Back to nature

"Now all things in the plan have been realized, step by step," says the woman, who married this year and will soon be a mother.

"I won't regret my choice. I'm proud to do something for environmental protection, though I earn less and have a less colorful life here than in the cities."

The group has welcomed new members during the years, but all share a harmonious relationship.

"We don't feel lonely because we have so many young people who share the same goals. That's why we have stayed," says Liao Changle, who joined the group in 2010.

"We keep talking and joking with teammates on our way to work in the mountains. I love this job and find my life rather substantial," Liao says.

The station has established seven departments, four branch stations, and three forest ranging points, as well as a research monitoring station.

After five years of efforts, their station has finished an important biology archive project, with a number of rare and protected animals and plants recorded.

Personal achievements are notable, too. Having scaled all peaks in the reserve, Wang has sorted out a series of new insect genuses and published his thesis in one of the nation's A-list scientific journals. Liao, meanwhile, has done systematic research on the Yinggeling tree frog.

Nearby residents used to depend heavily on natural resources, a big threat for the tropical forest in Yinggeling.

Now, station members are working hard to change the situation. To make friends with locals, mostly from the Li ethnic group, they frequently visit villages and drink with them. Xu's ability with the local dialect has allowed her to promote forest protection.

In response, more than 270 villagers have become forest rangers.

Meanwhile, the workstation is receiving considerable attention. In May, the group received the May Fourth Medal - the highest honor for youth by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and the All-China Youth Federation.

The provincial authorities have also named them as youth models.

Recent media coverage has not only made their stories widely known to the public, but also inspired other young college graduates to share the same dream.

More than 200 college students have shown an interest in joining them. Some even gave up offers with higher salaries. "Besides scientific researchers, we are going to build a more diverse team with different talents in the future," says Huang, the station head.

Contact the writers through liuxiangrui@chinadaily.com.cn.

Liu Xiaoli and Tian Yinan contributed to this story.