The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has mobilized an army of chickens and other birds as an effective and environmentally friendly way of combating swarms of locusts along the China-Kyrgyzstan border.Some 2,200 chickens will be used to battle the invasive species for the first time in Wushi county, Aksu.This year, about 3,867 hectares of grasslands in Wushi have been overrun by locusts, with the pests ravaging pastures, gorging on grassroots and forcing dozens of herding families to evacuate to more sustainable areas.The phenomenon caused direct economic losses of over 1 million yuan ($159,000) last year, according to the regional pest control authority.Xinjiang usually sprays insecticides to halt the spread of the locusts, which is effective in killing the insects, but has also harmed the natural environment and wiped out beneficial species, said Yang Zhong, deputy director of a field station with the Wushi Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau.This year, hungry fowls will be given free of charge to 363 villagers in Wushi, with 1,004 chickens so far distributed to 170 villagers.Authorities will also guide herdsmen on how to raise poultry, as well as on ways to use the birds to protect the environment while raising local incomes, the bureau said."Chickens are excellent natural predators of locusts. One chicken can catch over 600 locusts a day and can cover half a hectare of grassland," Yang said. "There has been a decline in the locust population in several counties where the measure has been adopted."The number of locusts per hectare has dropped 75 percent in areas where the chickens have been foraging. About 100 of the birds won the battle last year over an area of 534 hectares in Wushi where locusts had been rampant, Yang added.Wushi villager Harmat Mamat was given 10 chickens last year. He said it is an environmentally friendly way of tackling the locust problem - and also means more eggs to eat."These chickens crave locusts, which not only saves on feeding costs, but also improves the sustainability of the pasture. The chickens also provide eggs for the family and can raise our income when we've enough to sell," he said.The chicken army is not alone in the fight, though. Its fine-feathered friends - ducks and other birds - have also been deployed by the regional government to keep the locust numbers down.Contact the writers at [email protected]custom id braceletscheapest place to buy silicone wristbandsdesign your own rubber bracelet onlinesilicone medical alert wristbandscustom silicone wristbands
HONG KONG - A ceremony was held here Saturday to mark the founding of Hong Kong STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Education Alliance, which aims to foster the development of STEM education and innovation and technology (I&T) in Hong Kong.Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Carrie Lam, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR Wang Zhimin and some other guests officiated at the ceremony.Through liaising with people who support, promote and lead the development of STEM education in Hong Kong, the alliance aims to enhance students' interest in science and technology and strengthen students' necessary knowledge.Speaking at the ceremony, Lam said that the Hong Kong SAR government puts a lot of emphasis on nurturing innovation and technology talent. In her latest policy address, she proposed to provide, starting from the 2019/20 school year, a new recurrent Life-wide Learning Grant with an annual provision of 900 million HK dollars (about $115 million).Lam said the grant will support schools to take forward, on the present foundation, life-wide learning with enhanced efforts through organizing more out-of-classroom experiential learning activities in various curriculum areas such as STEM education, so as to broaden students' horizons and foster their overall development.Tsui Lap-chee, president of the alliance said that for the purpose of Hong Kong becoming an international innovation and technology center, the alliance will train a huge number of scientific and technological talents with creativity and comprehensive, collaborative and problem-solving skills.The alliance will also promote STEM activities and organize STEM competition to support STEM education in Hong Kong.The 1st Hong Kong STEM Education Forum was also held by the alliance on Saturday, with the attendance of more than 700 experts, teachers and students. (1 US dollar = 7.82 HK dollars)
