CBCGDF Sand Martin Conservation Experts Team Went to Yuanshi County, Hebei Province for a Field Investigation | Call on the Local Government to Take Measures to Preserve Sand Martin’s Last Habitat
2020/4/4 13:26:00 本站

At 10:00 on April 3, 2020, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) sand martin conservation expert team received an invitation from the head of the forestry department of Yuanshi County, Hebei Province, and hoped that the CBCGDF staff and sand martin protection experts and others would rush to Yuanshi County to participate in an on-site meeting about relevant protection issues and the meeting is scheduled for two o'clock in the afternoon. The CBCGDF team immediately called for staff. At less than 11 am, the team of experts had embarked on a journey to Yuanshi County, Hebei Province, applying for health QR code on the way. The working group is led by Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, the Secretary-General of CBCGDF. On the way, Dr. Zhou made quick arrangements and deployment around the operation.

 

On the way to Yuanshi County, Hebei Province, a team of people kept communicating with the Shijiazhuang epidemic prevention and control headquarters on the current situation of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control there. At the same time, everyone also learned that the directors of the CBCGDF Community Conservation Areas for black stork and sand martin (CCAfa), as well as volunteer representatives will also be with them on the way, and media reporters were also invited to report to Yuanshi County.

 

At 2:30 in the afternoon, the CBCGDF expert team suddenly received a notice from the Yuanshi County Government requesting to go to the site of Huaihe Wetland first. A group of people who had been to the county government immediately rushed to the site of the Huaihe Wetland followed local government vehicles.

 

At 3 pm, the CBCGDF sand martin expert group, CBCGDF CCAfa sites teams and volunteer representatives, members of relevant government departments in Yuanshi County, and media reporters gathered in Huaihe Hezhou. Yuanshi County specially invited the staff of the epidemic prevention department to introduce the epidemic prevention policy. Ecology experts and water experts from the local government also arrived at the scene. The county government acknowledged that there were some problems in communication before. Judging from the situation at the site, the entire Huaihe River is very wide, and many large-scale machineries are under construction.

 

At 3:36 in the afternoon, the CBCGDF sand martin expert group visited the site and called on the government to retain the last sandbar habitat suitable for the survival of sand martin. Sand martins are said to have nested on the sand banks of the Huaihe River. The sand banks were excavated by river regulation, but there are still a certain number of nests. After investigation, the CBCGDF expert team found that the hardened river embankment next to the sandbank is the main habitat of sand martin, but it has been completely hardened and is no longer suitable for the survival of sand martin, so now they can only stay in the remaining sandbar part.

 

The CBCGDF sand martin expert group communicated with the relevant local departments, hoping to retain this sandbar and make subtle adjustments to make it suitable for the survival of sand martin, while coordinating the local tourism and environmental protection efforts.

 

Recall that CBCGDF has discovered that the remediation and hardening of the Yuanshi County section endangered the breeding area of sand martin; CBCGDF has sent two letters to local authorities and held several internal discussions and expert seminars, only to hope sand martins who are about to fly back can thrive in this familiar area.

 

Although this remaining habitat has been partially destroyed, it is not impossible to remedy.


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(Photo credit: CBCGDF)


By / Maggie