"Today, I am honored to stand here and tell my story—a story of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature at the 30th parallel north." On the afternoon of November 18, at the China Pavilion of the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, Huang Tianming, a Chinese Torreya grandis farmer with graying hair and a distinct Shaoxing accent, delivered a heartfelt tale of a millennia-old tradition of protecting Torreya grandis forests in a small village in the Kuaiji Mountain area, in southern Keqiao District.
“今天，我很荣幸站在这里和所有人分享我的故事，一个发生在北纬30°的人与自然和谐共生的故事。”11月18日下午，在阿塞拜疆首都巴库举行的《联合国气候变化框架公约》第二十九次缔约方大会(COP29)中国角会议上，头发花白、带着绍兴口音的中国榧农黄天明，动情讲述发生在柯桥南部会稽山小山村的一段历经千年、接续守护香榧林的往事。
黄天明今年62岁，是柯桥区稽东镇占岙村的一名榧农。说起为何站上联合国气候变化大会讲坛，他告诉记者，由于特殊的地理环境，2000多年前，占岙人就开始种榧树、食香榧、卖香榧。作为会稽山古香榧群核心区之一，占岙村现有百年树龄以上香榧4600多株，其中1000年以上22株。2013年，占岙村所在的会稽山千年香榧林还入选了全球重要农业文化遗产。
Huang spoke of the symbiotic and harmonious bond between Torreya grandis farmers and the forest—a legacy spanning 800 years and 66 generations since his ancestors first settled in the area. Today, six generations of farmers in Zhan'ao Village continue to tend to the forest, with the oldest among them being 97 years old. He vividly recalled a summer night in 2000 when a typhoon struck Keqiao. Determined to protect the trees, he and the villagers stayed up all night battling the storm, which left him with a severe cold. His then 13-year-old daughter wrote in her diary: "I was deeply moved. To my father, the Torreya grandis trees are as precious as his children. I, too, will protect them well in the future." This belief—that the trees should be cared for as lovingly as one's own children—has become a guiding principle passed down through generations of Jidong Torreya grandis farmers.
榧农与香榧林互相滋养、和谐共生的故事，黄天明说，从祖先迁居这里开始，经历了800多年66代。如今，占岙村在守护香榧的榧农还有6代，年龄最大的已有97岁。记得2000年夏天，台风突袭柯桥，为了保护香榧林，他和村民们在风雨中抗争了一夜，得了重感冒。当时只有13岁的女儿在日记中写道：我很震撼，榧树在爸爸的心中跟孩子一样重要，我以后也会好好守护它们。“对香榧要像呵护孩子一样”，这已然成为稽东榧农的世代遵循。
Reflecting on the forest's current state, Huang proudly shared that Zhan'ao Village now cultivates over 412 acres of Torreya grandis trees, yielding 70,000 to 80,000 kilograms of dried nuts each year. Despite a decline in prices in recent years, the total output value still exceeds 3 million yuan, making Torreya grandis nuts the "fruit of prosperity" for the villagers.
谈起香榧林的现状，黄天明高兴地说，占岙村现有香榧2500余亩，常年干果产量七八万公斤。虽然香榧价格近年有所下降，但总产值在三百万元以上，已成为村民的“致富果”。
The centuries-long dedication of Jidong farmers to preserving the millennium-old Torreya grandis forests exemplifies Keqiao District's unwavering commitment to ecological civilization and the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. As of now, the district is home to 21,674 ancient trees, including 31 that are over a thousand years old. In recent years, Keqiao has undertaken initiatives such as cataloging ancient trees, creating a dynamic management system for ancient and famous trees, and implementing comprehensive protection measures district-wide. In September, Zhan'ao Village hosted the launch of a week-long national campaign to protect ancient and famous trees, further advancing legislative, digital, precise, and community-based conservation efforts.
稽东榧农世代守护千年香榧林，是柯桥区践行生态文明理念，坚持人与自然和谐共生的一个缩影。据悉，柯桥区现有古树21674株，千年以上古树31株。近年来，柯桥区对古树建档立案，上线运行古树名木动态化管理系统，对全区范围内的古树名木开展全链条式保护。今年9月，全国古树名木保护科普宣传周在稽东镇占岙村启动，进一步推进了古树名木的立法保护、数智保护、精准保护和全民保护。
In his speech, Huang Tianming remarked, "There is a Chinese saying: 'It takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to educate a person.' While trees take a decade to mature, fostering a commitment to protecting nature takes a century. This commitment runs deep in our blood. We protect ancient trees, and in return, they reward us—not only with lucid waters and lush mountains but also with wealth and the promise of a brighter, happier future."
黄天明在发言中说：“中国有句古话：十年树木，百年树人。树木成材要10年，保护自然的理念需要百年坚持，这份坚持已经融入到了我们的血液里。我们守护古树，古树也回馈着我们。它们的回馈，不仅仅是绿水青山，还赐予我们金山银山，是越来越有盼头的幸福生活。”
