A steady stream of emails has been flowing between Sandy and China today as preparations are being finalised for my trip. This is my second visit to China and I am always impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment of the people involved in the birdwatching movement over there. China has a network of birdwatching societies and the Fujian and Shanghai BWS are the ones hosting the workshops this time. The Hong Kong BWS is BirdLife’s principal contact for China, and the China Programme Officer is based with them. This active network of volunteers has helped to do a lot of vital research on birds and sites in the country. The China Coastal Waterbird Census has been important for providing records and identifying sites such as the one used by SBS near Rudong. More information about the China Birdwatch network is here. Some resources can be downloaded from this website including the Mandarin translation of my Spoon-billed sandpiper migration game.
Having a network of active supporters for conservation is vital if we are to make progress in gaining support for the protection of species and habitats across the World. I, and my international colleagues, find it particularly rewarding to work with local conservationists – it’s the best part of the job. Many of them work in difficult circumstances, with limited resources, but their enthusiasm and dedication drives them on. With regards to Spoon-billed sandpiper, it’s going to be essential to grow the network of supporters throughout its flyway. The work that happened in Chukotka was important in many ways, including raising awareness in the local community. Birds Russia has played a leading role in this project and is coordinating the work on Spoon-billed sandpiper in that country. News from the expedition can be found here.
The development of international networking and support is critical to ensure the conservation of endangered species like the Spoon-billed sandpiper.