World Migratory Bird Day 2021 May Event– Ibaraki Academy

©️Ibaraki Academy

Event Title :

GenSan World Migratory Bird Day

Organizer:

The Ibaraki Academy together with Kidlikasan and Yabong Philippines

Date:

8th October – 9th October, 2021

Participants:

There were a total of 36 participants, 32 out of 36 were college students and

4 participants were high school students.

Summary:

In celebration of the World Migratory Bird Day 2021, annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats, the Ibaraki Academy, a non-profit organization based in General Santos City (GenSan), Philippines, partnered with the Youth Affairs and Development Office of GenSan (YADO), Kidlikasan. Kabataan. Kalikasan, Yabong Philippines, and City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of General Santos City to celebrate the World Migratory Birds Day 2021 in GenSan, with the theme: “Sing, fly, soar like a bird.” The event was funded by the East-Asia Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) through the WMBD Small Grant Fund 2021. The 2-day celebration was attended by a total of 39 participants.

The following are the highlights of the WMBD Celebration 2021 at General Santos City,

Philippines:

Publication of online CEPA materials, which is composed of the following:

– 20 promotional posters

– 2 promotional videos

– 2 after-event videos

– Photos from the event

©️Ibaraki Academy

2. A whole day webinar about topics relevant to the WMBD was held via Zoom on October 8, 2021. The event was streamed live through the Facebook page of Ibaraki Academy. It aimed to educate the youth about the importance of migratory birds and their habitats through a series of lectures from different speakers. The event was hosted by John Rey Busgano, a volunteer at Ibaraki Academy. The event started with preliminaries to introduce the applicants and the facilitators, then followed by inspirational messages from the following: Ms. Karen Pacpaco, OIC-Environmental Education and Information Division at DENR EMB-Central Office; Sir Allan Marcilla, Department Head at CENRO-Gensan; and Mr. Doug Watkins, Chief Executive of the EAAFP.

©️Ibaraki Academy

The plenary started at 9:00 AM with a lecture about “Youth Participation in the Conservation of Ramsar Sites in the Philippines” from Mr. Philip Godfrey Jakosalem of the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. Followed by the next speaker, Ms. Camille Silvosa, discussed the value of birds of prey and how education helps to conserve both birds and wetlands. It was followed by a panel discussion with the speakers and the participants; three (3) questions were raised and answered, succeeded by a photo opportunity with the speakers.

Ms. Vivian Fu, Communications Officer at EAAFP, opened the next session at 10:40 a.m. with a discussion on “The Youth’s Role in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership.” After a short Question and Answer (Q&A) portion, the morning session ended with the participants’ reflections about the discussions.

The afternoon session started with a talk together with Mr. Erick Navarro about “Conservation through Photography and the Importance of Citizen Science.” There were also inspirational messages given by Ms. Mia Ronka a Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Chairperson, and Dorsa Sheikholeslami a Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Secretariat as the Junior Professional for the Asia/Oceania Region.

Mr. Kyle V. Aboy, a Greenducator, concluded the plenary discussion by discussing the “Role of Youth in Environmental Education and Awareness.” After all the discussions, the participants were given enough time to discuss with their groups through the breakout rooms. Each breakout room has one facilitator to guide the participants in conceptualizing their digital campaigns.

©️Ibaraki Academy

3. A birdwatching activity on October 9, 2021, 6:00 AM at Tinagacan Lake, Brgy. Tinagacan, General Santos City. Mr. Marx Sarabosquez from CENRO-GenSan accompanied the group to the site. Mr. Allan Barredo, a birdwatcher and a wildlife photographer, was also present and gave a short but engaging talk about migratory birds in the area.

4. A digital campaign presentation of the participants on October 9, 2021, at attended1:00PM at Veranza Mall of Gensan. Five (5) groups presented their digital campaign for migratory birds. The event ended with the awarding of winners for the digital campaign contest and certificates for the participants.

Check the event photos [here]

Watch the event video of the Day [here]

Outcome:

At the end of the forum, the participants were able to create different information

education campaign materials that will serve as a digital campaigns resources that will be

used to spread information and promote the importance of migratory birds and wetlands.

Special thanks:

East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) Secretariat, City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of General Santos City, Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) of General Santos, and Youth Affairs and Development Office (YADO) of General Santos City. Special thanks to Mr. Allan Barredo, a Bird Watcher enthusiast for the Bird Watching books and resources that served as prizes for the event.

Prepared by Ibaraki Academy

News