STORY: Protecting red-flowered black mangroves in China's Hainan
DATELINE: June 8, 2023
LENGTH: 0:01:17
LOCATION: HAIKOU, China
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of red-flowered black mangrove
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WANG SHIJUN, Protector of red-flowered black mangroves
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): WANG SHIJUN, Protector of red-flowered black mangroves
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WANG SHIJUN, Protector of red-flowered black mangroves
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): WANG SHIJUN, Protector of red-flowered black mangroves

STORYLINE:

Red-flowered black mangrove is an endangered species under first-class protection in China.

Due to lack of protection, its population in China once shrank to 14 in 2014.

Wang Shijun, who was working at Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve Administration in Hainan, decided to take actions.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WANG SHIJUN, Protector of red-flowered black mangroves
"There used to be hundreds of red-flowered black mangroves in Dadun Village, Lingshui Li Autonomous County (in Hainan). But the number once dropped to only 5 within about 30 years."

In 2014, Wang and his colleagues went to Hainan's Sanya to collect the seeds of red-flowered black mangroves.

They brought them back and planted them at the nature reserve for cultivation.
   
SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): WANG SHIJUN, Protector of red-flowered black mangroves
"We successfully cultivated 240 seedlings at that time. We were very excited."

About 8 years ago, the administration allocated a land of 1.3 hectares for red-flowered black mangrove cultivation.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WANG SHIJUN, Protector of red-flowered black mangroves
"This red-flowered black mangrove was planted in 2015, among a group of 112 of its kind. Now, it's more than 3 meters high, close to 4 meters."

Though retired in 2016, Wang chose to continue protecting the species.

With the joint efforts of people like Wang, the population of red-flowered black mangroves in China has increased to about 2,300.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): WANG SHIJUN, Protector of red-flowered black mangroves
"Saving red-flowered black mangroves is the most meaningful thing I've done in my life."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Haikou, China.
(XHTV)