan antelope was removed from the endangered species list. The government, however, does not intend to stop the protection programmes, since the threats to the Tibetan antelope have not yet disappeared.

In the evening, I drink a cup of tea and watch the stars. I think about the antelopes and what Zhaxi told me. Much is being done to protect wildlife, but if we really want to save the planet, we must change our way of life. Only when we learn to exist in harmony with nature can we stop being a threat to wildlife and to our planet.

The Monarch’s Journey

Many animals move from one place to another at certain times of the year. This annual movement is called migration. They migrate to find food, seek a partner, or in search of warmer weather. One of the most wonderful migrations in nature is that of the North American monarch butterfly.

Every autumn, millions of these beautiful insects with fine black and orange wings begin a long and difficult journey. Somehow they manage to travel around 4,000 kilometres south and find their way to California or Mexico. However, until recently no one knew how they did this.

A team of scientists led by Professor Eli Shlizerman at the University of Washington has now found the answer. They have found out that the monarch is able to tell the time of day. It uses its eyes to measure the position of the sun. These two pieces of information — the time of day and the point where the sun is in the sky — allow the butterfly to determine the way to go. Eventually, it manages to reach the places where it will spend the winter.

The solution to the mystery of the monarch’s amazing ability comes at a time when it is in serious trouble. Its population has crashed by as much as 90 per cent in the last few years. Sadly, human activity is the main reason why the number of monarch butterflies is falling. In many of the places where the butterfly can be found, people are destroying the natural environment. They cut down trees and use chemicals that kill the plants that monarch caterpillars eat.

The research on the monarch’s behaviour has however led to a greater awareness of this creature. People have been working together to record its migration and make sure that there are enough plants for it to feed on. If this works, there may come a time when the number of monarch butterflies increases once again. The more we know about this lovely creature, the greater the chance it will survive and keep its place in the natural world for a long time to come.

8 . About thirty years ago, Switzerland-based artist Klaus Littmann came across a great drawing titled The Unending Attraction of Nature by Austrian artist and architect Max Peintner. The drawing displays a scene in which nature is so separate (分开的) from the environment that it becomes just a small area of ground, protected for amusement.

“When I first saw the pencil drawing, I was interested. I knew that one day this work would be the starting point for a major art project in public space,” says Littmann. Now, decades later, Littmann has achieved the vision with the installation (大型艺术作品) of FOR FOREST: The Unending Attraction of Nature. The installation sets a native central European forest in the middle of Worthersee Football Stadium in Klagenfurt, with almost 300 trees planted, some weighing up to six tons each.

In the face of climate crisis and deforestation, FOR FOREST comes with a more pressing urgency. As explained in a statement about the installation, “In support of today’s most pressing issues about climate change and deforestation, FOR FOREST aims to challenge our perception of nature and question its future. It reminds us that nature may someday only be found in special places, as is already the case with animals in zoos.”

Overseen by Enea Landscape Architecture, the forest is made up of a diverse range of species. This attracting panorama (全景) will pave the way for a whole new view and understanding of forests.

In a short video about the work, Littmann says his goal is never to make something that will last forever; rather, he says, “My goal is for this picture to remain in people’s head for a lifetime.”

The air is thin and we have to rest several     1    (time) on the short hike from camp.    2    our left，snow-covered mountains disappear into clouds that seem almost close enough    3    (touch).On the plain in front of us, we can just make     4    a herd of graceful animals. This is     5    we’re here - to observe Tibetan antelopes.

Tibetan antelopes live on the plains of Tibet, Xinjiang, and Qinghai.     6    (watch) them move slowly across the green grass, I     7    (strike) by their beauty. I’m also reminded     8     the danger they are in. They are being hunted     9    (illegal), for their valuable fur.

My guide is Zhaxi,     10    villager from Changtang. He works at the Changtang National Nature Reserve. To Zhaxi the land is sacred and     11    (protect) the wildlife is a way of life.He says. “Actually,we’re trying to save     12    (we).”

The1980s and 1990s were bad times for the Tibetan antelope. The population dropped     13     more than 50 percent. Their habitats were becoming     14    (small) as new roads and railways were built

In order to save this species from     15    (extinct),the Chinese government placed     16    under national protection Zhaxi and other volunteers watched     17    the antelopes day and night to keep them safe     18    attacks. Bridges and gates were added     19     (let) the antelopes move easily and keep them safe from cars and trains.

The measures were     20    (effect). The antelope population has recovered and in June 2015, the Tibetan antelope     21    (remove) from the endangered species list. The government,however, does not intend to stop the protection programmes,     22     the threats to the Tibetan antelope have not yet disappeared.

I think about the antelopes and     23     Zhaxi told me. Much is being done to protect wildlife, but     24    we really want to save the planet, we must change our way of life. Only when we learn to exist in harmony with nature can we stop being     25     threat to wildlife and to our planet.