• First Upo Wetland Symposium held to promote harmony between birds and people

    Upo Wetland © EAAFP Secretariat The 1st Upo Wetland Harmony Symposium was successfully held in Changnyeong County, Ro Korea from 21st to 22nd April 2022. It was hosted by Changnyeong County, with the support from the EAAFP Secretariat with the National Institute of Ecology (NIE), Ramsar Regional Center- East Asia (RRC-EA), and Gyeongsangnamdo Ramsar Environmental Foundation (GREF). Local Project Coordinator of EAAFP Secretariat, Ms. Yeonah Ku and Programme Assistant Hyoeun Kim supported and participated in the event. Upo Wetland Flyway Network Site (EAAF096), also a Ramsar Site, is located in Changnyeong County, Southern part of Ro Korea. The site consists of four natural riverine marshes of Nakdong River. As the site was well-preserved and with suitable habitats, the Ministry of Environment of Korea has reintroduced locally extinct Crested Ibis in the area (link). In addition, Changnyeong County was inscribed as one of the first batches of Wetland Cities by the Ramsar Convention in 2018. For its following action as a Ramsar Wetland City, Changnyeong County held an international symposium, with the Slogan “Upo Wetland, where birds and people belong”. The county is planning to organize a world expo on wetlands in the long run. Q&A session of the symposium © EAAFP Secretariat The symposium consisted of keynote speeches ‘Upo Wetland and Sustainable Development’, and sessions titled ‘Benefits from Wetlands’, ‘Our Promise, Protection on Migratory Waterbirds and Crested Ibis of Upo, Flying Again’, and ‘Discussion’. In the first session, “Benefits of Wetlands”, Dr. Mathew Simpson from ‘35 %’ introduced the Ramsar Convention and its criteria for Ramsar sites considering public awareness; Dr. Wooyeong Joo from NIE evaluated the ecosystem service of the Upo Wetland, based on the Ro Korean policy and the general concept of ecosystem services; and Mr. Seungoh Suh from RRC-EA promoted managing wetlands led by the local NGO. In the second session, Mr. Simba Chan from the Japan Bird Research Association explained the extinction and conservation process of birds, with cases of Yellow-breasted bunting and the Chinese Crested Tern. Which showed the importance of building up strong networks both nationally and internationally. Then, Mr. Nelson Chen from Guandu National Park shared the case of citizen science, as experience in managing the citizen scientists and datasets was valuable for those who need more scientific evidence for conservation. Dr. Seong-Jin Kim shared the conservation status of the Asian Crested Ibis which had been extinct in Ro Korea and successfully reintroduced in Upo Wetland. The second day of the symposium was an excursion to the Upo Wetland, including a visit to the Upo Crested Ibis Restoration Center, and Changnyeong Upo Wetland Eco Center. The Eco Center focuses on ecological elements and provides activities and materials for visitors’ experience, targeting children. The machines for incubating Crested Ibis at the Upo Crested Ibis Restoration Center © EAAFP Secretariat Stepping on the peat layer at the Changnyeong Upo Wetland Eco Center © EAAFP Secretariat Beak description comparing to the tools for humans at the Upo Wetland Eco Center © EAAFP Secretariat Restored Sanbakbeol Wetland Sanbakbeol Wetland used to be agricultural land and now is restored as a marsh of an area of 192,250 m2 in November 2017. There is an artificial island that was designed as a birds’ roosting site. To maintain the environment of the island, . Reed control on the island enhance birds’ usage of the habitat and it proved that more birds visited the roosting site, according to the monitoring cameras that GREF had set on the island. Sanbakbeol Wetland © EAAFP Secretariat Upo, where artists belong Wetlands and wildlife have always been inspiring to artists. Mr. Bongchae Jung, a nature photographer, is one of the artists who has been in love with Upo. He introduces himself as “a photographer ”, meaning that he is now acting as a part of nature, not just as an observer of nature, after decades working for the Upo Wetland. He is a well-known nature photographer, and a lot of his artworks focus on the Upo Wetland, where he lived for more than 20 years. Mr. Jung aims to raise public awareness to conserve wetlands via his artworks. Together with Mr. Jung, there are a number of artists working with ‘Changnyeong Upo Wetland Ecotourism Association’, and they held art events such as Upo Ecological Art Village Project. We can say, nature inspires artists, and their art inspire people to take conservation actions to nature. Mr. Bongchae Jung at the Gallery of Jeong Bongchae © EAAFP Secretariat The photographs of its inside © EAAFP Secretariat   Watch the playback: Youtube channel for the symposium


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  • YSFAC X EAAFP PROJECT 2022 Bird Meets Arts 5th Education Program

    On August 4th, the fifth event of 2022 <Bird Meets Arts> ‘Imaginary Monster’ was successfully concluded. A cooperative project between the EAAFP Foundation and the Yeonsu Foundation for Arts and…


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  • EAAFP Secretariat signs MOU with Seoul Science Center, Ro Korea

    Dr. Jung-Kyu Lee, Head of the Seoul Science Center (SSC) and Mr. Doug Watkins, Chief Executive of the…


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  • Ganghwa Big Bird Race for 2022 World Migratory Bird Day

    From 30 April to 1 May 2022, the <Ganghwa Big Bird Race> was organized by Moolsaeal, a local NGO, on Ganghwa Island, Republic of Korea. A total of 26 teams, 110 birdwatchers from across the country (14 competitive, 12 non-competitive) spent 24 hours searching for birds in Ganghwa Island. Unlike normal birding competitions, all birds observed must be photographed and uploaded to a monitoring App called 'Getbol keepers'. With the records listed on this monitoring App, the judges score and rank them. The competition, which began with a congratulatory greeting from EAAFP Chief Executive Mr. Doug Watkins, followed by the lectures introducing Ganghwa birding places and instructions of the race. The BBR then kick-started in the heated atmosphere.   Group Photo of Participants and Organization Committee ©️ 2022 Ganghwa Big Bird Race Organization Committee Families and EAAFP secretariat staff, who participated in the non-competition section, then attended a lecture by the organizer to learn about common bird species. Then they visited rice paddies and mudflats with professional birding guides for bird watching. At the end of the first day, there was a music performance to celebrate the event, followed by a sharing section in which all the teams were introduced and expressed their feeling for joining the Ganghwa BBR. Families participating in the non-competitive Birdwatching section ©️ 2022 Ganghwa Big Bird Race Organization Committee EAAFP Secretariat Staff at Ganghwa BBR ©️ 2022 Ganghwa Big Bird Race Organization Committee During the BBR, teams observed a total of 581 photo records and 102 bird species for two days. The first-place team scored 75 points (69 records + 6 additional points for protected species), the second-place team scored 56 points (51 records + 5 additional points for protected species), and the third-place team scored 55 points (51 records + 4 additional points for protected species). Participants for the competitive section ©️ 2022 Ganghwa Big Bird Race Organization Committee Families participating in the non-competitive section ©️ 2022 Ganghwa Big Bird Race Organization Committee Some sharing from the participants:Mr. Rahul Teku Vaswani and his family, from India, saw a black-faced spoonbill biting a giant frog and said, “It’s so amazing. The colors and patterns made by nature are really beautiful.” Another participant said, "There were not many birds this year. Continuous monitoring is needed, whether it is due to climate change or other environmental factors. We expect more people to participate next year.” For more on Ganghwa BBR (in Korean) https://ghbbr.modoo.at/?link=cgfdi6ow Article prepared by Moolsaeal.


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  • 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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  • 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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  • 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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