On the afternoon of June 9, The Peking University Protection Achievement Report of Swift and Beijing Swift Ecological Research and Cultural Protection Forum were held in Zheng Yang Gate Museum as scheduled. Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, the Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), served as a consultant to Peking University Youth CEO Club and 1980 alumnus for Department of chemistry, Peking University. He was invited to participate in and make some relevant speeches.

Biodiversity plays an important role in the history and culture of the ancient city, but this role has not yet been reflected in many policymaking and planning documents. Take "Beijing Swift" as an example. In the history of Beijing, it was called "Yanjing", and it was also because of them. They fly to the south of Africa for winter, and the migration distance is the longest among the same size birds. The whole life journey of swift is equivalent to the distance from the earth to the moon. As one of the few animals named after "Beijing", this swallow has important symbolic and cultural value for Beijing traditional culture.

However, with human activities, the habitat of Swift already greatly reduced in Beijing. why? Because of the ancient city buildings and earth buildings that Beijing Swift needs to build and breed, there is no place to make a nest.

Not only that, but the sand martin living in the wild is also facing severe survival challenges. The "China sand martin sanctuary in Henan Province" protects a group of swallows that nest on a construction site. They nest on the sandy cliffs of the construction site. Just over a week ago, more than 90 percent of the nests were covered by the construction site environmental protection net. Compared with humans, swallows are too weak. Fortunately, CBCGDF contacted the local government, the media and university volunteers to carry out relief work as soon as we got the help information. In everyone's efforts, the sand martin was given a new life. How to make the sand martin, swifts, and other animals get further long-term protection mechanism, is also a problem that we need to further exploration and discovery.

As recently, Beijing Municipal Party Committee Secretary Cai Qi emphasized that Beijing's urban renewal should deal with the relationship between space construction and promotion of function, strengthen the design and transformation of buildings and urban space, promote the coordination of urban production, living and ecological space, and optimize the function of the capital. Secretary Cai Qi also pointed out that we should pay attention to ecological diversity and ecological restoration, build a small group of green areas around the masses, and set aside a ‘black sky’ to allow the city to retain those wild animals such as Swift and Long-eared Owl.

(Photo credit: Summer Memory)

Mr. Li Dihua (Photo credit: CBGDF)

Original Chinese article:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/7JFY620AvHc-SuGUpTLT9A

By / Zheng Nanyu