Wolong, China

The last time I was at home, I came across this show on OLN which follows a guy as he travels around the world. His destination on this show was China. I couldn't have been a happier person falling upon this episode.

Deep in the Balang mountains, about a four hours' drive from Chengdu, is Wolong. This small community is home to The Wolong Giant Panda Reserve Centre. This incredible nature reserve was founded with the help of the government of the People's Republic of China as well as the World Wildlife Fund. This centre does a great deal of research with the animals (positive animal research - to learn more and help increase the depleted number of GPs in the wild), and has become a leader in Panda breeding.

(Image of Wolong Nature Reserve, found on:
- www.gaylenfrysinger.com/pandas.htm -
How beautiful is this place?)

Last night, I spent some time researching more about this Centre and how I might be able to visit this area. I wanted to learn more about Wolong and how a backpacker might be able to experience this part of China. I found this incredible website that provided tours for people. Anyway, to make what could become a very long story (cause I was incredibly excited to find this information) short, for what I would look at as a minimal cost US (cause this would be a dream come true) you can spend between 2-24 days VOLUNTEERING at the centre while staying on site at the Panda Inn. All the while learning more about the nature reserve, hiking through surrounding mountains and tracing wild pandas, and your money goes to help with the growth of the centre.

This place is a dream come true. When I was a little girl, my dream was to go to University in BC for Zoology, specialization in Giant Pandas, and learn to speak Chinese, so that I could then move to China and establish a Panda reservation. Of course, I was young with these thoughts, and of course many projects were already in play (that zoologists were already creating this sort of Panda sanctuary). Then one day, I saw "Gorillas in the Mist" and my thoughts on living in the wilderness studying these beautiful animals went down the drain.

Ever since that one show aired on OLN, I was determined to make Wolong part of my trip in Oceania & Asia, but now more than ever, I am certain that I will begin my journey here and most likely spend the first month of my time away from home volunteering at this centre. How wonderful of an opportunity is this?

My parents are planning a trip to Malaysia (more specifically Northern Borneo) to visit the Sepilok Nature Resort (which is walking distance from the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve) home of the last Orang-utans of Northern Borneo. I was thinking about my mom when I found this volunteering opportunity. I can imagine that once I start posting images of working at Wolong, my mom will be itching to travel to Malaysia.

Mom, you can always join me in Wolong if you would like - because I can imagine you would love it there too!!! I hope for my parents' sake that Sepilok has a similar volunteering opportunity that they can work hand in hand with the Orang-utans. What an incredible opportunity this world has to offer - and the ability to interact with these beautiful creatures is a tremendous blessing! : )

To Wolong we go.