We all love giant pandas. In the 1970s there were just 1,114 of these animals in China. Now there are 1,864 giant pandas living in 52 protection areas that have been built in recent decades. In fact, several species（物种）that were endangered have seen a surprising comeback in recent decades, thanks to major protection efforts.

Besides the giant panda, Yunnan’s snub-nosed monkey（金丝猴）and the crested ibis（朱鹮）are also among these success stories. The crested ibis, for example, was once widespread in east China, Japan, Russia and South Korea, but was later thought to die out. In 1981, seven crested ibises were found in Shanxi Province. Since then, breeding programs have helped its population reach 2,000. China has sent crested ibises to Japan and South Korea in recent years to help the species regenerate（发展壮大）.

China has more than 11,800 nature reserves. They account for 18% of China’s total land area. The reserves cover 35 million hectares of forest and 20 million hectares of wetland, and include 85% of the country’s wildlife.

Upcycling is the process of changing old materials into something useful and often beautiful.

So, is it the same as recycling? No. Recycling takes materials-paper or glass-and breaks them down so their base materials can be remade into a new product. When you upcycle an item(物品), you are not breaking down the material,

you are simply refashioning it. For example, you might make shoes out of old tyres. Also, the upcycled item is typically of the same, or even better, quality(质量) than the original.

Upcycling isn’t a new idea. Some of the best examples of modern-day upcycling come from the 1930s to 1940s when families didn’t have enough materials. In those days, things were repurposed over and over until there were no longer useful. For example, an old door can be made into a new dining table. Economising(节约) is still a trend(趋势) today and a big reason why more and more people upcycle. But an even bigger reason for the rebirth of upcycling is its good influence on the environment.

Upcycling is green. The plain and simple fact of the matter is that upcycling is much better for the planet than throwing things away. When you upcycle, that's one item less that ends upon the waste mountain. Upcycling is also considerably more environmentally friendly than recycling, which needs energy or water to break down materials. Upcycling just needs your own creativity and effort.

Grace Robinson, from the UK, takes used tea bags and turns them into dresses, shoes and even hats. Every day she drinks some tea, and then dries out the tea bags with the tea still in them. When they are dry, she takes the tea out and sews the bags together to make clothes. This can take a long time- maybe months for a single dress -so Grace gets friends to help her by drinking tea too and passing their tea bags on to her.

There are two ways to support the upcycling movement. Sort(分类)through your wardrobe or recycling bin and create items yourself, or buy ready-made items from upcycled materials. Both ways benefit the environment and in return, you get something that’s both attractive and practical.