Source: People's Daily
Hu Yuanchao observed the trees.
Photographed by Wu Jun, a reporter of this newspaper
Hu Yuanchao patrolled the mountains and rangers.
Profile photo
Biography
Hu Yuanchao: Born in 1948, retired ranger of Eighteen Li Changxia National Nature Reserve in Zhuxi County, Shiyan City, Hubei Province.
Since 1983, he has afforested 576 acres of barren mountains, saved the rare and endangered plants of Small Hook Cate tea, and successfully bred rare and valuable plants such as yew tree, tung tree, small hook tea, goosefoot catalpa and so on. In June 2016, he was awarded the title of "National Greening Labor Model".
A snow blanketed the mountain forest of the Eighteen-Mile Changxia National Nature Reserve in Zhuxi County, Hubei Province. The sky has just cleared, the snow has not completely melted, and the 74-year-old Hu Yuanchao has been idle. He hurriedly ate breakfast, changed into the pair of liberation shoes that had been worn out of shape, packed a small bottle of bud grain wine, took the telescope, and carried the basket on his shoulder to the mountain.
Hu Yuanchao patrolled the mountains and forests for more than 180 days a year, traveling more than 100,000 kilometers, and his footprints spread to every corner of the reserve. Hu Baochao said: "I have feelings for every tree here. As long as the weather is clear, I have to go up the mountain to see it. ”
"People can't just think about themselves, they have to think about more people"
It's past 9 o'clock, and the morning sun has moved from the top of the mountain to the mountainside, sprinkling on the towering cedar forest. Hu Yuan was striding through the forest, and he occasionally stopped and looked up, and the fir trees in the sunlight looked more and more green. "I planted these trees, and at the beginning they weren't as tall as me." Hu Yuanchao touched a large cedar tree with a chest diameter of 30 centimeters in front of him and said thoughtfully.
More than 40 years ago, the place where Hu Yuanchao stood was still a barren mountain, bare. "At that time, everyone was digging up land everywhere, and the trees were almost cut down." Hu Yuanchao said that the protected area is a mountainous terrain, the soil is shallow, it is not easy to store fertilizer, and the more barren the mountains are reclaimed, the more barren they are. The more barren it became, the more the people wanted to reclaim new wasteland, and this vicious circle lasted for many years.
In 1983, Zhuxi County implemented a policy of whoever planted the tree and benefited in order to encourage the villagers to plant trees. As the secretary of the party branch of Shuangping Village in Shuangqiao Township, Zhuxi County at that time, Hu Yuanchao wanted to set an example. In the spring of the following year, Hu Yuanchao took out his savings to buy saplings and persuaded his family to go with him to the barren mountains to plant trees.
In the past four years, the Hu family planted a total of 180,000 fir trees, and the afforestation area reached 576 mu.
In 1988, the county established the 18-mile Changxia County-level Nature Reserve and established a state-run breeding farm. Hu Yuanchao's village was included, and the individual mountain forests were to be compensated for recycling. The villagers felt that the compensation standard was low and could not return the original, but Hu Yuanchao took the initiative to transfer all 576 acres of his own fir forest. Hu Yuanchao said: "Although we have planted these trees hard, they can be better protected and can leave a mountain forest for future generations. People can't just think about themselves, they have to think about more people. Led by him, the villagers handed over their mountain forests to state-run forest farms.
Today, the barren mountains in the reserve are all covered by forests, and the fir trees handed over by Hu Value have grown to more than 10 meters high...
"Looking at the stars and listening to the waves, I feel very happy"
The more he went up the mountain, the slower Hu Yuanchao walked. Turning over a small hill, his physical strength was obviously much depleted, and the slightly rapid breathing made the mist exhaled from his mouth whiter. "Now that I'm old, I'm tired of walking a few steps, and I used to walk sixty or seventy kilometers a day on the mountain tour." As Hu Yuanchao walked, he talked about his past as a ranger.
In the second year of the establishment of the state-run breeding farm, the first batch of rangers were recruited in the field, and there were more than a dozen people at that time, and Hu Yuanchao was one of them. Hu Yuanchao got up early every day to patrol the mountains and was busy until dark before returning home; when he was hungry, he ate the dry food he brought with him, and when he was thirsty, he drank the spring water in the mountains. Sometimes at the end of the day, he walked too far, and he simply rested in the mountains, the moon as a lamp, the stars as an account. "Looking at the stars and listening to the waves, I feel very happy." Hu Said.
In 2001, his son, who had planted trees with Hu Yuanchao, fell seriously ill, and some people advised Hu Yuanchao to return the fir forest and sell the tree to his son for treatment. He said, "I will never sell the mind of a tree. "After the death of his son, Hu Was more diligent in patrolling the mountains." Only by guarding this forest can I be steadfast in my heart. Hu Said that when he missed his son, he would touch the trunk of the tree and feel like he was stroking his own child.
Patrolling the mountains faces many dangers, many deep mountains have no roads, Hu Yuanchao often walks on the edge of the cliff, and if he is not careful, he will slip. In addition to forest protection, Hu Dynasty also dismantled various hunting equipment and traps laid by criminals. If you don't pay attention, you will also be hurt.
Other people buy shoes by pair, but he buys them by box. "A box of 24 pairs of liberation shoes, bought by box is more cost-effective, for me to wear for four years." Hu Yuanchao calculated, "Every time I buy shoes for a few years, not only can I be discounted, but these shoes can also motivate me to keep going." ”
Year after year, Hu Has been walking in the mountains and forests, witnessing the growth of generations of rangers. "Whether it's a young ranger hired or a researcher visiting, I'm here to be a guide." Where the tree looks like, I know best. Hu Saidchao proudly said that the map of more than 30,000 hectares of forest areas was engraved in his mind.
"Guard the forest, cultivate good seedlings, a lifetime is worth it"
Further up the hill, the slope was steeper, Hu Yuanchao stopped, he could no longer climb up, had to go down the mountain. Back at home, after lunch, Hu Wei hurried towards the nursery base 3 kilometers away.
The rare plant nursery base under the care of Hu Yuanchao was built in 2013. At that time, Hu Waschao had been retired for 6 years, and the Protected Areas Authority initially did not consider involving him. After Hu Yuanchao knew, he took the initiative to ask to participate: "Many rare plants I have discovered, and I know them very well. ”
In 2002, Hu led experts from the Wuhan Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to discover the first small catechu in a protected area after the species had been declared extinct. The reappearance of Xiaogou Catecha excited Hu Yuanchao, who ran all over every hill in the reserve and found 43 wild Xiaogou catecha.
Hu Yuanchao collected their seeds and sowed them on a cliff ridge that few people visit. The following year, 263 small catechins broke through the soil. Later, two experts from Wuhan University came to the reserve to investigate and affirmed the achievements of Hu Yuanchao. As a guide for scientific expedition personnel, Hu Yuanchao gradually learned about the rare plants in the mountains. In the "Flora of Zhuxi", the collection and compilation of 2,000 plant specimens are all credited to Hu Yuanchao.
In 2014, under the leadership of Hu Yuanchao, a rare plant breeding base of nearly 100 mu in size was built, and more than 80 kinds of national key protected plants such as xiaogou catha, yew and juniper were bred that year. After the breeding base was built, Hu Yuanchao was busier. Last year, the Protected Area Authority expanded another 60 acres of rare plant breeding bases. Hu Yuanchao said: "I don't understand any big truth, keep a good forest, cultivate good seedlings, and it will be worth it for a lifetime." ”
Over the years, Hu Yuanchao has won many honors, and he wants to go out of the mountains to the big city to receive the award. Often after staying for a few days, he thought about going back to the mountains, "I just can't stay idle, and I can only be at ease every day when I go around the forest." ”
Nowadays, many tourists come to the Eighteen Mile Long Gorge every year. Most of the villagers who eat "ecological rice" have moved out of the mountains and lived in spacious and bright new buildings. The family also wanted to take Hu Yuanchao out, but Hu Yuanchao refused. "The mountain forest is also my relative, and the seedlings of the breeding base are also my children, and I can't do without them." After saying that, Hu Yuan turned and walked towards the yew nursery...
■ Reporter's Note
With ideals growing toward the sun
Wearing more than 100 pairs of liberation shoes, traveling more than 100,000 kilometers, saving a variety of rare plants... Over the years, Hu Yuanchao has taken the mountains as his home and the forests as his companions, and has planted a green with enthusiasm to protect the mountains and rivers.
Hu Yuanchao always had ideals in mind and grew towards the sun. He did not hesitate to donate all of them whenever the country needed them; he did not hesitate to cut down trees and sell them for money, even if it was difficult to live. In the face of other people's incomprehension, he said: "People can't just think about themselves, but also think about more people." In the face of the doubts of the villagers, he said: "Protecting the forest farm is to protect the national ecological security." ”
People who have walked all over the green mountains are not old. Although the age is too rare, Hu Yuanchao still adheres to the past, continues to dedicate himself silently in ordinary posts, and bravely moves forward among the green waters and green mountains.