At 20:20 on January 4, the first episode of the second season of "Moving Forward", a large-scale environmental protection public welfare documentary program of Shanghai Radio and Television Station and a major literary and artistic creation funding project of the Shanghai Culture Development Foundation, will be broadcast on Dragon TV.

Season 2 poster of "The Road Ahead"

In the first episode, Hu Ge, Liu Tao and "science guide" Zhang Chenliang went to Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province to look for traces of Tibetan foxes. What local animals and plants will they see along the way? Will the Tibetan fox that everyone has been dreaming about appear?

How important is the existence of “star animals”?

The Tibetan fox is one of the most popular animals on the Internet in recent years. It can be seen everywhere in emojis, handicrafts, and ghost videos. What impact will the popularity of an animal have on the local ecology? Is the popularity of the Tibetan fox a disaster or a blessing for it?

With these questions in mind, Hu Ge, Liu Tao and Zhang Chenliang came to the Jiatang workstation of the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. The Shanshui Nature Conservation Center has been conducting research on Tibetan foxes in Yushu, Qinghai for many years, and has conducted research on scientific research monitoring, community protection, and livelihood development in Yushu. Hu Ge, Liu Tao and Zhang Chenliang followed Chen Xier, the head of the conservation center, to participate in the daily work of front-line environmental protection workers.

Hu Ge, Liu Tao and Zhang Chenliang came to Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province to participate in the Tibetan fox "hunt" operation

Putting collars on Tibetan foxes, tracking them and collecting data are necessary preparations for conducting research on Tibetan foxes. After preparing the tools, Chen Xier led the environmental activists to start the Tibetan fox "hunting" operation - looking for traces of Tibetan foxes along the way, and after finding them, they placed traps to try to catch a Tibetan fox and put a collar on it. Can they successfully capture the Tibetan fox?

During the field visit, environmental activists learned about the important role of the Tibetan fox as an "umbrella species", that is, by protecting a key species, the protection of the entire local ecological environment can be promoted, thereby promoting the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. If a star animal that "breaks the circle" can appear in a protected area, it can attract more attention and resources to the local area, and various ecological problems can be more easily solved. This is the important contribution of the Tibetan fox to the Jiatang grassland.

Zhang Chenliang, Hu Ge, Liu Tao

Get to know the local Tibetan life

Along the way, Hu Ge, Liu Tao and Zhang Chenliang not only saw lovely creatures in nature, but also walked into the lives and work of environmental protection workers and local residents and witnessed many stories.

Chen Xier, the head of Jiatang Station of Shanshui Nature Conservation Center, was born after 1995. He graduated from a top university but is still willing to stay in the wilderness and conduct basic research on wildlife for several years. It is precisely because of the day-to-day perseverance of environmentalists like Xier that a large amount of data has been accumulated for the subsequent scientific research. Hu Ge also said that he felt fresh when he first came to experience it, but this is a daily routine for environmentalists, and their long-term persistence is worthy of admiration.

Artists interacting with local residents

In Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, which has an average altitude of 4,400 meters, Hu Ge also ran into a Tibetan uncle whom he had met while working on an environmental protection charity project, and visited one of his garbage recycling stations. What's more, it was after the uncle and Hu Ge participated in the same charity project in 21 years that he learned about the concept of garbage classification and has been doing garbage classification and recycling work until now.

When asked "What is the motivation for environmental protection", the uncle's simple answer was touching - because he saw the loss of natural life due to environmental pollution, he decided to do this. This also made Hu Ge sigh that when people witness a beautiful thing being destroyed, they will be inspired with great compassion, and this compassion is the most lasting motivation.

Artists take photos with local residents

In recent years, due to grassland degradation, many women who make a living by grazing have lost their source of income. In order to help local women increase their income, the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center has launched a felt handicraft production project. Tibetan foxes, yaks, caracals... one after another vivid felt handicrafts are born in the hands of the sisters. These small online celebrity animal felts not only allow the sisters to improve their lives and subsidize their families, but also enhance their self-confidence, allowing them to go out of the grassland and see a wider world. At the same time, it also allows them to spontaneously participate in the grassland ecological restoration work advocated by the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center. "If people do not betray the green mountains, the green mountains will not betray people." Jiatang, translated as "Rainbow Land", is responding to people's kindness in its own way.