China's rapid economic development has been systematically encroaching on the country's ecological bottom-line. In order to safeguard Sanjiangyuan—source water of Yangtze,Yellow and Mekong Rivers,also China's second largest National Nature Reserve,we need solid science,respect and understanding of the mosaic highland rangeland-pasturing system,as well as culture and endemic knowledge on natural resource management. Experiments and practices at all levels are needed to provide solutions to the existing one-size-fits-all rangeland management policies aiming at reversing the trend of degradation. Such policies and vast investments often result into illusive conservation. November 2011,the "Sanjiangyuan National Ecological Comprehensive Experiment Zone" was approved by the State Council. With such principles as "respecting culture","protecting ecological environment","ensuring local livelihood benefits",the Experiment Zone aims to encourage conservation rights and roles of the local nomads and villages,encouraging civil society participation,as well as innovating infrastructural changes. These top-down policy design,in combination with the various bottom-up community-based experiments on mobilizing and providing incentives for local people to act,are exhibiting new hope for Protecting Sanjiangyuan's ecological environment. This article introduces natural and social background to Sanjiangyuan's environment conservation,analyzes existing issues and previous policies and their ambiguous conservation outcomes. An outlook is provided on how to maximize the opportunity provided by the new Experiment Zone,in light of the many civil society-led local practices to convert local protectors into ecosystem service providers and payment beneficiaries. <<