• The story of ‘messenger’ A49, connecting Incheon and Hong Kong

    Migratory waterbirds flying between breeding and non-breeding…


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  • EAAFP Secretariat and Seabird Working Group launches “Year of the Terns” in 2022

    On 22nd February, 2022, the EAAFP Secretariat and EAAFP Seabird Working Group announced 2022 as the “Year of the Terns” for the EAA Flyway. The announcement is a preface to the focus that EAAFP will put on raising awareness and promoting collaboration for the conservation of seabirds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAA Flyway). The campaign was officially launched during the 49th Annual Meeting of Pacific Seabird Group (PSG) Northeast Asia Seabird Conservation Committee Meeting. There are over 150 seabird species in the EAA Flyway. Many seabird species have long trans-equatorial migration routes and spend most of the year at sea, only returning to land to breed. Since much of their annual lifecycle is spent offshore, they are especially difficult to study and most aspects of their life histories remain poorly understood in the EAA Flyway. While many populations are doing well, others are experiencing population declines that are difficult to detect given the months they remain away from global eyes. To increasing awareness of these Ocean Sentinels, the Secretariat and the EAAFP Seabird Working Group are excited to designate 2022 as the “Year of the Terns”. The Secretariat and the EAAFP Seabird Working Group hope to accomplish the following three objectives with this campaign: 1. To raise awareness of seabirds, especially terns, within EAA Flyway 2. To encourage dialogues and collaboration on seabirds research and conservation within EAA Flyway 3. To promote and strengthen working relationships within EAAFP Seabird Working Group, also with site managers of Flyway Network Sites for seabirds, and beyond To do so, seven, out of the 16 EAA Flyway tern species, were selected for the campaign, including the Chinese Crested Tern (CR), Aleutian Tern (VU), Greater Crested Tern, Bridled Tern, Little Tern, Black-naped Tern and Roseate Tern. The Secretariat and Seabird WG will also be developing activities for the campaign accordingly. Robb Kaler, Chair of EAAFP Seabird Working Group, expressed “According to a global assessment, seabirds are generally more threatened than other comparable groups of birds. Many populations have declined rapidly in recent decades due to various threats, including incidental bycatch, overfishing, pollution, invasive species, warming oceans and more. We hope that the “Year of the Terns” campaign, will raise awareness about seabirds, both for the health of their populations, and as an indicator of the health of oceans on which seabirds and all of us depend. We are excited for this opportunity for more joint actions to conserve seabirds in the EAA Flyway and expand the Seabird Working Group’s network of partners.” Doug Watkins, Chief Executive of EAAFP Secretariat said. “Seabirds received relatively less attention and conservation effort in the EAA Flyway compared to other taxa, probably due to the vast distribution range of many species and the challenges to study them. Therefore, we need to strengthen our network in seabird studies and conservation and promote more collaboration in the region, and the actions cannot be delayed.” Stay tuned for more upcoming activities such as a photo competition and a talk series. The EAAFP Secretariat and Seabird Working Group invite everyone to support and celebrate the “Year of the Terns with them! Check the “Year of the Terns” webpage: https://eaaflyway.net/year-of-the-terns-2022/ For inquiries and interest to support the Year of the Terns, please contact: Ms. Vivian Fu Communication Officer, EAAFP Secretariat Email: [email protected]


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  • A Shorebird Flying Adventure

    By Jackie Kerin and Milly Formby, CSIRO Publishing (Australia) Jackie and Milly are very excited to announce that the book, A Shorebird Flying Adventure, will be released in June 2022. Jackie has written the text and Milly has created the illustrations. The aim was to make an engaging and informative book for mid to upper primary school readers and their teachers. In A Shorebird Flying Adventure, Milly invites you to hop into her microlight and travel around the world to discover how amazing and awesome migratory shorebirds are. On the way you will meet the brilliant birds who travel phenomenal distances every year and explore their precious wetland habitats and breeding grounds. You will also discover fascinating facts about their diet and find out top tips to tell one species from another. In the illustrations, you will find over thirty birds (not all migratory shorebirds), wetland diagrams and maps. You will also see children calling out in languages from across the flyway including Chinese, Korean, Russian, Japanese and Thai, which in six languages! © Milly Formby Additional resources For educators, there are free downloadable resources on the Wing Threads website. • E-leaning pack • Teacher notes • Cartoon shorebird ID activity • Live shorebird tracking reports © Milly Formby The Flight Around OZ Milly will be taking off in her microlight on a real flying adventure around Australia in mid-2022. On the way, she will be visiting schools, libraries and wetland centres and spreading the shorebird word. Milly invites you all, wherever you are on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, to follow along and learn together. Let’s tell everyone why shorebirds are totally awesome! © Milly Formby Pre-order A Shorebird Flying Adventure and follow my Flight Around OZ Wing Threads [https://wingthreads.com/] CSIRO Publishing [https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/8006/] How the book came to be – in words of Milly Formby “Jackie and I love birds – especially migratory shorebirds, so our paths were destined to cross one day. It was 2018, at the Australasian Shorebird Conference in Tasmania. I’d just presented on Wing Threads and Flight Around Oz - my project to fly around Australia in my microlight to raise awareness for migratory shorebirds, and Jackie was in the audience. She approached me afterwards, very excited by my presentation and suggested that my adventure would make a great picture book for children. However, at the time I was pretty busy training and making plans and anyway - what did I know about publishing and creating books for children? Less than a year later, at the Australasian Ornithological Conference in Darwin, I was approached again, this time by CSIRO Publishing! Okay so this idea wasn’t going away and now it had legs. To cut a long story short (you’d be amazed how much work it is to write and illustrate a 32 page illustrated book), with the support of CSIRO, Jackie and I set to work. To the people who work so hard to create conferences – thank you. Wonderful, unexpected projects can hatch around the cakes at morning tea time. Cheers to all our Flyway Friends” © Milly Formby Milly Formby Pilot, zoologist, illustrator and bird nerd! Follow her  amazing journey around Australia at Wing Threads © Jackie Kerin Jackie Kerin is the author of several award-winning non-fiction illustrated books for children as well as a storyteller. Follow her channel: https://www.jackiekerin.com.au/ Wing Threads acknowledges the support of the EAAFP and the Small Grant Fund.


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  • Call for 2022 Application to the Asian Waterbird Conservation Fund (AWCF)

    Fion Cheung, AWCF Secretariat © Mongolian Bird Conservation Centre The AWCF was established by WWF-Hong Kong in July 2005 to provide financial support for projects at sites of importance for migratory waterbirds (including seabirds) in Asia of the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (EAAF). In late 2019, the AWCF was reformed and two new grants, the WWF Dr Lew Young Grant and the Asian Flyways Initiative Grant (AFI Grant), were set up to extend the support from the EAAF to the Central Asian Flyway (CAF). The goal of the two new Grants is to support projects on the ground in Asia that will lead to the conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats in the EAAF and CAF, particularly through partnership with the local community at the site. WWF Dr Lew Young Grant Dr Lew Young was a passionate conservationist dedicated in the conservation of Asia’s wetlands and waterbirds. When he was with WWF-Hong Kong to manage the Mai Po Nature Reserve from 1991 to 2008, he was actively involved in the designation of Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site, launched the wetland management training programme and created education programmes for students and visitors. In 2008, Dr Young was appointed as the Senior Regional Advisor for Asia and Oceania for the Ramsar Secretariat and provided support on the strategic development and effective implementation of the Convention. Dr Young joined the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership Secretariat as Chief Executive in 2018. During his term, he developed the 2019-2028 Strategic Plan and the DPR Korea also joined both the Ramsar Convention and the Partnership. On 5th of March, 2019, Dr. Young passed away while on a working trip to develop conservation actions for the intertidal wetlands of the Yellow Sea in Beijing. In 2019, WWF-Hong Kong set up the WWF Dr Lew Young Grant for his whole-life dedication and significant contribution to wetland conservation. The maximum amount is US$10,000/project. AFI Grant In 2019, WWF established the Asian Flyways Initiative to coordinate among the various organizations and stakeholders to ensure that both the EAAF and the CAF are conserved so that ecologically connected stepping-stone corridors can be sustained for the long-distance migratory birds, and the wetlands are managed for nature and people. To provide support to the conservation work of wetlands and migratory birds in these two flyways, WWF-Hong Kong established the AFI Grant. The maximum amount is US$5,000/project for one-year projects and US$5,000/year for multiple-year projects (2-3 years). More information about the AFI can be found here. There is a single call for application to the AWCF each year. The deadline for the 2022 application is 31 March 2022. For details, please check: https://www.wwf.org.hk/reslib/programme_resources/water_wetlands/?16263/res-Asian-Waterbird-Conservation-Fund. or contact the AWCF Secretariat by e-mail [email protected]. Chinese version 亞洲水鳥保育基金現正接受申請 張嘉穎, 亞洲水鳥保育基金秘書處 © Mongolian Bird Conservation Centre 亞洲水鳥保育基金(以下簡稱AWCF)於2005年7月成立,目的是為在東亞—澳大利西亞遷飛路線(EAAF)上,於亞洲重要地點上進行的遷徙水鳥(包括海鳥)的保育項目提供資助。AWCF於2019年年底進行了調整,並在旗下成立了「WWF 楊路年博士基金」及「亞洲遷飛路線保育行動基金」,希望把資助覆蓋的範圍從EAAF延伸至中亞遷飛路線(CAF)。兩個新基金的宗旨是支持在亞洲地區進行的在地保育項目,特別是透過與當地社區合作的項目,保育EAAF和CAF上的遷徙水鳥以及牠們賴以生存的濕地生境。 WWF 楊路年博士基金 楊路年博士是一位一直醉心於亞州濕地及水鳥保育工作的自然保育學者。在1991至2008年,他受聘於世界自然基金會香港分會,負責管理米埔保護區。在此期間,積極參與把米埔及內后海灣濕地列入國際重要濕地(即拉姆薩爾濕地)的工作,同時開展了濕地管理培訓項目以及針對學生及公眾人士的環境教育工作。 2008年,楊博士出任「拉姆薩爾公約秘書處」亞太區高級主任,專責支持公約的策略性發展及有效執行。十年後,楊博士擔任「東亞—澳大利西亞遷飛區伙伴關係(EAAF Partnership)」執行總裁一職。在任期間不但完成了「東亞—澳大利西亞遷飛路線2019-2028年保育策略」,還協助朝鮮加入成為拉姆薩爾公約的締約國和EAAF Partnership 的合作伙伴。 在2019年3月5日,楊博士在北京開會討論為黃海地區的潮間濕地定立保育行動期間不幸去世。世界自然基金會香港分會特別為他設立「WWF 楊路年博士基金」,以紀念楊博士為水鳥及濕地保育作出的傑出貢獻。基金的最高資助金額為10,000美元/項目。 亞洲遷飛路線保育行動基金 在2019年,世界自然基金會開始了「亞洲遷飛路線保育行動」,以聯合EAAF和CAF上的不同團體和利益相關者,共同保護兩條遷飛路線上的重要地點,讓長途遷徙鳥類繼續停棲於合適地點,也希望人類可永續利用這些生境。 為支持EAAF和CAF上的濕地和遷徙鳥類的保育工作,世界自然基金會香港分會設立了「亞洲遷飛路線保育行動基金」。基金的最高資助金額為5,000美元(一年項目)或5,000美元/年(2-3年項目)。 如欲了解更多關於「亞洲遷飛路線保育行動」的資料,請按此(網站只提供英文)。 每年基金只接受一次申請,2022年度的申請截止日期為2022年3月31日。 欲知詳請,請瀏覽: https://www.wwf.org.hk/reslib/programme_resources/water_wetlands/?16263/res-Asian-Waterbird-Conservation-Fund 目前申請表格只設英文版,如欲提交中文申請書,請聯絡亞洲水鳥保育基金秘書處 [email protected]


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  • EAAFP Secretariat Programme Team Capacity Building Workshop at Ganghwa Island

    On 18 January 2022, the EAAFP Secretariat Programme Team’s capacity-building workshop was held at Gangwha island, Incheon, Republic of Korea. Located at the Northern-West Part of the Korean Peninsula,…


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  • “Flyway: connecting people and migratory waterbirds” Story Series #15 – Interview with Ms. Inyoung Kim, textile artist raising awareness of conservation of Spoon-billed Sandpiper

    In this issue of Flyway Story, we invited Ms. Inyoung Kim, textile artist from the Republic of Korea, to share with us how her artwork links with the conservation of migratory waterbirds, especially Spoon-billed Sandpiper. “I’m grateful that I can be a part of the starting point to communicate about wildlife conservation with others.” – Ms. Inyoung Kim Ms. Kim is designing her work ©Inyoung Kim / wonderwall EAAFP: What are you currently working on? Currently, I am preparing for the fourth book with like-minded people about knitting and crochet. I am also working on an overseas magazine, which is still ongoing. It is a project to let my readers follow my design instructions to make their own artwork. Another work is about Spoon-billed Sandpiper that I want to continue, so I am still working on it. I also have a plan to hold a private exhibition, but there are not many things to explain in particular since this is at the beginning phase. EAAFP: What do you want to achieve through your artwork? Well, it is quite a difficult question. Actually, I am immersed in craft art because I like the process itself more than any other purpose. I am still learning about the field. However, I believe that as I continue to do various craftworks, I can understand myself more and comfort others through my artwork, which enables communication with others.   Ms. Kim is working on knitting ©Inyoung Kim / wonderwall EAAFP: Why did you choose textile art as a method to raise awareness of endangered species? The biggest reason is that textile art is my best means of communication, but at the same time, I see fiber is close to our daily lives in the context of ‘protection’. I thought that the works made of these fibers would lead to warm and emotional consent for species that need protection. Also, due to the characteristic of textile art, it takes a lot of time to work. Therefore, in an era where everything is fast and instant, I thought that it could be a good means to let participants spend some time to think carefully about a topic for a while. EAAFP: One of your project patterns is Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Can you tell us why you chose this species among many other endangered birds? First of all, from a personal point of view, the characteristic beak was beautiful. Also, during the investigation, I found it pity that the number of this small but strong migratory waterbird has plummeted for several reasons. I wanted to initiate a public conversation about the bird before we lose them without knowing them. ©Inyoung Kim / wonderwall EAAFP: What are your future plans or ambition to raise awareness of the conservation of endangered animal species? I would like to continue working on projects as much as possible in my own capacity. I'm grateful that can be a part of the starting point to communicate about wildlife conservation with others. Thank you. For more about Kim In Young’s Spoon-billed sandpiper knitting project Learn more about EAAFP’s work on Spoon-billed sandpiper Support Spoon-billed Sandpiper


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  • The irreplaceable habitat of Australia’s Moreton Bay to migratory watebirds, in particular to the Endangered Far Eastern Curlew

    The irreplaceable habitat of Australia’s Moreton Bay to migratory watebirds, in particular to the Endangered Far Eastern Curlew Far Eastern…


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  • Rongcheng Swan National Nature Reserve in China became Flyway Network Site on World Wetlands Day 2022

    On 2nd February, 2022 World Wetlands Day, the EAAFP and its Partners celebrate Rongcheng Swan National Nature Reserve in the People’s Republic of China as the new Flyway Network…


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