Six elderly adults revive coastal ecosystem in E China's Jiangsu

Fifteen years ago, Yeludang, now a coastal wetland, was a desolate wasteland. Over the course of 15 years, six elderly individuals worked at this location, transforming the barren land into an oasis.

Yeludang is situated in the Dafeng district of Yancheng city in east China's Jiangsu Province. Covering an area of 200 hectares, it stands as one of the relatively well-preserved primitive wetlands on Earth and is also designated as one of China's five dark and starry sky conservation areas.

Photo shows Yeludang, which was just a desolate land previously. (Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Yancheng Municipal Committee)

Ma Lianyi, the 71-year-old founder of the China Conservation Area for Dark and Starry Sky, shared the touching story of these six elderly individuals and their deep connection to Yeludang at the World Coastal Forum 2023, held in Yancheng on Sept. 25.

Ma recounted that during his youth, he had worked and lived in Hoh Xil, located in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, for over a decade. During that time, he had crossed the Tuotuo River, a source of the Yangtze River, on horseback multiple times. After Ma returned to his hometown in Yancheng, he discovered that Yancheng was once situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Joining Ma were five other elderly individuals, each from different corners of China, all sharing a profound emotional bond with Yeludang.

Ma Lianyi (first from left) and his partners. (Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Yancheng Municipal Committee)

The local government supported the elderly individuals' vision of creating a national ecological landmark and assisted them. "We built roads, dredged canals and harbors, and planted trees and grass. Additionally, we constructed a shallow water area covering 80 hectares and released many juvenile fish every year, thus transforming the barren land into an oasis," Ma explained.

After over a decade of unwavering dedication, Yeludang has evolved into a habitat for over 10,000 rare birds. Recently, as many as 200 oriental white storks have been spotted nesting here daily, turning the area into a magnificent and vibrant watercolor painting.

Photo shows the picturesque scenery of the Yeludang. (Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Yancheng Municipal Committee)

Ma's team has conducted over 400 lectures on nature, reaching out to more than 30,000 individuals and sharing inspiring stories of nature conservation. They have received nearly 100,000 visitors.

Ma's team gives a lecture on nature. (Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Yancheng Municipal Committee)

"We protect nature, and in return, nature bestows upon us its most precious gifts. This is the beautiful story between us and Yeludang," Ma noted.