On June 17, 2020, the second AI-Yakang World Bird Lovers Festival organized by China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) was successfully held in Ya'an, Sichuan Province. Hu Deping, chairman of CBCGDF, was unable to arrive at the event due to COVID-19 and sent a congratulatory letter for the event. The congratulatory letter from Chairman Hu is now organized and shared as follows:

Hello everyone! Unfortunately, because of the epidemic, I cannot participate in the second AI-Yakang World Bird Lovers Festival.

It is not easy in 2020. First, COVID-19 swept the world, causing a large number of people and property losses, which has caused heavy damage to human and world economic development. Then came the locust disasters in Africa and Asia, which made food production worse. In addition, the recent heavy rains in many places in the south of our country have caused waterlogging in cities. In the face of human diseases and natural disasters, it is of great significance to carry out a bird-love festival to protect nature!

We all know that human species, like thousands of other species on earth, is an integral part of earth’s biodiversity, and we have nothing special in this respect. But in terms of the impact on the earth, perhaps no other species can compare with humans. It is now accepted that the sixth biological extinction is due to human activities. Human beings continuously ask for resources from nature, which leads to the destruction or loss of the habitat of wild animals and plants. Humans continue to pollute water sources and soil through irresponsible discharge, which not only harms other species but also endangers human health.

Back to the theme of today's event, we often say "lucid waters and lush mountains", but what is "lucid waters and lush mountains"? I think we can invite the birds to be judges. Birds come here to inhabit, forage, and reproduce, which means that the environment of this place is good. If the birds do not come, I am afraid that our "lucid waters and lush mountains" have not yet reached the standard. Birds and dinosaurs are basically the same geological species. They are both oviparous vertebrates. Why did the dinosaurs go extinct, but the birds continued? This is partly because they have different attitudes towards the second generation of life. Dinosaurs do not feed their hatched eggs, and some even eat their own eggs. Birds, on the other hand, love their children very much.

As a private entrepreneur, Mr. Ai Yakang has an ideal: spare no effort to promote bird protection. Now the Bird Biodiversity Conservation Research Institute has been established with China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), and the Bird Museum has also been established in Ya'an, and a "World Bird Encyclopedia" has to be compiled. I also hope that all sectors of society can give more attention and support to public welfare people like Mr. Ai Yakang. This makes the Yi entrepreneur who came out of Daliangshan, the folk bird-lover who devotes himself to the ecological and environmental protection with the idea of public welfare, and contributes China's power to the protection and prosperity of the world's birds.

Although we have experienced many setbacks and encountered more new challenges, the future situation is not optimistic. But I think that everyone here is not a pessimist. We believe that through the adjustment of human development model, the future can be better. Here, I hope that while we human beings are going well-off, through the efforts of all walks of life, we will allow birds to live a well-off life. This is also the proper meaning of the harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

Finally, I wish the Bird Lovers Festival a complete success, and I wish you all good health and share the fragrance of birds and flowers.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF)

Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/12871.html