From:
Leslie Stone, Program Manager
Elisabeth Luce Moore Leadership Program for Chinese Women
Institute of International Education
New York, New York, USA
"While in Beijing last December (1996), I was rudely awakened in my hotel room at 6 am by Jin Jiaman who instructed me to "turn on the tv now!" I tuned into a morning news show called "Good Morning Beijing" where a reporter was enthusiastically reporting about a tree planting project bringing volunteers to a forested area just outside of Beijing to care for the needy trees there. After many wonderful shots of volunteers digging up the earth around the trees' roots (to aerate them), volunteers spoke of their desire not only to aid the trees but also to recognize the importance of the environment. The segment ended with a moving final interview with the local forester who said he had worried about the trees for years and never dreamed that a volunteer corps would provide (for free!) the kind of assistance he had no money or manpower to supply. The forester was clearly overwhelmed and deeply appreciative. What a way to wake up on a chilly Beijing winter morning! The project was obviously terrifically successful."