From the jagged   peaks of the Himalayas to the powerful Yangtze River that flows into the Pacific, China's vast terrain   and varied climate make it the sixth most biologically diverse nation on the planet. Since 1998, The Nature Conservancy has been working in China's northwest Yunnan Province to protect some of the amazing natural and cultural diversity unique to this country for its future generations. In cooperation with Chinese local and state government agencies, the Conservancy established the Yunnan Great Rivers Project, which protects an area about the size of West Virginia. Did you know? *China contains 10% of the world's total species. *At least 15% of China's mammal species and 8% of its bird species are found nowhere else on Earth. *Nearly 15,000 plant species are native to Yunnan Province. *Yunnan is home to 75% of Tibetan medicinal herbs and 30 endangered species. What is the Nature Conservancy trying to do? Education for Sustainability   The Nature Conservancy recognizes that environmental education is an important element of working closely with local communities to achieve sustainable conservation results. In response, the Conservancy launched a new program called Education for Sustainability which tests means of teaching and learning that combine conservation goals, social justice, and appropriate development and participation in a vision and mission for personal and social change. Promoting Green Tourism Tourism is both an environmental threat and an economic opportunity, with the potential to provide extremely needed income to northwest Yunnan. The Conservancy is working with local communities, government agencies, and tourism enterprises  to develop strategies for "green" tourism which will limit the footprint of mass tourism while generating income for local people. In addition to combining tourism development and management at our five action sites, we assisted with regional marketing efforts to promote eco-tourism opportunities. Among the most biologically diverse nations on the planet, China ranks   _  .
tenth sixth fifteenth eighth