As a naturalist and professor of the history of science at Peking University, Liu Huajie says his main task is to help his students get to know the beauty of nature.

If youth develop an emotional attachment to nature, the environment will be in good hands, Liu tells a recent salon in Beijing, titled "How could natural history rescue China from ecological crisis?"

"Truth be told, I don't have a solution: The problem with environment is staggering enough that not even the premier has an easy way to address it," says the 49-year-old who's known for promoting a naturalist outlook.