The young guardians of the rainforest

The Yinggelin National Nature Reserve, which covers an area of more than 50,000 hectares, is one of five reserves in the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park.

To better protect the ecology of the reserve, a rainforest guardian team was established in 2007.

Despite the team's remote base of operations, around 30 college students from all over China have joined the team since it was established, leaving the conveniences of urban life behind in order to contribute to rainforest conservation.

It usually takes the team 8 hours to walk into the protected rainforest area, where they focus on patrolling the region and conducting scientific studies. During these treks into the rainforest, which usually last 3 nights, the young team – their average age is 34 – face encounters with snakes and leeches, along with other wild animals as well as the dangers of floods and landslides.

The team established several work sites deep in the rainforest, where individual team members sometimes stay for weeks at a time. "It's great to see a man here because I just talk with cattle every day", said Li Guangnian, a team member at isolated site in Yinggezui. When it was established in 2010, Li was stationed at the site alone for a long time when it had no running water or electricity, and no mobile phone reception.

Despite the tough working conditions, fresh blood is keen to join the team, which has been recognized for its work. In 2012, it was awarded China's National May 4 medal, which is the top honor for young Chinese people.