Yangtze River Headwaters Volunteering Day 15 长江源志愿工作第15天

This is a series of journals recording my days in the Yangtze River Headwaters volunteering project. I will try to update every day but there might be delays in the days I work in the wild without the internet. I’m also trying to write bilingual if time allows. Like it? Follow my Instagram (@anar.chica.yichenguo) for updates!
这是我参与长江源志愿工作的一系列记录。我争取每日更新，但在野外工作没有网络的那些日子会有延迟。在时间允许的情况下，也会尽量使用中英双语。喜欢的话，关注我的Ins账号(@anar.chica.yichenguo)获取更新吧！

I had a shower back in town yesterday and immediately felt a few pounds lighter, which also provided a sanitary condition for my period that happened to come. In the past living with period in the wild is very inconvenient for me. Especially here that all trash shall be taken back to town， bringing all kinds of inconvenience and awkwardness. But since I started to focus on environmental protection, I have been particularly paying attention to every aspect of life to reduce ‘environmental footprint’, especially trash generation.

On average every modern female who uses sanitary pads consumes over 10,000 pads in her lifetime. And they are made of plastics not easy to degrade. I used to witness multiple sanitary pads and diapers on the ancient canal surface in my hometown. They not only made a bad view but also damage the marine ecosystem once they flow to the sea. I heard tens of years ago before the pad was invented, the older generations used cotton cloth, and then newspapers. Many other modern inventions are like this too – more and more convenient, more and more single used items, more and more wastes, and pollutions. In recent years, while environmental protection is being emphasized, many single used things are restricted. This is very good. And for sanitary pads, the single-use items which are consumed in big quantities and not for recycling, several kinds of alternatives are being sold in the market already. After a lot of research and comparison, I’ve completely upgraded my period solution. Sanitary pads are bygones now. Luna cup + washable organic cotton pads (which is not even necessary if using the cup well) reduce the trash generation to zero. Just a little bit inconvenience trades for a better environment and lowers risk and awkwardness from using sanitary pads or tampons. And you’ll be free to do any sport as you like. 

Coming back to the lovely birds of Bende Lake. The tragic grebe couple yesterday came back to the old home from time to time. Sometimes they just came to have a look, sometimes even mate there. But they never built a nest again seriously. Good news is that when we have a camera moved closer to another nest on the surface, we saw some three or four eggs in it. I pray for their successful hatching. Watching closely.

The two babies of the black-necked cranes are also growing quickly and healthily. For the whole day today, we did not see any sign of fights between them. Instead, I saw the beautiful scene of two little figures walking side by side. I hope they break the 50% survival curse and both live on happily together.

昨天回唐镇洗了个澡，感觉浑身轻了几斤。也刚巧为恰好到来的生理期提供良好的卫生状况。过去对我来说，生理期在野外是很不方便的一件事。尤其是这里所有垃圾都不能留在班德湖，最后都要带回唐镇，各种不便和尴尬随之而来。但自打积极投身环保，我有意识地在生活的每一方面都注重降低“环境足迹”，尤其是垃圾的产生。

现代平均每一位女性一生消耗的卫生巾为一万多片，而卫生巾所使用的材质又是不易分解的塑料。我曾在家乡的古运河边看到数个漂浮在河面上的卫生巾和尿不湿，影响风景不说，最终流入大海后对海洋生态也会造成很多的不良后果。听说几十年前还没有这项发明的时候，老一两辈的人会使用棉布，随后是报纸。而现代很多其他的发明也都是这样的规律，越来越便利，越来越多一次性使用的物品，越来越多的浪费和污染。近年来随着环保逐渐被提上日程，许多一次性的物品受到打压。这是绝大的好事。而对于卫生巾这种使用量巨大，又无法回收利用的一次性物品，市面上也有了不少替代品。经过多番对比研究，我已彻底升级换代了我的生理期方案。普通卫生巾已是过去式了，使用月亮杯+有机棉可洗卫生巾（只是以防万一，月亮杯技术好都不需要这个），生理期的垃圾制造量瞬间降为零。自己稍微麻烦一点点，不但环保，也没有了使用卫生巾或棉条对身体的各种潜在危害和尴尬，更可以随意折腾，上山下海无所限。

说回班德湖可爱的鸟儿们。昨天悲剧的一对鸊鷉偶尔还是会回到那个岸边，有时只是看看，有时甚至会交配，但再也没有在那里认真地筑巢了。好在今天移了相机得以近距离观察另一窝水面上的鸊鷉，欣喜地发现窝里有三四个蛋。祈祷它们顺利孵化。严密观察中。

黑颈鹤的两个宝宝也在迅速地健康成长。今天一整天也没有见到他们打架的迹象，倒是看到两个可爱的小背影一起散步的美好画面。希望他们打破生存率百分之五十的诅咒，一起活下来。