In winter, intense cold in China’s Jilin Province can turn tripping water into ice within seconds. Yet, 63-year-old Ren Jianguo gets up early every day to spread corn on the riverbank to make sure thousands of migratory birds(候鸟) have food to go through the cold days.

Ren lives in Jilin City which is built on the banks of the Songhuajiang River. Over the past 26 years, he has been one of the many volunteers protecting migratory birds on the river’s Changbai Island. Local residents label him as “Uncle Bird”. Winter is the busiest time for Uncle Bird as it is the season when large amounts of migratory birds fly here to avoid the biting cold days in Siberia, Russia.

On the upper reaches of the Songhuajiang River is Northeast China’s largest artificial lake. The temperature of the water stays at around 4-10℃ all year round. This allows Changhai Island to welcome countless migratory birds.

“As long as they choose to stay in this city, there should be people to take care of them. When it becomes difficult to find food in winter, I call for donations or sometimes pay for the food myself to secure their survival during the winter,” Ren said.

Jilin City, which is part of the migratory passage of birds in East Asia, is one of the few warm wetlands in northern China suitable for migratory birds to rest. To improve the environment here, the Chinese government has invested about 26.6 billion yuan for water pollution control and prevention along the Songhuajiang River since 2006.

For Ren, a small house near the riverbank has almost become his “second home”, a place from which he can patrol(巡逻) along the banks, observe birds, educate the public about bird conservation and, after a long day of work, light a fire and enjoy a warm meal.

“I simply want this to be a warm and welcoming place for birds when they choose to stay here for a temporary rest,” he said.

The white rhinoceros (白犀牛) is near-threatened due to massive illegal hunting; the mountain gorilla is classed as endangered due to great habitat destruction. If no action is taken, these amazing creatures will undoubtedly be extinct before the end of the century. But scientists are working hard to stop this with some pretty cool drone (无人机) tech.

One of the biggest dangers to endangered animals in the modern day comes from illegal hunting, which claims the lives of hundreds of white rhinos every year. While regular patrols (巡逻队) can drive hunters away from certain areas, hunters are often well-armed and unafraid to fire upon those hoping to protect the rhinos. This is where drones come in. If researchers and patrols work in these areas, there would be a real danger of coming into contact with the hunters. By having drones collect data, movement patterns and numbers of animals, researchers and patrols can get away from such dangers.

Drones can also be sent into the skies above difficult-to-reach areas to get data that would otherwise be tough to collect. For example, mountain gorillas are usually found in deep jungle, and organizing an exploration can be expensive and demanding. Researchers can send drones over the forest to gather data about the habitat of the animals, and even take high quality images. This information can be priceless when it comes to an on-foot exploration, as researchers can get up-to-date information. In this situation, human-led surveys will still offer better results, but drones can play a huge part.

The downside presently is the cost, which can run into tens, if not thousands, of dollars. However, drone tech is still becoming a more favorable choice in the fight against wildlife extinction.

When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie”. My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, and then there were baths, playing catch and many other games. Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. We always felt better when she was around.

One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up (咬破) one of Dad’s shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, “Bad girl.” She looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.

Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet. She went everywhere with us. People would stop and ask if they could pet her. Of course, she’d let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we’d be out walking and a small child would come over and pull on her hair. She never barked (吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loved everyone.

Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss the days when she was with us.