Supporting conservation of migratory waterbirds through whiskey tasting by Lotte Chilsung

Whiskey tasting can also support conservation. On 14th December, Lotte Chilsung, a beverage company in Ro Korea, donated KRW 1.35 million (About 1,000 USD) to the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership Foundation. The donations were raised from a tasting event of Glengoyne, a Scottish whiskey brand, held in Seoul, Ro Korea from 7th – 8th December. All participation fee for the event was donated by Lotte Chilsung in the participants’ name. Promotional material of Glengoyne tasting event ©Lotte Chilsung The Glengoyne tasting event was held under the concept, ‘In the winter of 2022, Scottish geese nest in Ikseon-dong, Seoul.’ The wine bar ‘Nest of Goose Ikseon’ was selected as the venue for the event as its business name and interior were each reminiscent of the whiskey brand name and a Scottish mountain lodge. The participants had a Q&A session with Seong-wun Yu, author of the ‘Single Malt Whiskey Bible’ and Deputy Secretary General of the Korea Distillers Association. Won-gyeong Seo, a liquor expert from the famous YouTube channel ‘Introduction to Liquor Studies’, explained the Glengoyne brand to the participants to improve their understanding of the brand. “The brand name Glengoyne means wild goose valley. This originated from wild geese wintering in the valley located behind Glengoyne, the southernmost distillery in the Highlands region famous for producing Scottish single malt whisky,” Explained the Lotte Chilsung official. He further expressed the company’s willingness to donate to conserve migratory birds such as geese, which represent the brand, and their habitats. Bean Goose ©Min-cheol Park Geese are migratory waterbirds belonging to the family Anatidae, and various species of geese, such as the Bean Goose and Greater White-fronted Goose, common winter visitors to Ro Korea, are found along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. These geesebreed in the open tundra lowlands of northern Eurasia and winters in central and southern Europe, Central Asia, the Korean peninsula, China, and Japan.  However, even they are relatively common species, the birds are facing constant threats from wetland loss and degradation. and marine debris. Wetlands, which are habitats for migratory waterbirds, are also directly connected to human livelihoods, such as agriculture and fishing and are known to protect humans from natural disasters. Amid concerns about natural habitat and biodiversity loss, Lotte Chilsung's donations will be used to protect the nests of migratory waterbirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Ms. Jisun Lee, EAAFP Foundation Coordinator said, “We would like to express our gratitude once again to the Lotte Chilsung’s Glengoyne tasting participants who donated the participation fee, and we hope that many domestic and foreign companies will join us in conserving migratory birds and their habitats through sponsorships and EAAFP Corporate Champion programs.”

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