When spring arrived at Dazhanhe Wetland in Heilongjiang province, remnants of ice still covered the water's surface. Dressed in camouflage clothing, Gu Yanchang stood by his camera and telescope, his eyes fixed on the white-naped cranes gliding low across the sky.

Gu, 52, a forestry engineer and director of the Wetland Research Institute at the Zhanhe Forestry Bureau's Wetland Management Office of the State-owned China Longjiang Forest Industry Group, has made the wetland his home and the cranes his companions. For over 20 years, he has traversed the forested swamps, measuring the ecological frontier with his footsteps while chronicling crane protection with steadfast dedication.

In 2005, Gu joined the Management Bureau of the Dazhanhe Wetland Nature Reserve due to the needs of its establishment, transitioning from an ordinary forest ranger to wetland conservation researcher.

"To quickly master knowledge about white-naped cranes, I spent my days patrolling the swampy forests for monitoring and research," he said. "After work, I kept studying everything from basic popular science books to obscure professional texts."

Gu spent more than half the year at the Dazhanhe Bird Banding Station, a monitoring facility deep in the mountains, braving snow and harsh weather in the winter and hordes of mosquitoes in the summer. To closely observe the cranes, he set up a 2-square-meter tent just 15 meters from a nest. He lived in the tent for nearly two weeks, silently recording breeding patterns until the young cranes hatched.

"After that, my colleagues affectionately call me 'Crane Dad'," he said. "However, it is more like a term of deep recognition for my work."

Gu believes research is the core support for wetland protection. To that end, he led the development of a system integrating patrols and technological monitoring to advance wetland conservation toward precision and intelligence.

Since 2006, he has led his team on the front lines to band 168,920 individual birds of 102 species, with 1,682 individuals from 39 species recaptured or recovered, establishing a comprehensive bird banding database. The team's efforts earned the Dazhanhe Bird Banding Station a "National Advanced Bird Banding Unit" rating for three consecutive years.

In terms of research innovation, Gu has spearheaded several foundational projects, such as synchronized surveys of crane populations and habitat investigations.

He has published eight papers in journals like Wetland Science and Management, recording nearly 1,300 species of wildlife in the area.

He also participated in compiling the "Heilongjiang Province Bird Tracker and Bird Banding Technical Specifications", filling several gaps in regional crane research.

To date, a preliminary species database for the reserve has been established and is gradually being improved, providing solid data support for wetland biodiversity research.

Over the years, Gu and his colleagues have responded to 116 rescue missions involving protected birds such as white-naped cranes and Oriental white storks. "Every life deserves to be protected," Gu said.

In 2007, he rescued a young white-naped crane with a broken wing, meticulously applying medicine until it fully recovered. Gu named the crane Tianyi and fed it daily for over 10 years.

In 2013, during a lightning-induced forest fire, Gu bravely traversed the fire line to rescue two crane eggs from a tussock. With an electric blanket to control temperature and a beverage bottle for humidity, the eggs successfully hatched after more than a week of care.

The white-naped cranes and Oriental white storks Gu and his colleagues have banded and fitted with satellite trackers have been monitored multiple times in their wintering grounds in Japan, with three individuals already providing feedback with valuable data for crane conservation.

Moreover, Gu innovated promotional forms to bring ecological protection concepts into ordinary households, using new media platforms such as WeChat Moments and Douyin to create and publish content showcasing the achievements of ecological protection in the reserve.

"The vivid ecological lectures can help bridge the gap between the forest area and the public," he said. "I also hope to enhance public awareness and enthusiasm for wetland protection."

zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn