Duan Zhihua, a forest ranger who has tended 100,000 mu (about 6,666.67 hectares) of green mountains in Chenzhou City for over 30 years, was one of them for his devotion to his work.

 

Born in 1970, Duan Zhihua now serves as the chairman of the Trade Union of Wugai Mountain State-owned Forest Farm in Suxian District, Chenzhou City.

 

In 1991, at the age of 21, Duan was assigned to work as a forestry technician at Wugai Mountain Forest Farm. For more than 30 years, he has devoted himself to the forest, tending 100,000 mu (about 6,666.67 hectares) of green mountains and training a large number of technical backbone personnel.

 

For more than 30 years, Duan has dedicated himself to the study of forest conservation. With the accumulated knowledge, he won the first place in the national forestry industry vocational skills competition in 2018 and was honored with “National Technical Craftsman”.

 

Under his leadership, the forest farm has established a comprehensive forestry measurement technology system, and its data accuracy has been among the best in Hunan Province for many years. In 2019, Duan was awarded the “National May Day Labor Medal” and “Good Samaritan of Chenzhou”.

 

 

In July 2006, the southern part of Hunan Province was hit by Typhoon “Bilis”, which caused heavy rains and flash floods. The reservoir at the forest farm was full of wood washed down by the rainwater, posing a potential safety hazard. At the same time, Typhoon “Kaemi” was also on its way, so the hidden danger had to be removed within a week.

 

As the person in charge of wood production, Duan led the team to retrieve the wood from the reservoir, and he fell into the flood several times during the salvage process. To remove the wooden bars from the spillway, Duan tied himself and his colleagues together with hemp ropes, slid down from the high dam, dragged the wooden bars onto the shore, and fought the flood with their bodies. After seven days of fighting, Duan was covered in bruises, and all the risks in Wugai Mountain Forest Farm were eliminated.

 

In August of that year, Duan and four of his colleagues went to the mountains to carry out surveying and mapping work, preparing to build a new mountain road. Just as he was measuring the land, the weather suddenly changed, with lightning, thunder, and heavy rain coming all of sudden. However, Duan did not give up halfway and decided to continue working and finish the task.

 

“Every industry needs a group of fighters to keep the cause moving forward. As a member of the forestry industry, I have been with the green mountains all my life, and I have no regrets,” said Duan, looking at the lush forest below the mountain, adding that “Making Wugai Mountain Forest Farm more beautiful and greener is my lifelong wish!”