Welcome to “Ambassadors for Nature”, comprising an informal group of diplomatic missions in Beijing, each of which is endeavouring to manage its embassy premises and grounds in a wildlife-friendly, biodiversity-enhancing way. The initiative was launched at an Ambassadors’ Roundtable hosted at the New Zealand Embassy in July 2022. The aim is to work to align the participating diplomatic missions with the new Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed by more than 190 countries at the 15th meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Montreal in December 2022 under China’s presidency.
On this page can be found: our Pledge for Nature, resources, a list of members and latest news. If you are a representative of a diplomatic mission in Beijing not yet part of the initiative, or indeed from anywhere in the world, why not join us?
Our Pledge for Nature
Embassies and their grounds can be important refuges for urban wildlife. In recognition of the global biodiversity crisis, the Global Biodiversity Framework agreed at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) COP15 in 2022, and the importance of contributions from all sectors of society we, as ambassadors in Beijing, intend to support nature. Our Embassies will make choices that advance biodiversity. For example, we will seek to:
Undertake an audit of the wildlife in the grounds of the embassy and other diplomatic premises at least once in each season of the year
Keep records of wildlife sightings
When planting, choose native species of tree, shrubs and other plants. We will also assess the plant species already on the embassy grounds and, where practical, over time remove non-native species
Take at least two of the following measures to support wildlife:
Reduce and, as far as possible, eliminate the use of pesticides.
Allocate an area (for example, 10% of the overall area) that can be kept ‘wild’ with minimal management and erect signage explaining this to residents and visitors;
Make and erect nest boxes for birds and/or insect hotels;
Help to reduce the risk of bird collisions with glass by using bird-safe glass, ultraviolet patterns or other mitigation measures.
Promote awareness among diplomatic staff about biodiversity, including information about urban wildlife that can be found in Beijing, and the actions the embassy is taking to support nature.
Nominate a point of contact responsible for this initiative who can report to the network on the actions of the embassy, arrange the audits and report records of wildlife.
Founding members: New Zealand, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Croatia, Finland, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Norway, Peru, Romania, Singapore, Slovenia, UK and the United Nations (UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP), UNICEF.
Additional members: Brunei, Denmark, EU, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United States of America, Uruguay and Vietnam.
Partners and Advisors: Dr Wang Xiaoping of the Beijing Forest and Parks Bureau, Professor Lu Zhi of Peking University, ShanShui Conservation Center, Professor Yolanda Van Heezik of Otago University and Terry Townshend of Wild Beijing.
Latest News
16 October 2025
The Belgian Embassy has retrofitted its large areas of glass with patterned film to mitigate the risk of bird collisions. You can read the full story on WeChat and there is a post on Wild Beijing with more about the recent efforts to tackle this threat that is thought to cause the deaths of around a billion birds every year in North America alone.
25 september 2025
On 22nd September Danish Ambassador, Michael Starbæk Christensen, hosted an Ambassadors for Nature event at his residence to mark the third anniversary of the initiative. The event focused on biodiversity and the circular economy and took the opportunity to explore how to strengthen the Ambassadors for Nature network. The participants visited the Danish Embassy’s rewilding area, planted with native species with a particular emphasis on supporting pollinators, and the group heard presentations from the Embassy’s Green Committee and from Vanke Foundation on their work with the Forbidden City to recycle waste and reduce carbon emissions. Following the presentations, there was a discussion on how to strengthen the Ambassadors for Nature initiative. Everyone applauded that the group had expanded from the initial 14 members to 38 today, a reflection of the importance of, and interest in, nature. It was agreed to maintain the initiative’s informal and flexible approach, and that the initiative would benefit from a ‘spokesperson’ who could coordinate a proposed annual meeting with the Chinese Minister for Ecology and the Environment, take responsibility for media opportunities to promote the initiative and to help broaden the network to attract new members. Michael volunteered to take on the role for the first 12 months, supported by all those present.
Congratulations to Michael on becoming the Ambassadors for Nature’s first ‘spokesperson’!
23 June 2025
The French Embassy in China Inaugurates a Biodiversity Garden in the heart of Beijing
The French Embassy in China has officially opened its Biodiversity Garden, a 3,600 m² urban green space created to enhance ecological resilience and environmental awareness within the city. Launched under France’s Green Embassy initiative — a program driven by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to reduce the environmental footprint of French diplomatic missions — the project transforms a former unused land lot into a biodiversity sanctuary for over 100 plant species, many of them native or endangered.
This project, developed in partnership with the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, not only fosters biodiversity in an urban setting but also provides a model for nature-based solutions to climate challenges, including urban cooling, improved air quality, and water retention. It also highlights the importance of scientific cooperation between France and China to tackle global challenges such as climate changes and the protection of biodiversity.
French Ambassador to China, H.E. Bertrand Lortholary, inspects the new biodiversity garden.
The initiative also forms an integral part of the Ambassadors for Nature pledge, reaffirming the Embassy’s commitment to biodiversity protection and sustainable urban living. Through this garden, France further seeks to carry forward the commitments successfully achieved in 2015 with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, whose tenth anniversary is being marked this year as well as the upcoming COP 30 taking place in Belem. By joining this collective diplomatic effort in Beijing, the French Embassy underscores the importance of international cooperation in addressing environmental challenges.
Together, these initiatives reflect a shared ambition to accelerate the ecological transition, promote science-driven solutions, and contribute meaningfully to the protection of our planet’s biodiversity.
9 December 2024
On 26 November, the U.S. Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, and his wife, Ms. Elizabeth Baylies, hosted an Ambassadors for Nature event at their residence. Entitled “Unexpected Biodiversity of Beijing”, the centrepiece was a lecture by Peking University Professor Luo Shu-Jin about Beijing’s leopard cats. The audience, including ambassadors and senior diplomats from eight countries, Chinese academics, and PhD students, were treated to a wonderful presentation about the secret lives of these elusive predators which can be found in healthy numbers in the mountains and wetlands of Beijing, even inside the 6th ring road.
Ambassador Burns opening the Ambassadors for Nature event at his residence on 26 November.
Professor Luo introduced China’s 12 species of wild cat.
We learned that Beijing is one of only eight G20 capitals to host populations of wild cats and that the leopard cat is one of the “big 10” mammals in China’s capital city, alongside two species of badger, two species of weasel, masked palm civet, raccoon dog, wild boar, siberian roe deer and Chinese goral.
The Hidden World of Wildlife at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics
Professor Luo, ably supported by her students, told the story of Beijing’s leopard cats being photographed at the venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics and, at the end of the talk, presented Ambassador Burns with a personalised photograph of a leopard cat walking a trail with the downhill ski slope in the background.
Professor Luo presenting Ambassador Burns and his wife, Libby, with a personalised print of a Leopard Cat walking a trail with the Winter Olympics downhill ski slope in the background.
In his remarks, Ambassador Burns highlighted how diplomatic missions can lead by example by incorporating biodiversity and environmental practices into their operations and facilities. The Ambassador underscored the common interest of the United States, China, and other countries to work together on pressing international environmental challenges, including by tackling climate change at the recently concluded COP 29.
The Ambassadors for Nature initiative is an informal group of 36 ambassadors who have developed and committed to the Pledge for Nature with the aim of incorporating biodiversity into the way diplomatic green spaces are managed and promoting biodiversity among staff and in diplomatic exchanges. For more about the initiative, see this link: https://wildbeijing.org/the-ambassadors-for-nature-initiative/
8 December 2024
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, André Haspels, officially joined the Ambassadors for Nature initiative, becoming the 37th member of the initiative. Welcome, Ambassador!
30 September 2024
We are delighted to receive a letter from the Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg who is joining the Ambassadors for Nature initiative as the 36th member! Welcome H.E. Mr. Rol Reiland.
10 September 2024
Ambassadors for Nature is two years old! To mark the occasion, the Belgian Ambassador, Bruno Angelet, hosted a special reception at the new Belgian Embassy (the first zero carbon embassy in Beijing). We heard how the initiative has grown from the original 14 members to 35 today, and how the initiative has been infectious.. with schools also adopting the Pledge for Nature and Embassies in other countries now considering setting up similar initiatives.
We heard case studies – or annual progress reports – from the Ambassadors of Switzerland (a new wildlife pond, erection of bat and bird boxes and rewilding areas), UNDP (rewilding and bird boxes) and New Zealand (energy audits, native species planting and a focus on migratory birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway), followed by Chris Liu, a student from the Western Academy of Beijing, about how his school had adopted and implemented the Pledge for Nature, with a response from Professor Lu Zhi from Peking University.
The keynote address was delivered by the Acting Vice President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Hun Kim, about how the Bank is integrating biodiversity into its strategy and operations.
The energy and commitment displayed by the 35 members reflected the growing importance of this agenda and a recognition that by supporting biodiversity, we were supporting ourselves, such was the human reliance on nature and the services it provides.
Looking ahead, it was hoped the initiative would continue to expand and it was exciting that Brazil was represented for the first time at this event. Ambassadors were encouraged to build on the progress thus far to identify opportunities to promote biodiversity, as well as further integrating nature into bilateral and multilateral discussions.
To the future!
Bruno Angelet, the Belgian Ambassador, opened the special meeting to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Ambassadors for Nature initiative,
Swiss Ambassador, Jurg Burri, with the help of photographic props, briefed how the Embassy had created a wildlife pond, allocated three ‘rewilding’ areas and erected bat and bird boxes to support biodiversity in the Embassy grounds.
Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Beate Trankmann, delivered UNDP’s annual progress report.
New Zealand Ambassador, Grahame Morton, gave an update on his Embassy’s progress, including the special focus on bilateral work with China to support migratory birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
Chris Liu, a student from the Western Academy of Beijing, presented how the school had adopted the Pledge for Nature and how students had led on implementing elements of the pledge.
Acting Vice President, Hun Kim, from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), delivered a keynote speech on how the Bank was integrating biodiversity into its strategy and operations.
16 August 2024
To celebrate National Ecology Day, the New Zealand Embassy hosted an event to celebrate migratory shorebirds of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway that connect New Zealand with Siberia and Alaska via China’s Yellow Sea. Participants included the deputy Mayor of Dandong, the city that administers the Yalu Jiang Estuary, an important stopover site for many migratory shorebirds which was recently inscribed as a World Heritage Site in recognition of its importance to migratory birds. Senior officials from Liaoning Province Foreign Affairs Department, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and senior diplomats from other Flyway countries and the Ambassadors for Nature initiative all participated in the celebration, providing an opportunity to discuss the potential to strengthen collaboration in support of biodiversity goals. Big thanks to Ambassador Grahame Morton and his team for hosting this meaningful event.
Bar-tailed Godwit visuals
Image 3 of 5
21 June 2024
The Belgian Embassy hosted a nature photography exhibition, with all photos taken by two Belgian diplomats, including Bart Vodderie, Deputy Head of Mission.
The exhibition will be open to the public from 24 June to 4 July from 1400-1600 each day. To register, scan the QR code below.
5 June 2024
For World Environment Day, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Danish Embassy in Beijing, the Danish Ambassador hosted a celebratory garden party with the theme of environment and sustainability. One of the stands showcased the actions of the embassy Green Committee to support biodiversity and awareness as part of the commitment to the Pledge for Nature. The images below show the “willfully wild” area that was ‘buzzing’ with pollinators (pun intended) and a poster of the birds that can be seen in the embassy compound throughout the year.
Danish Ambassador to China, Thomas Østrup Møller, opened the event with a speech to celebrate both 50 years of the Danish Embassy in China and the embassy’s efforts to support nature (photo courtesy of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark).
The Danish embassy’s “willfully wild” area has been planted with native pollinator-friendly species and looks stunning as well as ‘buzzing’ with pollinators.
A poster has been created to celebrate the birds that have been recorded in the embassy compound, compiled by the embassy’s resident birder, Catherine Dong.
31 May 2024
The Swiss Embassy’s new pond is looking fabulous! Congratulations to Ambassador Jurg Burri and his team, especially Andre von Ah, for creating a wonderful addition to the embassy’s green space that is not only great for wildlife but also looks incredible.
20 May 2024
Thank you to the Slovenian Ambassador, H.E. Alenka Suhadolnik, for hosting a special event to mark “World Bee Day”. The workshop was entitled “THE PLAN BEE: Agrifood and environmental systems resilience and sustainability“. After an introduction by the Ambassador and a presentation by the Asian Apicultural Science Association, the Polliantor Protectors Alliance launched their pollinators toolkit, providing practical advice to developers about how to incorporate the needs of pollinators into landscape planning. Following that, Terry Townshend moderated a panel discussion involving the Ambassadors from Malta, Mozambique, New Zealand and Slovenia, alongside UNFAO China and the Asian Apicultural Science Association, to discuss how the agriculture sector can feed 8 billion people while tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
H.E. Alenka Suhadolnik opened the event in the Bulgari Hotel garden
Nina Pejic from the Slovenian Embassy compered the morning’s proceedings
Chu Boyao, on behalf of Colorful Earth, introduced the Pollinator Protectors Alliance toolkit. The toolkit can be downloaded by scanning the QR code below.
The panel discussion involved Ambassadors from Malta, Mozambique, New Zealand and Slovenia, alongside UN FAO and the Asian Apicultural Science Association.
H.E.Maria Gustava, Ambassador of Mozambique to China, spoke eloquently about the impacts of climate change on the agriculture sector in Mozambique and the need for greater international cooperation, including support from developed countries.
The event was a wonderful way to recognise the vital role played by pollinators and to explore the complex challenges of agricultural productivity, biodiversity loss and climate change.
23 April 2024
Thanks to the Swiss Embassy, especially Andre von Ah, for hosting a lunch for the Ambassadors for Nature network to celebrate the completion of the new embassy pond, and for sharing the story about how they did it!
The new Swiss Embassy pond has already hosted a pair of Mallard and is awaiting the arrival of the first dragonflies and frogs!
9 March 2024
The Swiss Embassy’s pond project is making good progress, an initiative as part of their commitment to Ambassadors for Nature. Photos courtesy of Andre von Ah.
9 November 2023
Swiss Ambassador, JurgBurri, and his team hosted the latest Ambassadors for Nature meeting at the Ambassador’s residence. Andre von Ah provided a tour of the grounds to showcase the impressive efforts the Swiss Embassy has made to encourage biodiversity. The grounds now have two ‘wild’ areas, constituting more than 10% of the total area, where management is minimal in order to allow the native plants to thrive, in turn attracting insects and other wildlife. The embassy team has also planted an area with native flowers to support pollinators and installed two large insect hotels, along with two bat boxes, special nest boxes for the Beijing Swift, with other nest boxes for Japanese/Marsh Tits, White-cheeked Starlings and owls. A composting area, taking the embassy’s kitchen waste, provides compost for two small organic vegetable patches which supply the embassy’s kitchen.
After the tour, the participating ambassadors and senior diplomats were invited into the warm to enjoy a presentation (see PDF below) by Tan Lingdi and Cui Jingyun of ShanShui Conservation Centre on the insects of Beijing and how to help them, followed by a lively Q&A.
Heartfelt thanks to Ambassador Burri and his team for the inspiring event!
Swiss Ambassador to China, Jurg Burri, presented Tan Lingdi (centre) and Cui Jingyun (left) with boxes of Swiss chocolates to thank them for their presentation about insects in Beijing.
Andre von An from the Swiss Embassy leading the tour of the Ambassador’s residence to showcase the efforts to support biodiversity.
One of the ‘rewilding’ areas at the ambassador’s residence, including wood and rock piles to support small mammals and reptiles.
The Belgian Embassy, led by Ambassador Bruno Angelet, hosted a special event to celebrate the Beijing Swift (北京雨燕), the capital’s most iconic bird that commutes between Beijing, where it breeds between April and July, and southern Africa (Namibia, South Africa and Botswana), passing through more than 30 countries on its journey. Remarkably, it seems very likely these birds do not land at all from when they leave Beijing in July until they return the following April, eating, drinking and even sleeping in the air. Diplomats from 18 countries, including six at Ambassador level, participated in the event that heard from the Beijing Municipal Government and Chinese academics about the research thus far, including the recent discovery of the migration route and non-breeding grounds in Africa, powered by an array of volunteers and international cooperation between scientists from China, Belgium, Sweden and UK. There was great enthusiasm to deepen international cooperation to discover more secrets about this incredible bird and the outcome was agreement to set up a technical working group involving interested parties to discuss specific plans for spring 2024 and beyond. Potentially, this will be the first concrete project under the auspices of the Ambassadors for Nature initiative!
His Excellency, Bruno Angelet, Ambassador of Belgium to China, hosted the event to celebrate the Beijing Swift (Photo credit: Bart Vodderie)
Diplomats from 18 countries, including six Ambassadors, participated in the meeting.
The Namibian Ambassador to China, His Excellency Elia George Kaiyamo, was enthusiastic about cooperating on Beijing Swift research, adding that “the Beijing Swift puts Namibia on the map!” (Photo credit: Bart Vodderie).
Chinese scientists, including Professor Liu Yang from Sun Yat-sen University, provided an overview of what we know so far about the incredible journeys of the Beijing Swift.
The chronology of the Beijing Swift research at the Summer Palace.
Ambassadors for Nature, the Beijing Municipal Government and Chinese scientists team photo (Photo credit: Bart Vodderie)
28 September 2023
A productive meeting at the Belgian Embassy, hosted by Ambassador Bruno Angelet (second from left), to prepare for the next Ambassadors for Nature meeting on 16 October, a meeting that will be dedicated to celebrating the Beijing Swift. It promises to be a memorable day with speakers including Chinese scientists who will tell us what we know so far about this incredible bird. Ambassadors from the swift’s non-breeding range, including South Africa, Botswana and Namibia have been invited alongside the Ambassadors for Nature network. Watch this space!
19 September 2023
The Western Academy of Beijing hosted an interactive dialogue between students and diplomats to share experiences about sustainability, including promoting biodiversity. Presentations by students, the founder of Aurora Academy, China’s first zero-waste school, and the Icelandic Ambassador set up the discussion.
Student groups at WAB are leading on delivery of each of the school’s sustainability priorities, including rewilding an area around ‘duck lake’.
The Aurora School, close to the Wenyu River in Chaoyang, is China’s first zero-waste school. An inspirational presentation by its founder, Xie Kang.
The Icelandic Ambassador to China spoke about Iceland’s drive for 100% renewable electricity, primarily driven by national resources such as geothermal energy.
13 September 2023
Uruguay’s Ambassador to China, Fernando Lugris, becomes the 34th member of the Ambassadors for Nature initiative. Welcome, Fernando!
18 August 2023
The Swiss Ambassador, Jurg Burri, has joined the Ambassadors for Nature initiative. Switzerland becomes the 33rd country to join. Here he is receiving his copy of “Birds of Beijing” in front of a (5-star?) insect hotel, recently installed in the embassy grounds.
Swiss Ambassador, Jurg Burri (second from left) receiving his copy of TheBirds of Beijing in front of an insect hotel recently installed in the embassy grounds as part of the embassy’s actions to implement the Pledge for Nature.
10 August 2023
Incoming Belgian Ambassador, Bruno Angelet, and his new deputy head of mission, Bart Vodderie, receive their copies of “The Birds of Beijing” and confirm the Belgian Embassy’s ongoing commitment to the Ambassadors for Nature initiative. Bruno has a particular passion for the Swift and is hoping to contribute to promoting the Beijing Swift and its protection during his time in China. Look out for some exciting initiatives coming soon!
Bruno Angelet (right), new Ambassador of Belgium to China, and his deputy, BartVodderie, receiving their copies of The Birds of Beijing at the Belgian Embassy on 10 August.
28 July 2023
The Ambassadors for Nature initiative is one year old! To celebrate, H.E. Dr Ann Derwin, Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to China, hosted a seminar to commemorate the occasion.
Speakers included 王小平 Dr. Wang Xiaoping, Deputy Director General of Beijing Forest and Parks Bureau, 钱时雨 Qian Shiyu from the Urban Biodiversity team at ShanShui Conservation Center, Chris Liu, a grade 10 student from the Western Academy of Beijing and Irish artist Niamh Cunningham.
H.E. Dr. Ann Derwin, Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to China, speaking at the opening of the one year anniversary event.
We heard how the initiative has expanded from 14 original members to 32 today, all of whom have signed up to the Pledge for Nature at ambassadorial level, and about the individual actions at embassies in Beijing, including:
The Irish embassy allocating a wild area with an area greater than 10% and, in spring, it was awash with colour and a haven for pollinators.
France initiating a ‘green embassy’ initiative looking at reducing emissions and supporting biodiversity to align with the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Global Biodiversity Framework
The New Zealand embassy piloting ultraviolet patterns on glass windows to help reduce bird collisions
The Swedish embassy’s elimination of pesticide and herbicide use
Indonesia’s planting of the embassy grounds using only native species
US creation of a wildlife pond and planting of native trees and replacing of traditional vehicles with electric vehicles
UNDP holding capacity building events for staff and making and erecting bird boxes and insect hotels
Belgian embassy hosting a seminar for embassy gardeners to help share best practice
…and many more!
The participants also heard about efforts to ‘export’ the initiative to the diplomatic network beyond Beijing, with efforts underway in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Dr. Wang Xiaoping briefed about the new guidelines for the management of parks in Beijing, in particular the recommendation that 10% of the area of parks in urban Beijing should be left ‘wild’ with minimal management, with the target figure increasing to 20% for suburban parks. This was all part of the vision to make Beijing “a capital of biodiversity”.
Dr. Wang Xiaoping, Deputy Director General of the Beijing Forest and Parks Bureau (which manages 71% of Beijing’s landmass) briefed on the city’s efforts to make Beijing “a capital of biodiversity”.
Chris Liu, a grade 10 student at the Western Academy of Beijing, spoke about how the school had adopted the Pledge for Nature and had teams of students leading on various aspects of implementation, including ‘rewilding’ an area around their ‘duck lake’, monitoring wildlife using infrared cameras and photographing and identifying plants and insects using an APP called “Seek”, designing insect hotels and erecting swift boxes.
Qian Shiyu of ShanShui Conservation Center, who arrived straight from a pollinator survey in the Botanical Gardens, briefed about the ‘audits’ of embassy grounds undertaken at the German and Danish embassies and how the team was working with the embassies to implement the recommendations.
Irish artist, Niamh Cunningham, presented samples of her work promoting nature through art, including ‘tree stories’, short videos produced by members of the public about special trees.
During the discussion, attention focused on how to build on the year’s achievements, including the potential for an annual award to recognise and highlight extraordinary efforts, a series of interviews with ambassadors to explore why biodiversity is important to them and to learn more about individual embassies’ activities, the potential to design a short leaflet with the pledge for nature that could be translated into multiple languages to help spread the word, and the importance of involving diplomatic children in embassy initiatives.
With the enthusiasm and energy from the embassies, there is no doubt that year two promises to be an exciting journey!
Thank you so much to Dr. Ann Derwin, Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to China, and her team for hosting the event, to the Beijing Municipal Government and ShanShui Conservation Center for their incredible support, to WAB for the excellent collaboration and to all the embassies for fabulous work throughout the last 12 months.
30 May 2023
Irish Ambassador, Dr. Ann Derwin, presents the Ambassadors for Nature initiative in the opening high-level session of a symposium on “Cities and Nature” in Shenzhen, organised in partnership with the Mayor of Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Center for International Exchange and Cooperation and Paulson Institute.
22 May 2023
To celebrate World Biodiversity Day, the French Ambassador to China, Bertrand Lortholary, formally joined the Ambassadors for Nature initiative, becoming the 31st member. Watch his video message below.
— La France en Chine 🇫🇷🇪🇺 法国驻华使馆 (@France_en_Chine) May 22, 2023
Ambassador Bertrand Lortholary took his position in Beijing in March 2023. Ambassador Lortholary is personally committed to environmental protection and immediately launched the “Ambassade verte” (Green Embassy) project in order to improve the Embassy’s carbon footprint. Joining the Ambassadors for Nature initiative is the continuation of this project.
French Ambassador to China, Bertrand Lortholary.
5 May 2023
ShanShui Conservation Center carried out an audit of the Danish Embassy premises with a view to presenting suggestions on how to manage the compound in a more nature-friendly way.
28 April 2023
The first Ambassadors for Nature field trip took place on Friday 28th April. The trip was hosted by the Miyun District government and arranged by the Irish Ambassador to China, Ann Derwin, and her team. The group visited the Qingshui River, one of the rivers that drains into Miyun Reservoir, Beijing’s most important drinking water reservoir and a hotspot for migratory waterbirds. As well as a two-hour birding walk, the group heard a presentation from Zhang Dehuai of the Miyun Reservoir Forest and Parks Bureau about ongoing efforts to manage the area for wildlife, including a new project to try to create more habitat for migratory cranes. In addition, Tan Lingdi from ShanShui Conservation Center briefed on the local NGO’s urban conservation work and the results of, and recommendations from, a recent ‘wildlife audit’ of the German Embassy compound.
A lecture by Miyun Forest and Parks Bureau about efforts to manage the area for wildlife
Tan Lingdi from ShanShui Conservation Center presented the results of a ‘wildlife audit’ of the German Embassy compound.
UNDP Resident Representative Beate Trankmann, watches a Long-billed Plover during the bird walk.
The Ambassadors for Nature group at the Qingshui River.
The group consisted of ambassadors and senior diplomats from Ireland, Denmark, Japan, Latvia, United Nations and United States of America, and there was no doubt about the most popular bird sighting – two roosting Oriental Scops Owls (Otus sunia 红角鸮 Hóng jiǎo xiāo) close to the path.
Huge thanks to the Miyun Foreign Affairs Bureau for hosting the group, to Ambassador Ann Derwin, Republic of Ireland Ambassador to China, and her team, especially Fergus Scott and Meng Li, to Tan Lingdi from ShanShui Conservation Center and to all the participants for joining.
20 April 2023
Following a meeting with the Danish Embassy, the Danish Ambassador to China, Ambassador Thomas Østrup Møller, has joined the Ambassadors for Nature initiative. Welcome!
23 March 2023
The visiting New Zealand Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Nanaia Mahuta, was presented with a copy of the “Birds of Beijjng” by Professor Lv Zhi of Peking University.
7 December 2022
US Ambassador, Nicholas Burns, is the newest member of the Ambassadors for Nature. Here he is receiving a copy of the recently published “Birds of Beijing”. Nicholas and his wife are avid birders and bee-keepers and are looking forward to playing an active role in the group.
2 December 2022
Alenka Suhadolnik, the Slovenian Ambassador to China, hosted a “honey breakfast” to celebrate bees and other pollinators. The breakfast included a short presentation (see slides below this post) from Professor Chen Lihong of the Apicultural Science Association of China (ASAC) covering the value of bees, showcasing the most important native pollen and nectar trees and plants in Beijing. Discussions are underway about the ASAC supporting embassies to host bee hives in their compounds as part of the Ambassadors for Nature initiative. Huge thanks to Alenka and her team for hosting the event.
The UN Development Programme, led by Resident Representative Beate Trankmann, hosted the latest Ambassadors for Nature meeting at the UN compound in Liangmaqiao. Despite the challenging Covid-related restrictions, the meeting was joined by representatives from France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Slovenia and the US. The meeting was an opportunity to thank Clare Fearnley, outgoing New Zealand Ambassador, for her vision, leadership and energy in setting up the group, to hear about UNDP’s actions so far to manage their compound in a more low carbon and nature-friendly way, and to participate in a screening of a documentary on the Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey, followed by a Q&A with Chinese wildlife photographer, Xi Zhinong.
29 October 2022
A seminar on the birds of Beijing, including how to identify the most likely species to be seen in the centre of the city, was held at the New Zealand Embassy on Saturday 29 October. More than 20 representatives from diplomatic missions in Beijing participated.
A PDF of the lecture (without the videos and sounds) can be found here:
This page is hosted by Wild Beijing on behalf of the Ambassadors for Nature initiative.
Header image: Ambassadors and representatives from diplomatic missions at the launch of the “Ambassadors for Nature” initiative at the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing, July 2022
Danish Ambassador to China, Thomas Østrup Møller, opened the event with a speech to celebrate both 50 years of the Danish Embassy in China and the embassy’s efforts to support nature (photo courtesy of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark).
The Namibian Ambassador to China, His Excellency Elia George Kaiyamo, was enthusiastic about cooperating on Beijing Swift research, adding that “the Beijing Swift puts Namibia on the map!” (Photo credit: Bart Vodderie).
