After surviving a three hour car journey from Shanghai, we arrived at the Defeng Hotel in Yangkou. Yangkou is a fishing port, but since 2008 it has become an increasingly popular destination for birdwatchers. The reason is the discovery that the mudflats are a regular feeding site for migrating Spoon-billed sandpipers. I was talking to one birdwatcher who said that it can sometimes be difficult to book a room at this hotel now because of the growing number of visitors to this migration hotspot. This is an excellent example of the economic benefits of biodiversity. The local economy has benefited from the regular supply of birdwatchers coming to enjoy the avian spectacular. The staff from the hotel were clearly glad to host several people for the forthcoming workshops and this Spoon-billed sandpiper poster is now displayed in the hotel foyer. The poster includes information about the two main sites for SBS which is where the workshops will be held.
Staff at Defeng Hotel putting the SBS poster in the lobby.
Map showing the two main sites in China for SBS