We are privileged here at Imperial and in the Centre for Environmental Policy to have such a large and vibrant Chinese community and we wish you all a year of good health, joy, and endless blessings, and, of course, fruitful and enjoyable studies! Happy Chinese New Year!
This Chinese New Year, commencing 29th January 2025, is symbolised by the snake [蛇‘Shé’ ]. Snakes, while feared by many on account of the threat of a poisonous snakebite, are central to many ecosystems and cultures, playing an integral part in ecosystem management, often through the ‘management of pests’ as a food source. Many snakes eat mice, rats, toads and frogs, keeping populations under control and allowing farmers to grow crops. Snakes also play a vital role in seed dispersal through their tunnelling and excretion, an important contribution to biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration, and are an important food source to other species higher up the food chain, including humans.
As Yiding Huang, (GECP), notes from an academic perspective: “The Year of the Snake reminds us that ecological conservation and cultural heritage are intertwined. Just as snakes balance ecosystems by controlling pests, our policy work must bridge scientific rigor and traditional wisdom to advance sustainability.”
Snakes are also a valued species for their role in traditional Chinese medicine, and also have a role to play in contemporary pharmaceutical innovation. The medicinal properties of snake venom have, for example, played a role in developing treatments for diabetes, blood clots and high blood pressure. Consequently, trade in some types of snakes is closely monitored under the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) and the 1992 UN Convention on Biological Diversity is central to the regulation of species populations and ecosystems.
Snakes are also a symbol of change, the shedding of old skin and renewal and growth. Yiding Huang reflects on the cultural symbolism: “The snake’s shedding of skin symbolizes renewal. In environmental work, we too must ‘shed’ outdated practices and embrace innovation—whether in renewable energy or community-led conservation.” On this point, a lot of environmental conservation work not only values and respects biodiversity but also cultural heritage and identity. The cultural heritage of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, knowledge in China of time and practices developed through observation of the sun’s annual motionare now protected as part ofUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Finally, Yiding shares a personal reflection: “To me, the Year of the Snake represents resilience and adaptability. It teaches us to sense environmental shifts keenly and respond with flexibility to global challenges.”
May the Year of the Snake bring wisdom and tenacity to guide our collective efforts in environmental stewardship! As another insightful quote reminds us: “Be like the snake, strike only when the moment is right. Observe and learn!” (Source unknown)
Happy Year of the Snake!
Thank you to our Chinese student community for feedback on this item.
See further:
Beri D, Bhaumik S. – Snakes, the ecosystem, and us: it’s time we change. The George Institute of Global Health. July 2021. Available online at www.georgeinstitute.org. The article is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Oliveira, A.L., Viegas, M.F., da Silva, S.L. et al. The chemistry of snake venom and its medicinal potential. Nat Rev Chem 6, 451–469 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-022-00393-7
Alex Gray, Senior Writer, Forum Agenda, World Economic Forum, Nov. 9, 2018, Nature and Biodiversity, “These life-saving drugs are made from deadly venom”, https://www.weforum.org/stories/2018/11/venomics-deadly-toxins-life-saving-drugs-mande-holford/
Carlos A. Cañas, Santiago Castaño-Valencia, Fernando Castro-Herrera, Felipe Cañas, Gabriel J. Tobón, Biomedical applications of snake venom: from basic science to autoimmunity and rheumatology, Journal of Translational Autoimmunity, Volume 4, 2021, 100076, ISSN 2589-9090, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtauto.2020.100076.
Anas Bedraoui, Montamas Suntravat, Salim El Mejjad, Salwa Enezari, Naoual Oukkache, Elda E. Sanchez, Jacob A. Galan, Rachid El Fatimy, Tariq Daouda, Therapeutic potential of snake venom: Toxin distribution and opportunities in deep learning for novel drug discovery, Medicine in Drug Discovery, Volume 21, 2024, 100175, ISSN 2590-0986, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medidd.2023.100175.
UNESCO – https://ich.unesco.org/en/decisions/11.COM/10.B.6
CITES – https://cites.org/eng/disc/what.php
UNCBD – https://www.cbd.int/