Dong Jingshan and his wife walk in Nandashanding Forest Farm in Yiyuan county, Shandong province, on May 20. ZHAO DONGSHAN/ZHANG ZHAOWEI/FOR CHINA DAILY

Caretakers who have been patrolling for 17 years want to stay in their forest home

Dong Jingshan, 53, has been patrolling Nandashanding Forest Farm in Yiyuan county, Shandong province, for 17 years.

When he began working in the forest as a caretaker, the trees were only saplings. To better tend to the trees and ensure fire hazards were minimized, Dong and his wife moved into lodgings in the mountain forest.

Every day, Dong makes two patrols of the forest, walking a total of more than 10 kilometers. He takes his lunch with him and drinks spring water when he is thirsty.

When the woods are dry in spring and winter, he often works late into the night clearing undergrowth to prevent forest fires. Because of the long distances he walks, Dong needs to buy a new pair of shoes every month.

Besides making patrols, the couple also plant trees in clearings to increase the forest coverage. Because of the pair's efforts, the 87-hectare farm has forest coverage of more than 90 percent.

Over the years, the couple have become accustomed to life in the mountains and they do not want to live anywhere else.

In November 2016, Dong fell ill and was taken to hospital. Although family members and friends asked him to move down the mountain, he returned to the forest only eight days after having surgery.

Dong patrols the woods on June 19. ZHAO DONGSHAN/ZHANG ZHAOWEI/FOR CHINA DAILY

Dong pulls his wife up a rock during a patrol. ZHAO DONGSHAN/ZHANG ZHAOWEI/FOR CHINA DAILY

The couple cook at their home in the forest farm on June 24. ZHAO DONGSHAN/ZHANG ZHAOWEI/FOR CHINA DAILY

A sapling has grown into a big tree under the couple's care. ZHAO DONGSHAN/ZHANG ZHAOWEI/FOR CHINA DAILY

The couple store drinking water, which is transported from outside the farm, at their home in the forest farm on June 20. ZHAO DONGSHAN/ZHANG ZHAOWEI/FOR CHINA DAILY

Dong's wife mends a broken shoe for her husband on June 20. ZHAO DONGSHAN/ZHANG ZHAOWEI/FOR CHINA DAILY

The husband and wife also get drinking water from a well in the forest. ZHAO DONGSHAN/ZHANG ZHAOWEI/FOR CHINA DAILY