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Chinese-language park tours

Conservationists have their eyes on a demographic that hasn't been tapped into before in terms of educating people about British Columbia's old growth forests.

About half a million people in B.C.'s Lower Mainland are Chinese-language speakers, yet most environmental programs and tours are offered in English only, said Ken Wu, executive director of the Ancient Forest Alliance.

The group is partnering with the Stanley Park Ecology Society and Hua Foundation to train volunteers to give tours of Stanley Park in Mandarin and Cantonese.

"The goal here will be to increase the level of conservation awareness," Wu said.

Old growth forests that exist in Stanley Park and other areas across the province are vital to the broader ecosystem and climate, Wu said.

There has been a growing movement in recent years as diverse groups including businesses and municipalities push for the protection of these areas from logging and development.

But the movement to preserve these forests hadn't made a concerted effort until now to include the local Chinese-speaking population, Wu said.

"One of the most important ways we can protect old growth forests is to engage a massive part of the population which we haven't engaged in the past."

Wu led about a dozen volunteers through Stanley Park on Saturday to train them on becoming ecological tour guides.



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