It was very "sneaky" at night, but it came down in broad daylight...

Look carefully, it is in the picture~

During the spring planting season, the earth revives and everything grows. Our conservation area has also been carrying out our conservation work step by step. We have dug some water storage ditches to help regulate water resource distribution during the rainy season; we have also carried out detailed soil improvement in some areas, laying a solid foundation for the healthy growth of plants. At the same time, we have also planted more than a dozen native plants such as sorghum, further enriching biodiversity and providing a rich food source and habitat for insects, birds and other small animals.

While the spring planting work in our conservation area was in full swing, we encountered it...

PART 1

In broad daylight, in the open air, it just came

In most people's impressions, weasels always seem to choose to quietly appear after nightfall. They carefully shuttle around us, avoiding the hustle and bustle of the crowd. However, on a sunny noon, we met it... When we saw it, it was strolling happily beside the straw stack. Maybe it came out to look for food, maybe the breath of spring awakened its desire for a mate, or maybe it just wanted to come out to bask in the sun... No matter what the reason, its appearance brought us a surprise.

Surprise, but not unexpected. In fact, this is not the first time we have found traces of wild animals in the garden of the conservation area. We have picked up hair and feces dropped by wild musk deer here;

Feces left by wild musk deer

We once found that the ferns we planted were pulled out of their pots and eaten. Judging from the traces left at the scene, it seems to be the work of a porcupine.

Judging from the traces on the scene, it is suspected to be the work of a porcupine

Infrared cameras have also captured badgers, musk deer, and other animals in the gardens of the reserve. Studies have shown that the closer wild animals live to humans, the more they tend to move around at night, because they want to avoid peak human activity and reduce contact with humans. However, for similar species living far away from human activity areas, such as weasels or other small mammals in the mountains, they will also choose to move around during the day, because the environment there is relatively safe and less disturbed.

Beimen Lake East Coast Conservation Area Garden

Our conservation gardens hope to provide wildlife with a complex and diverse ecological environment, so that even in places close to human habitation, animals can find suitable living conditions and have the opportunity to come out during the day. When there are enough resources and support in the environment, wildlife will naturally come here.

Beimen Lake South Bank Conservation Area Garden

To achieve this state, in addition to providing a sufficiently diverse ecological environment for wild animals, we also increase the resource points that can be used by wild animals, further enhancing the carrying capacity of this area, so that wild animals do not have to worry about the lack of safe hiding places and can live more comfortably here. The straw stack in the garden of the conservation area, which looks like a place for people to rest, is one of the resource points we set up for wild animals.

PART 2

This is for sitting, but not only for sitting

In our conservation area garden, we have placed many neatly arranged straw bales. These straw bales are designed to provide a resting place for tourists, so that they can take a break during the tour or sit here and quietly enjoy the scenery of Beimen Lake.

However, the role of these straw stacks is far more than that. They can also provide living space for small wild animals. Weasels can build nests and sleep here, hedgehogs can dig holes and hibernate here, and various small insects can also find ideal habitats here. They all need a warm and comfortable place to resist the cold in winter, and these straws just provide them with this opportunity. Straws are not always fixed there. Over time, they will decompose slightly. In the process of decomposition, it can promote the micro-ecological cycle of the soil. The products of its decomposition can nourish more life forms, create various opportunities for more life, and enhance the diversity of the ecological environment. Our straws are also different in shape. There are not only regular and square straw stacks, but also straw scattered on the ground, and straw structures combined with stones.

Scattered straw protects young plant shoots

These different forms of straw mulch also have a positive effect on plant growth. Some plants prefer bare ground surfaces, while others prefer a moderate amount of mulch around them. Loose straw can help block wind and sun, creating a suitable microclimate for young shoots, giving them a chance to survive their fragile early growth period and eventually thrive. The combination of straw and stones can also simulate the complexity of the natural environment and increase the diversity of the ecosystem. The stones not only stabilize the straw, but also provide additional hiding places for some small reptiles and insects, further enriching the biological community.

PART 3

Do this inside the venue and do the same outside the venue

Our city zoo is not only a place to display and protect rare animals, it is also an ecological island in the city, an important habitat that provides a home for native wildlife. We not only need to take good care of the animals in the zoo, but also hope to create a suitable living environment for wild animals and plants, and promote the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. The practice of our conservation garden has proved that as long as resources and a wildlife-friendly environment are provided, wild animals will come. This is "behavioral management of wild animals in the wild", which is wildlife protection and a way for humans and other life to coexist.

Planting Miscanthus for animals to hide from

We need to provide them with a more positive welfare status and try to give them more opportunities to choose. For example, when animals want to hide from people, they can find a place to hide; but if there are not enough hiding places in the environment, the endless space will make the animals lose the opportunity to choose and unable to find a place where they feel comfortable and safe. Therefore, we are constantly exploring ways to add various resource points to animals so that they have choices and more choices.

Weasel stoloniferum

For the animals in the venue, we optimize the design of the venue, add more shelters and hiding spaces, so that the animals can freely choose their favorite activity areas. High platforms, low caves, and dense vegetation all provide them with a wealth of choices to meet their different needs. We do this for wild animals living in the venue, and we do the same for wild animals in the wild.

Qingshan Charity City Forest was initiated by Meituan Qingshan Project and other public welfare organizations such as Beijing Entrepreneurs Environmental Protection Foundation (SEE Foundation). It is committed to promoting urban biodiversity protection and zero waste advocacy, and jointly creating a home where people and nature coexist in harmony through habitat improvement and transformation, adding zero waste guides and recreational facilities, and carrying out nature education activities. This project supports the construction of the conservation area of ​​Hongshan Zoo, promotes public awareness and support for environmental protection, and promotes biodiversity protection and zero waste lifestyles in cities.