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President
of the China Exploration and Research
Society, former photojournalist and
expedition leader with the National
Geographic Society
His
boundless curiosity has taken him
to the most remote regions of China
where, for 30 years, he has photographed
the diverse people and endangered
species of that nation's compelling
environments. His commitment has
led to ongoing work to document and
conserve the rich heritage of these
fragile societies.
For
the extraordinary artistry of his
work, for the pathbreaking success
of his discoveries, and for the international
awareness he has brought to his exploration
activities, Wong How Man has been
named the 2002 Distinguished Alumnus
at the University of Wisconsin-River
Falls.
The
journey from UW-River Falls student
to "China's most accomplished
living explorer" (TIME magazine)
is a remarkable story, reflecting
one man's personal philosophy that
"solving a worthwhile problem
soothes the heart; using an innovative
approach is where the fun and challenge
come in."
Student
It
was chance that brought Wong How
Man to River Falls from Hong Kong
in 1969. Having been accepted at
three schools, he chose this university
because the name conjured up images
of a wonderful waterfall beside which
he could live and study. While disappointed
by the falls, the rest of the River
Falls experience was rewarding.
"Turns
out to be one of the best choices
of my life," he concludes. "My
training under those two curricula
[he double-majored in journalism
and art] provided me with an inquisitive
and artistic mind. Today, that training,
and the human sensitivity I learned
from River Falls, have brought me
from journalistic and artistic work
to conservation projects with both
nature and culture in remote China."
As
a student, Wong served two years
as president of the International
Students Organization, acted in such
school plays as "Three Penny
Opera" and "Land of the
Dragon," and worked in the audio
visual department. He also fished
in the Kinnickinnic; survived and
"learned to love" Wisconsin
winters; discovered American football,
rodeo and the joys of horseback riding
in the fall; and began "drinking
milk like water" at Rodli Commons.
He
left River Falls in 1973, three credits
short of a degree-an incomplete in
press law that he finished in time
to graduate with the class of 1976.
But his ties to his alma mater remain
strong. Wong returned to campus in
the early 1990s as a guest lecturer,
and he has donated copies of his
books and CD-ROMS to Chalmer Davee
Library. His son, Kaigee, also attended
UW-River Falls for a year as an art
major.
Photojournalist
Following
college, Wong returned to China to
take up duties as a free-lance photographer
and journalist. Beginning in 1979
his assignments led to exploration
of remote China and its minority
ethnic populations. Then, from 1982
to 1986, he led six expeditions for
the National Geographic Society,
one of which studied the Yangtze
River from mouth to source, discovering
a new source for the river in 1985.
Although
exploration satisfied Wong's thirst
for knowledge and adventure, he soon
found himself charting a more challenging
path toward conservation. In a recent
Time magazine article that named
him a "Hero of Asia," he
explained the transition. "Everywhere
I went I encountered people and customs
that I knew were going to vanish
almost as soon as I'd photographed
them. I realized that to be an explorer
in today's world you can't escape
becoming a conservationist."
So,
in 1986, Wong founded the China Exploration
and Research Society (CERS), a nonprofit
organization with a clear mission:
to explore remote regions of China,
conduct multidisciplinary research,
implement nature and culture conservation
projects, and disseminate results
through education and popular channels.
Currently,
CERS is conducting 12 projects across
China. One involves the 45,000 square-kilometer
Altun Mountain Nature Reserve in
northwestern China. Here, Wong's
research team is surveying the reserve's
wildlife-Tibetan Antelope, often
poached for their cashmere undercoat;
the Wild Yak, which exists in isolated
pockets; and the playful Wild Ass,
which has come to symbolize the reserve.
Explorer
Other
CERS projects include:
locating lost cities along the historic
Silk Road through the use of NASA's
Shuttle Imaging Radar, which can
sense once flourishing oases beneath
the ever-shifting desert sands.
- conserving
Palpung and Baiya monasteries on
the Tibetan plateau, a process
that involves carefully removing
historic murals before repairing
the walls and strengthening the
foundations underneath.
- saving
the Black-necked Crane, one of
only 15 crane species in the world,
which spends its entire life cycle
on the Tibetan plateau. CERS is
studying breeding sites and monitoring
its winter habitat.
- preserving
a Moso village at Luguhu, one of
China's few remaining matrilineal
communities. Without hindering growth,
CERS is attempting to protect village
architecture from destruction as
well as preserving ethnic handicrafts
and stories
of Moso heritage.
For
Wong, innovative ways used to conduct
projects can produce the most impressive
results. Case in point is a restoration
project at a Tibetan nunnery. "The
financial investment to cover labor
and building materials was relatively
insignificant," he relates,
"but by hiring local villagers
to work hand-in-hand with the nuns,
we created an exciting dynamic. For
a long time, there had been tension
in the community between the nuns
and the villagers. Bringing them
together to work on the restoration
project made them close friends.
This change in their relationship
cannot be measured by dollar value
nor time invested."
Conservationist
When
not in the field, Wong spends much
of his time spreading the word about
China's vast natural and cultural
treasures.
He's
an untiring speaker, traveling the
world to share what he's learned.
His series of lectures at universities
was voted the best by the international
Young Presidents Organization (YPO).
And he provides advice to numerous
international agencies, governing
bodies, and foundations, including
the United Nations.
Wong
has authored numerous books on China
exploration, including Exploring
the Yangtze and Islamic Frontiers
of China. His 1999 From Manchuria
to Tibet won the prestigious Lowell
Thomas Travel Journalism Gold Award
in America. Two CD-ROMS he produced,
Exploring the Yangtze and Tibet,
won 11 and five international awards
respectively.
His
work is regularly featured on international
television on such networks as CNN,
ABC, CNBC, the Discovery Channel
and others. Often hailed as a latter
day Marco Polo, Wong How Man has
redefined the role of an international
explorer for those who would follow
in his footsteps. His quest takes
him beyond mere discovery to ensure
that the world he encounters remains
for others to discover as well. In
his own words: "As an explorer,
I aim to instill the spirit of exploration
into new geographic discoveries.
I also hope that spirit permeates
the selection, design and execution
of our conservation projects."
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