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.