• YSFAC X EAAFP PROJECT 2022 Bird Meets Arts 4th Education Program

    On 25th June, the fourth public event of the education program of 2022 <Bird Meets Arts> proceeded successfully. The composer and Gayageum (Korean harp) instructor Ms. Kyungso Park led the…


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  • Australia’s Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds

    At the national level in Australia, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPBC Act) provides for the development and…


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  • “Year of the Terns” World Seabird Day Webinar Series

    “Year of the Terns” World Seabird Day Webinar Series Brief Introduction To raise awareness among EAAFP Partners, researchers, conservationists, and the general public about seabirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (EAA Flyway), while promoting the exchange of information and collaboration on seabird conservation in the Flyway, the EAAFP Secretariat and the Seabird Working Group initiated the “Year of the Terns” in 2022. The World Seabird Day Webinar Series is one of the campaign activities for “Year of the Terns.” With the aim of showcasing and raising awareness for seabird conservation work along the EAA Flyway, the webinar series consist of two sessions, to launch the Asia Seabird Colony Registry, as well as showcasing work on tern species and their conservation. Date/Time: 1 – 2 July 2022 (15:00 – 16:30 KST on both dates) Topics: Session 1 (1 July): Launch of the Asia Seabird Colony Registry Session 2 (2 July): Showcase of tern conservation projects in EAA Flyway Organizers: EAAFP Secretariat, EAAFP Seabird Working Group, Australasian Seabird Group, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. Meeting Platform: Zoom Language: English Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rce6prD8iGtax5wFiPEf6GfTOomM8A58c   (https://cutt.ly/LJKpiLt) Overall Programme  Day Programme Speakers Day 1 Welcoming Speech Doug Watkins, Chief Executive of EAAFP Secretariat  Robert Kaler, Chair of EAAFP Seabird Working Group   Presentation on Year of the Terns Vivian Fu, EAAFP Communication Officer  Introduction of World Seabird Registry Robert Kaler, Chair of EAAFP Seabird Working Group  Presentation on the launch of the Seabird Breeding Registry in EAAF Simba Chan, Seabird Working Group  Panel Discussion Moderated by Yat Tung Yu, Coordinator of EAAFP Seabird Working Group   Panelists:   Simba Chan,   Angelique Songco, Site Manager of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Philippines,   Miran Kim, Seabirds Laboratory of Korea, Republic of Korea  Nicholas Carlile, Australasian Seabird Group   Day 2 Welcoming Speech Yat-tung Yu, Coordinator of EAAFP Seabird Working Group Primer screening of “Terns Operation” about Chinese Crested Tern, by Fung Hong Shing    1.      Presentation on Aleutian Tern Robert Kaler, EAAFP Seabird Working Group Chair 2.      Presentation on Little Tern Professor Wataru Kitamura, Tokyo City University 3.      Presentation on Chinese Crested Tern Siyu Wang, Zhejiang Natural History Museum 4.      Presentation on Terns breeding in Hong Kong John Chung, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society 5.      Presentation on River Tern Zheng Xi, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden – Hong Kong 6.      Presentation on Black Noddy Retch Pagliawan-Alaba, Research Officer, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park 7.      Presentation on White Tern Nicholas Carlile, Australasian Seabird Group Q&A Moderated by Yuna Kim, Australasian Seabird Group Webinar Speakers and Moderators: Day 1 “Launch of the Asia Seabird Colony Registry”  Date: 1st  July 2022 (15:00 – 16:30 KST) Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rce6prD8iGtax5wFiPEf6GfTOomM8A58c  Key speaker Simba Chan Seabird Working Group Panelists Angelique Songco Site Manager, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, the Philippines Angelique Songco has more than 20 years of experience as a site manager of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, an UNESCO World Heritage Site and Flyway Network Site. Referred to as “Mama Ranger,” Angelique is also a member of the EAAFP Seabird Working group and works on the frontier in safeguarding important sites. Miran Kim Seabirds Laboratory of Korea Miran Kim is working in the Seabirds Lab of Korea. During her PhD, she studied egg morphology and hatching asynchrony in gulls. She has worked for the conservation of Swinhoe’s storm petrels and long-term monitoring of Black-tailed gulls. Recently, she is investigating the impacts of marine debris and bycatch on seabirds. Nicholas Carlile Australasian Seabird Group Nicholas commenced ecological research with the Australian Museum 1986 and since 1988 with the NSW States government. His work includes island biodiversity restorations and surveys, research into seabirds and their translocation. While focusing mainly on petrels, he has researched Little, Sooty and White terns as well as Boobies and Tropicbirds. Moderators Vivian Fu Communication Officer, EAAFP Secretariat Yat Tung Yu Director, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Coordinator, Seabird Working Group   Day 2: “Showcase of Tern Conservation Projects in the EAA Flyway “   Date: 2nd  July 2022 (15:00 – 16:30 KST) Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rce6prD8iGtax5wFiPEf6GfTOomM8A58c  Speakers Robert Kaler Chair, Seabird Working Group Robb Kaler is a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska, USA. Robb serves as chair of the EAAFP Seabird Working Group is interested in developing collaborations towards broad conservation goals that inform management decisions and promote seabird conservation. Professor Wataru Kitamura Associate Professor, Tokyo City University Wataru Kitamura Ph.D. is an associate professor at Tokyo City University and the president of NPO Little Tern Project aiming for conservation of the Little Terns on a rooftop in Tokyo. His main research area is conservation biology of avian species such as giving solutions for bird collisions to wind turbines and interaction between alien and native species. Siyu Wang Research Associate, Zhejiang Museum of Natural History Siyu Wang, research associate of Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, now mainly working on Chinese Crested Tern and Scarly-sided Merganser conservation. Since 2014, I participates in the Chinese Crested Tern Project as a team member. Except from research work, I'm also responsible for Science Popularization of Chinese Crested Tern and other birds. John Chung Hong Kong Bird Watching Society After graduating from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with an MPhil degree, John Chung devotes himself to bird research and conservation. He is currently a research officer in the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society. He is responsible for coordinating bird ringing, tern study, and citizen science programs in Hong Kong. Zheng Xi Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden - Hong Kong Zheng Xi is a Conservation Officer of Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden. He has been actively involved in several key conservation projects to minimize biodiversity loss in China and Cambodia, including the conservation of River Tern and Hornbills in western Yunnan of China. Retch Pagliawan-Alaba Research Officer, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Retch is the Research Officer of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in the Philippines. She began working on seabirds in 2013 as part of her MSc studies. One of their seabird conservation projects is the restoration of the Black Noddy population in TRNP. Nicholas Carlile Australasian Seabird Group Nicholas commenced ecological research with the Australian Museum 1986 and since 1988 with the NSW States government. His work includes island biodiversity restorations and surveys, research into seabirds and their translocation. While focusing mainly on petrels, he has researched Little, Sooty and White terns as well as Boobies and Tropicbirds. Moderators: Yat Tung Yu Director, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Coordinator, Seabird Working Group Yuna Kim Australasian Seabird Group   Supporting Organizations   Playback of the Webinar  Day 1 Launch of the Asia Seabird Colony Registry Day 2 Showcase of conservation work of terns EAAF Contact If you have any inquiries, please feel free to contact Mr. Yat-tung Yu, Coordinator of the Seabird Working Group at yyattung@hkbws.org.hk; or Ms. Vivian Fu, Communication Officer of  EAAFP at communication@eaaflyway.net.


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  • Ms. Yoon Lee, the External Relations Manager of the EAAFP Secretariat awarded the 2022 Incheon Metropolitan City Mayoral Citation

    The EAAFP Secretariat is very pleased to announce that Ms. Yoon Lee, our External Relations Manager has received the Mayoral Citation Award from Incheon Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea, in…


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  • Celebrating World Wetlands Day in Boseong, Ro Korea

    The year 2021 was a great year for…


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  • Official Launching of the Regional Flyways Initiative Webpage

    The EAAFP Secretariat is pleased to announce the release of a webpage built up for the Regional Flyway Initiative (RFI). The page was set up to archive RFI-related documents, articles, media, and events for information sharing. A brief introduction of RFI, key documents (RFI Technical Assistance Report and EAAFP Strategic Plan 2019-2028), a list of meetings and webinars, articles, and publications linked to RFI are also available. Link: https://www.eaaflyway.net/regional-flyway-initiative/ The Regional Flyway Initiative was launched in October 2021 by joint efforts with Asian Development Bank, EAAFP, and BirdLife International at the Ecological Civilization Forum of the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15). The Regional Flyway Initiative seeks to develop a long-term financing program to protect and restore EAAF wetland ecosystems and the services they provide. RFI aims to mobilize large-scale financing to support the protection, maintenance, and restoration of wetlands in East and Southeast Asia, especially coastal wetlands. The initiative aims to strengthen the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands across the region, which are crucial for the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people and the migratory waterbirds in Asia and the Pacific. This will be achieved through partnerships among governments, non-government organizations, local communities, regional organizations, development agencies, private sectors, and other stakeholders.


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  • YSFAC X EAAFP PROJECT 2022 Bird Meets Arts 3rd Education Program

    On 18th June, the third public event of the education program of…


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  • EAAFP Foundation 2021-2022 Small Grant Winter Project Reporting Workshop

    On 26th May, the EAAFP Foundation organized the 2021-2022 Small Grant Winter Project Reporting Workshop online. The 2021-2022 Small Grant Programme was sponsored by the Korea South-East Power Co., Ltd. Yeongheung Power Division (KOEN) with support from Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF). Following the first workshop last year in 2021, the Foundation have implemented its own Small Grant Programme to support the efforts of the civil society organizations in the Republic of Korea by providing small grant to local projects that aim to conserve migratory waterbirds and their habitats. 8 winter projects were selected and implemented from October 2021 to March 2022. The organizations reported the outcomes of their projects, shared their achievements and discussed improvements. In addition, a short introduction on the 2022-2023 Small Grant Programme was provided for recruitment later this year. The Foundation’s 2022 World Migratory Bird Day donation lucky box event was also presented to the participants. <Learn more about 2021-2022 Small Grant Programme> (in Korean) The 8 grantee NGOs included: 1) Ganghwa Citizen Network, 2) Tidal flat Ecological Education Hub Moolseal, 3) Cheorwon DMZ Crane Eco-tourism group, 4) Wetlands and Birds Korea, 5) Yeoncheon Geological Ecology Network, 6) DMZ Ecology Research Institution, 7) Global Future Environment Association, and 8) KFEM Incheon The representative of the KOEN, HSF, and staff members of the EAAFP Secretariat and the Foundation attended the workshop as well. To kick off the workshop, Mr. Doug Watkins, the Chief Executive of the EAAFP Secretariat and the Chairperson of the EAAFP Foundation gave a congratulatory remark. He expressed gratitude to KOEN and HSF for their financial supports to run the Small Grant Programme, and to 8 participating NGOs for their efforts to conserve the migratory waterbirds and their habitats. He concluded by expressing his wish to continue the cooperation between the EAAFP Foundation and the sponsoring organization and with grantee organizations. Dr. Bernhard Seliger, the Resident representative of Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea, gave his pre-recorded remark. He expressed pleasure for the first step in supporting the small grantees to strengthen communication and help manage the habitats of waterbirds in inner boarder areas of RO Korea. Lastly, the congratulatory speech from Mr. Sun Hyeon Jeong, a senior manager of Environment Technology Department at KOEN Yeongheung Power Division. He said, “We will keep supporting the EAAFP and small grantees to maintain the stabilized relations with EAAFP built over the past 5 years and to protect migratory waterbirds around the border”. Presentation from Ganghwa Citizen Network ©EAAFP Foundation The reporting was proceeded in two separated sessions. During the first session, the Ganghwa Citizen Network gave the first reporting presentation with the project title ‘2021 Crane School-Go on a crane trip’. The organization prepared the project due to a lack of recognition on cranes and emphasized the necessity of recording investigation of cranes and provision of safe environment habitats through the Ganghwa crane monitoring activity. Presentation from Cheorwon DMZ Crane Eco-tourism group ©EAAFP Foundation The second reporting was by Cheorwon DMZ Crane Eco-tourism group, with the project title ‘Feeding and Population Surveys of Cranes’. He analyzed the suitability of Cheorwon Basin (One of EAAFP Flyway Network Sites EAAF 027) as a place for wintering sites and suggested the need for a map with the number of crane populations and their wintering areas. Presentation from KFEM Incheon ©EAAFP Foundation The third reporting followed by KFEM Incheon with the project called ‘A Report on the Monitoring Results of Natural Monuments and Crane Wintering Site’. The project aimed to increase the awareness of conserving the crane’s habitats. With the explanation of the project, the presenter shared the photos at the site with citizen participants and two ecology experts. Presentation from Tidal flat Ecological Education Hub Moolseal ©EAAFP Foundation For the last presentation of the first reporting session, Tidal flat Ecological Education Hub Moolseal shared the outcome of the project, ‘Wintering with Cranes’. They investigated the current habitats of cranes through two monitoring sessions and insisted the importance of preparing resolutions for conserving crane groups in Ganghwa tidal flat. After the break, the participants watched <Bird Meets Arts> summary video produced with the Yeonsu Foundation for Arts and Culture, and the video of Black-faced Spoonbill migrating between Incheon and Hong Kong. Wetlands and Birds Korea ©EAAFP Foundation The second reporting session was proceeded with a presentation from Wetlands and Birds Korea. Through an ‘A Round-table Conference with Local Organizations from Migratory Waterbirds Flyway,’ they announced 2022 Wetland Day Joint Statement between Korea and Japan, and discussed the role for the registration of Korean tidal flats to UNESCO. Presentation from Global Future Environment Association ©EAAFP Foundation Second reporting of the 2nd session was proceeded by Global Future Environment Association, with the project title ‘Research on Ecological Services at Habitats for Migratory Waterbirds in Incheon Economic Free Zone(IFEZ) and Quality of the Habitats’. The project quantified the damage to tidal flats and wetlands located in the Incheon Economic Free Zone, which developed rapidly, to analyze the ecological value as a habitat for migratory waterbirds. Presentation from Yeoncheon Geological Ecology Network ©EAAFP Foundation The last reporting was provided by Yeoncheon Geological Ecology Network about the project, ‘Monitoring Winter Migratory Waterbirds and training for civic scientists in Chatancheon stream, Yeoncheon’. They implemented about 20 sessions of migratory waterbirds monitoring activity and expressed strong ambitions to increase the value of Yeoncheon Imjin-river ecosystem conservation sites through the continuous monitoring and expansion of civil participation activities. After the second reporting session, Ms. Yoon Lee, the External Relations Manager at EAAFP Secretariat introduced the 2022-2023 Small Grant Programme. The detailed information of the programme will be uploaded to EAAFP Foundation website in July, and after the application in August, the result of the selected projects will be notified in September. Lastly, EAAFP Foundation promoted the lucky box event to celebrate the World Migratory Bird Day and encouraged the participants to join the event for the migratory waterbirds and their habitats. The final report for the 2021-2022 Small Grant Programme will be uploaded to the EAAFP Foundation website. Group Photo at 2021-2022 Small Grant Winter Programme Reporting Workshop ©EAAFP Foundation About EAAFP Foundation in Korean (full version) and English summary. <About EAAFP Foundation> The EAAFP Foundation was established in 2019 to contribute to providing the Partnership with a mechanism to support sustainable financing and expand its engagement with various types of organizations for the conservation of migratory waterbirds and habitats in EAA Flyway. The Foundation office is based in Songdo, Incheon, Republic of Korea. For more information, visit EAAFP Foundation.


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  • 2022 Black-faced Spoonbill Birthday Party in Namdong Reservoir, Ro Korea

    ©EAAFP Secretariat In recent years, Black-faced Spoonbill (BFS) have come back to breed on the small artificial islets in Namdong Reservoir, Incheon, Ro Korea, thus becoming a flagship species for Incheon. To raise awareness to the general public about migratory waterbirds, especially the key species Black-faced Spoonbill, on 21st May 2022, the Incheon Black-faced Spoonbill Network hosted the 2022 Black-faced Spoonbill Birthday Party at the BFS Ecological Center, and over 250 people attended. The BFS birthday party is an annual event hosted by the Incheon BFS Network which commemorates the arrival and breeding of Black-faced Spoonbill in Namdong Reservoir, Incheon. Due to the lifted social distancing regulations, the BFS Birthday Party attracted around 250 children and parents interested in nature and the conservation of the Black-faced Spoonbill. The event organizers also took actions for “Practical volition for the Earth” and minimized the use of disposable goods. Various activities including the BFS art contest, birdwatching, writing postcards to politicians and the government, building birthday cakes from natural objects, and a birthday party for BFS were provided to eager young participants. The EAAFP Secretariat also participated in the event as an associated organization and ran a booth – led by Ms. Jisun Lee, the Foundation coordinator of the EAAFP secretariat, and two volunteers. The booth, which provided a modified version – akin to a treasure hunt – of the BFS Lolo’s Flying Journey game and distributed flyers about EAAFP and waterbirds that migrate via EAAF, was very popular among the participants. In the modified Lolo migration game, children had to spot 5 locations hidden around the event venue and answer questions about BFS at each point. The original game, titled “Lolo’s Flying Journey,” was developed by WWF Hong Kong and recently modified in collaboration with the EAAFP Secretariat under the Incheon-Hong Kong Sister Site Arrangement signed in 2019. Both children and parents listened attentively to the explanation by the staff and gained a better understanding of East Asian-Australasian Flyway and environmental conservation. Entries for the BFS Art Contest / ©EAAFP Secretariat EAAFP Booth / ©EAAFP Secretariat Mr. Doug Watkins, Chief Executive of EAAFP, gave congratulatory remarks at the BFS Birthday Party, and highlighted the importance of BFS, BFS’s adaption to the newly constructed artificial habitat, and EAAFP’s work in the conservation of the endangered species. He shared his hope to work together with the local communities for the better management of the BFS habitats before the closing of the event. The event ended with an exuberant sing-along of a song dedicated to BFS nesting in Namdong reservoir. Congratulatory remarks from EAAFP Chief Executive Mr. Doug Watkins/ ©EAAFP Secretariat This is also the first time EAAFP Secretariat recruited local volunteers for conservation activities. The volunteers commented that “the ardent reactions from the children made me believe that we still have high hopes for the future, and volunteering for EAAFP was simply marvelous." To learn more about Black-faced Spoonbills, click here. For more on the EAAFP Volunteer Programme, click here.   지난 5월 21일, 인천 저어새네트워크 사무국은 저어새 생태학습관에서 ‘2022 저어새 생일잔치’를 개최해 250여명이 참석했다고 밝혔다. 2022 저어새 생일잔치 참가자 단체사진 / ©EAAFP 사무국 저어새 생일잔치는 인천 남동 유수지에서 저어새의 도래와 번식을 기념해 인천 저어새네트워크 사무국이 매년 주최하는 행사다. 이번 행사의 경우 사회적 거리두기 규제가 풀리면서 환경에 관심이 많은 어린이와 학부모 250여명이 몰릴 만큼 큰 인기를 끌었다. 행사 주최 측은 행사를 진행하는 동안 일회용품 사용을 최소화하는 등 “지구를 위한 실천적 의지”를 실행하기 위해 노력하였다. 본 행사는 특히 연령이 낮은 참가자들이 즐길 수 있는 저어새 그림 그리기 대회, 탐조, 정치인과 정부에 보내는 엽서 쓰기, 자연 속 재료로 생일 케이크 만들기, 저어새 생일잔치 등 다양한 활동으로 구성되었다. 또, 본 행사의 관련 단체로서 EAAFP 사무국의 이지선 재단 코디네이터와 자원봉사자 2명이 홍보 및 이벤트 부스를 운영하였다. 참가자들은 보물찾기와 비슷한 방식인 ‘저어새 롤로의 하늘을 날으는 여행 게임’과 동아시아-대양주 이동경로를 통해 이동하는 물새에 대한 교육자료에 큰 흥미를 보였다. 저어새 롤로의 비행 여정 게임을 풀기 위해서는 행사장 주변에 숨겨진 다섯 곳을 찾아내어 저어새에 관한 질문에 답해야 했다. 이 게임은 본래 ‘저어새 롤로의 하늘을 날으는 여행’이라는 이름의 WWF 홍콩이 개발한 게임이며, 2019년 체결된 인천-홍콩 자매 협약에 따라 EAFP 사무국과 함께 수정되었다. 어린이와 학부모 모두 부스 운영진의 설명을 경청하며 동아시아-대양주의 이동경로와 환경보전에 대한 이해를 높이는 시간을 가졌다. 저어새 그림 그리기 대회 / ©EAAFP 사무국 EAAFP 사무국 부스 게임 참여 모습 / ©EAAFP 사무국 EAAFP의 더그 왓킨스 대표는 저어새 생일잔치에서 축사를 하면서 저어새와 인천 남동 유수지 내 인공 서식지에 적응하는 것의 중요성, 그리고 멸종 위기에 처한 종 보호에 대한 EAAFP의 노력을 강조하였다. 또한 보다 체계적인 서식지 관리를 위해 지역 사회의 관심과 동참을 희망하였다. 마지막으로 남동 유수지를 방문하는 저어새를 위한 노래를 따라 부르며 행사를 마무리하였다. EAAFP 더그 왓킨스 대표의 축사 / ©EAAFP 사무국 EAAFP 사무국이 철새 보존 활동을 위해 지역 자원봉사자들을 모집한 것은 이번이 처음이며, 자원봉사자들은 “아이들의 열렬한 반응은 미래 세대의 환경 보전에 대한 높은 기대와 희망을 가질 수 있도록 해주었으며, EAAFP와 함께한 자원봉사도 매우 인상깊었다”고 평했다. 저어새 및 주요 철새 종 더 알아보기 EAAFP 자원봉사 프로그램 더 알아보기 (국문 / 영문)


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  • Mark Barter Travel Award and Australasian Shorebird Conference 2022

    Following the announcement of the Australasian Shorebird Conference (ASC) organized by Australasian Wader Study Group and Queensland Wader Study Group, to be held virtually on 29-30 October 2022 (link), please mark the date and stay tuned for further information about the program, registration arrangements, and call for abstracts will be forthcoming in the near future. In line with the ASC, the Mark Barter Travel Award nomination has been launched. Mark Barter Travel Award The AWSG Committee will again be offering an Award to honour the late Mark Barter. Shorebird workers and others will be aware of the tremendous contribution that Mark made to the understanding and conservation of shorebirds in the East Asian- Australasian Flyway over many years. In view of Mark’s substantial contributions through monitoring, training and education focused on the Yellow Sea region, this Award seeks to build on Mark’s work by encouraging the further experience and development of young people who have demonstrated an interest in this work. Scope of Award The recipient of this Award will be sponsored to participate in the 2022 Australasian Shorebird Conference (ASC) which will be held online 29th – 30th September. The Award will cover the cost of registration for the recipient. Selection Criteria As the Award is focused on the Yellow Sea region, applications are sought from interested people from China, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in shorebirds and supporting their conservation through a scientific approach. The successful applicant is strongly encouraged to give an oral or poster presentation to the ASC. Applications Applications with supporting information should be forwarded to awsgconference@gmail.com   by 1 August 2022. At least two referees should be nominated in the application. Mark Barter. Photo courtesy:  Australasian Wader Study Group


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