Transect at Wudong

In spite of the constant rain, we managed to finish a 1,000 sq. meter transect down a 40% slope in the forests outside of Wudong.  Was a slippery mess. That's Yang Chenghua in the back (with the great hat) from the Guizhou Academy of Forestry; he identified all of the trees for us. Zhiyao Lu, a Master's student at Minzu University in Beijing, leads the way down the slope. Yao did a great job tallying the data and keeping the fieldbook dry.  And all the tree names were written in beautiful Chinese characters (many thx, Mr. Yang and Yao).   

Wudong

Another day of household surveys, this time in the Miao village of Wudong.  The first interview of the day was with this wonderful fellow and his dog.  Non-stop smiles and much good information about the local use of Chinese fir. The only bad thing was that I left my baseball cap in his house.  

The shot below is mostly to give you some idea about the architecture of the houses in this village.  It was the cute kids giving me the peace sign, however, that actually motivated me to dig the camera out of my pack. [NOTES: All of the boards and poles used in local house construction are Chinese fir, or "shamu" (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook).  I'll stop by and pick my cap up tomorrow; we're running inventory transects in the forests behind the village].

Tau Jiung

Did a series of household interviews in the Miao village of Tau Jiung in southeastern Guizhou, China today. These guys were in the audience during the general meeting when I explained to everyone what I was trying to do. Looked like a tough crowd at first, but the interviews turned out to be quite animated, informative, and fun. [NOTE: Dr. Dayuan Xue and Zhiyao Lu did a wonderful job of translating]. 

Guizhou rice fields

Rice fields in the Qiandongan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of southeastern Guizhou, China. An intensity of resource management unrivaled anywhere in the world. Meticulously sculptured. Groomed. Landscape art. [NOTE: Wonderful article (by Amy Tam) about a Dong village in this region can be viewed here].

The View from Leigong Mountain

Leigong, or God of Thunder, Mountain is a 2,200 meter peak in Guizhou province of southwestern China. There is a small ranger post with several antennas and a weather station at the summit.  During my visit last June to the Leigongshan Nature Reserve, I went out on the roof of the ranger station and shot some footage of the surrounding panorama. SPOILER ALERT: The view was like nothing I have ever seen. [NOTE: It was so cold and damp that the rangers were using their electric hot plate as a heater].  

Roof Aesthetics

Detail of clay tiles and wedges used for making roofs by the Miao people in Guizhou Province, China.  [NOTE: This is clearly not a region with high winds; the tiles are simply laid in place]. 

Miao Landscape

The Miao people of Guizhou, China produce beautiful terraced rice fields.  They are also accomplished vegetable farmers and are undoubtedly very skilled at managing forest resources, as well. The latter is the focus of a project that I have recently initiated in collaboration with Minzu University and the Forestry Department of Guizhou University in Guiyang. [NOTE: I am posting this from a hotel in Singapore on my way back from Beijing and Guizhou Province].