In the face of pandemic, the DENR XI pursues efforts in keeping the employees equipped on wildlife conservation.
Recently, through its Conservation and Development Division’s (CDD) Protected Area Management and Biodiversity Conservation Section (PAMBCS), some selected personnel, both from the region and field offices, went through a 2-day workshop dubbed as “Expanded Capacity Development on Shorebird Identification.”
The activity, which was conducted in March 25-26, 2021, aimed to enhance the capability and knowledge of the participants on the importance of wetlands, amplify their skills on migratory bird identification and intensify actions particularly on the conservation of migratory birds’ breeding sites in the region.
The Philippines is part of the EastAsian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) which is one of the major flyways in the world. This means that our country, notably the Davao Region, is one of the areas which the migratory birds opt to visit as they found it most fitting to feed and rest. To keep these avifauna species safe, the DENR consistently monitors them through the annual Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) which also aims to keep records of bird sightings across the globe.
For this purpose, the aforementioned workshops are regularly instigated. After a day of lecture, the participants had a field practicum in Panabo and Carmen, Davao del Norte where the two indentified waterbird sites in Davao region are located.
Though the end of March marks the offset of bird migration season, the participants were still able to sight 33 species. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good day to see the critically endangered Chinese Crested Terns which were previously sighted in the area.
Mr. Pete Simpson, an American-turned-Davao-based professional birder was the workshop’s resource speaker. The said activity is part of the conservation program of ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity and as support for EAAF. It was also made possible through the assistance of the Society for the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands (SCPW).
“The SCPW promotes CEPA (Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness) and capacity building so that people can take action for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. Through our “Active, Clean and Bountiful Wetlands Project’ which is supported by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, we conducted this training on bird identification to increase the capacity of participants in wildlife conservation, particularly in monitoring shorebirds in breeding sites in the EAAF, and at the same time increase their awareness on the importance of wetlands and the various ecosystem services they provide." the organization expressed.
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- Parent Category: News & Events
- Category: Press Releases
- Published: 30 March 2021