Our team
We have a team with backgrounds spanning conservation NGOs, government, and the travel industry; the combination of our diverse expertise ensures that every trip is well-designed and in line with the overall mission of the company. Our core team runs the day-to-day operations of the company, and are the lead guides for our tours:
WANG LEI 王蕾, PhD
Founder & CEO
Wang Lei grew up in the mountains of Guizhou and now has made the source of the Yellow River her home. She works in national parks across the country, partnering with local governments and the local National Parks Administration to develop franchising policy and eco-tourism routes. Wang is also the Deputy Editor of the "Blue Book on the Construction of China's National Park System." With a commendable career spanning 12 years in prominent environmental organizations such as the World Wide Fund (WWF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), she previously served as the China liaison for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands' Programme on communication, capacity building, education, participation and awareness (CEPA). Since 2017, she has directed her focus towards innovating and exploring the development of the national park system. Her passion lies in bridging ecological science with sustainable practices, contributing significantly to the preservation and promotion of China's national parks.
LIU NING 刘宁
Director of Student Programs
A Beijing native, Liu Ning is an expert on environmental education and nature experiences, and has diverse experience leading educational trips in China and abroad. She helped create our routes near the source of the Yellow River, and also leads trainings for our guides and environmental education teachers. With a passion for fostering a connection between nature and the younger generation, Liu Ning plays a pivotal role as the head of the faculty team for the "National Forest Eco-Study Education for 300 Million Youth" initiative in China. She is at the forefront of environmental education, shaping the minds of the next generation and contributing to the advancement of eco-awareness within national parks.
SONAM GYURME བསོད་ནམས་འཇིགས་མེད་
Director of Operations, Madoi
Sonam Gyurme, also known as Guoqing “国庆," is from Tongde in Qinghai's Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. His exceptional skills in spotting and tracking animals in the wilderness earned him the nickname "Eagle Eye." His commitment to conservation led him to work in the Yellow River Source Area of the National Parks Administration of Three-River-Source National Park, where he was engaged in the development of ecological experiences and natural education routes. He enjoys wildlife photography and is Wilderness First Aid certified.
LAO TIE 老铁
Director of Sales
A culture connoisseur from Northeast China, Lao Tie seems to have lived many different lives across the country. He has worked as an outdoors guide for over six years and brought over 2000 people up to high-altitude plateaus. He likes cracking jokes, making a good cup of coffee, discovering new culinary gems, and wildlife and cultural photography.
WAN WAN 万万
Director of Marketing
Wan Wan loves the mountains and wilderness, and frequently travels through the mountains of southwestern China observing animals and plants, and guiding environmental education trips. She is our resident flora expert; while the rest of us are peering at mountains looking for snow leopards, Wan Wan is often crouched down, observing and photographing flowers. She studied Wildlife and Nature Conservation Management at Beijing Forestry University, and is now putting study into practice at Yunjoy Nature.
MIRANDA LI 李洁琳
Head of International Strategy
Miranda hails from New York City, but has spent her life exploring natural areas around the world and bringing friends into the outdoors. She has most recently worked at a local NGO on conservation in China. In her free time, she loves hiking, scuba diving, reading, writing, learning about local ecology, and drinking coffee with friends. She is a licensed Wilderness First Responder.
SONAM DAJIE བསོད་ནམས་དར་རྒྱས།
Logistics Manager
Sonam Dajie comes from Tongde in Qinghai's Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. He enjoys traditional Amdo crafts and music, horseback riding, mountaineering, rock climbing, and wildlife photography. At Yunjoy Nature, he is responsible for guiding and logistics, and making everyone around him smile.
GEDUN PENGTSUO དགེ་འདུན་ཕུན་ཚོགས་།
Logistics Manager
A Tibetan who has lived his life up in the plateau, Pengtsuo is from Lajia, a city surrounded by Danxia landforms and known for its red architecture and its importance to Tibetan Buddhism. He later joined the army and was stationed in the sacred and mysterious Ali, and now works with us in Madoi. When asked what he likes to do, he responded, “I like to keep myself busy.”
LIU NAN 刘楠
CEO Assistant
Working and living on the plateau at an altitude of more than 4200m, Liu Nan grows freely in the vibrant wilderness. She graduated with a masters researching national parks tourism and recreation and contributed to the compilation of the "Green Book on National Parks: Development Report on China's National Park Construction (2022). In Madoi, she has met many interesting Tibetan friends and wants to continue experiencing traditional nomadic life: spending the morning milking, horseback riding, herding cattle and sheep, and digging for caterpillar fungus. There are many things waiting for her to explore in this magical land!
CANDY 小马
Outdoors Guide
Candy is a veteran guide with experience leading outdoors trips in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Qinghai, and Hainan. Whether traversing canyons, trekking through rainforests, or exploring national parks, Candy brings a unique blend of expertise and enthusiasm to every journey, showcasing the natural beauty and cultural richness of each area.
MIAN YANG ("SHEEP") 绵羊
Outdoors Guide
Mian Yang is a guide who has been working in the travel industry for over nine years. He has led trips in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, Hainan, Northeast China, and more. He enjoys exploring "no-man lands" and hiking long distance hiking routes in places like the Qaidam Basin, Hala Lake, and Three-River-Source region. In his own words -- even though he isn't paritcularly photogenic himself, he takes great photos of others!
Our experts
Some of our local experts and consultants help us develop our routes in the national parks. They may join us on parts of the tour to explain their work and its significance to the national park!
HE BING 何兵
He Bing has been engaged in ecological protection work since 2006, with a particular focus on endangered species in western China. He was a Project Manager of the China Snow Leopard Project at World Wildlife Fund (WWF), where he conducted biodiversity surveys and conservation management with snow leopards as the flagship species. Currently, he is mainly located in Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Xinjiang, supporting local protection efforts.
JAMES HUI 惠营
James Hui is a wildlife photographer and filmmaker. You can find his work on Disney Nature, ITV, Discovery Channel, and more. He has won awards for his wildlife photography and films, including China Wildlife Festival awards, and specializes in filming snow leopards on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. He frequently collaborates with NGOs including WWF, WCS, and Wildaid.
ZHANG ZHE 张哲, PHD
Dr. Zhang Zhe is a professor at the School of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, and the head of the Orchid Research Group at Green Camp Hainan. Since his master's degree in 2011, he has been engaged in research on orchids, systematically studying their pollination biology and population ecology. He is also very familiar with the mountains, rivers, plants, and cultural customs in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. He is leading the construction of the Animal and Plant Atlas and Database in the national park, and also in charge of its science popularization videos.
GUO YURONG 郭玉荣, PHD
Dr. Guo Yurong is a livestock expert and researcher, as well as an environmental education teacher. She has accumulated four years of experience in Siberian tiger conservation through her work as a caretaker from 2015 to 2018. Over the years, Dr. Guo has provided guidance to the Green Messengers Volunteer Association and actively participated in nationwide activities such as the Green Camp for University Students. Her commitment to environmental research and education has taken her to various natural reserves, including Yunnan's Baishuitai, Qinghai's Three-River-Source National Park, Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, and Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park.
LING LIN 凌林
Ling Lin has dedicated his career to the management, planning, and monitoring of forest resources, community forestry, nature reserves, and ecosystem protection. He actively engages in environmental and social impact management and consulting assessments for both domestic and international projects. He served as the Secretary-General of the Sichuan Greening Foundation and as a Senior Engineer at the Sichuan Forestry Workstation, and oversaw the implementation of World Bank forestry projects. Additionally, he has held positions as a project officer in international conservation organizations, managing and executing projects related to forest landscape conservation and participating in community-based conservation initiatives. His diverse roles reflect a commitment to sustainable forestry practices, environmental impact assessment, and community engagement in conservation efforts.
REN MINGXUN 任明迅, PHD
Dr. Ren Mingxun is a distinguished figure in the field of ecology. He is a Vice Dean and Professor in the Department of Ecology and Environment at Hainan University. His primary research areas encompass biodiversity, plant geography, and the interplay between national parks and ecological culture. He is the Director of the Botanical Society of China, and leads the International Joint Research Center for Biodiversity in Land Areas in the South China Sea (TBSCS). Additionally, he serves as an Executive Committee Member of the Tropical Rainforest Branch within the Chinese Forestry Society. Ren Mingxun's multifaceted roles and influential leadership underscore his commitment to advancing ecological studies and shaping the future of research and education in environmental sciences.
CHEN JIHENG 陈枳衡
Chen Zhiheng graduated with a masters from the School of Forestry at Hainan University, where he researched the conservation of orchids. As a team member of the Special Investigation on Orchids organized by the Hainan Provincial Scientific Expedition Team, he has actively contributed to the exploration and understanding of orchid species in Hainan Province. Chen Zhiheng has participated in compiling two popular science books, published one new species, and recorded two other new species for scientific research. He also serves as the Deputy Director for the popular science video series of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, and contributes to the national park's wildlife database.
LI ZHENJI 李振基, PHD
Dr. Li Zhenji is a professor at the School of Environment and Ecology at Xiamen University and serves as Chairman of Green Camp and an expert on the National Park and Nature Reserve Evaluation Committee. His research focuses on national parks, nature reserves, forest ecology, and biodiversity. He has led various biodiversity investigations in national-level nature reserves, including the Taining World Natural Heritage Site, Jiuling Mountains in Jiangxi, Wuyuan in Jiangxi, and Junzi Peak and Emei Peak in Fujian. He has received the Outstanding Contribution Award from the Chinese Ecological Society, and has actively contributed to the natural education efforts in national parks like Wuyi Mountain, Hainan Tropical Rainforest, and Giant Panda National Parks.
Join us!
We're always looking for people to join our team as guides, consultants, and marketers. If you are passionate about the outdoors and exploration, please contact us! Even if your dream position doesn't exist yet, we can craft it together.