Water quality, once in the dangerous V and IV range, has largely been rehabilitated to the II range which is much more acceptable.

Lantian also has 4,000 mu of lotuses－enough for tourists to pick and pluck as they come from across the province to engage with nature.

Last year, some 300,000 visitors visited and contributed 20 million yuan in revenue.

"Eco-agriculture and eco-tourism is the way to go," says Zhu.

"We are working hard for the region to go back to the way it was," he adds.

"In the next 10 years, we hope to rid the lake of all fences, recover all the wetlands in the region, and let nature raise and nurture all the species in the area as it used to."

There is still a long way to go with Honghu's large expanse of water, but things are improving.

Zhang says: "When I first started patrolling and taking notes on the birds' activities, they fled when they sensed me.

"Now, they aren't scared and take me as part of the scene."

"There are times when I rescue them and set them free in the wetlands and they won't go," he says.

"They just stare at me gratefully for along a time."

Protect wetlands

China has 53.6 million hectares of wetlands. They come in different shapes and categories and are an important part of the country's ecosystem.

Wetlands in China contain 96 percent of the country's usable fresh water resources.

They are home to thousands of species of plants, vertebrates and fish. More than 300 million people's livelihoods depend on wetlands.

Wetlands also help to fend off extreme natural disasters like droughts and floods.

Marsh wetlands alone hold 4.7 billion tons of carbon.

The central government has been focusing on wetland protection through various rules, regulations and investments since 2008. China aims to protect almost all the wetlands in the country by 2020.

State Forestry Administration