Project
HSF X EAAFP Small Grant Program Workshop

As the first small grant project of the Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea, three private organizations that want to carry out projects such as ecological research, biodiversity and monitoring, public awareness of ecosystems, and habitat management were selected. The Global Future Environment Association, Yeoncheon GeoEco Network, and DMZ Ecological Research Institute were selected through the evaluation process of the internal committee, and the Global Future Environment Association and Yeoncheon GeoEco Network participated in the final workshop. Including four organizations supported by Korea South-East Power Co., (KOEN), seven organizations participated in the final workshop in total.

The Global Future Environment Association organized the project under the theme of “Research on Ecosystem Services and Habitat for Migratory Birds in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ).” In particular, the time-series changes in the habitat of Far Eastern Curlew in the area designated as the IFEZ were visualized, and by rating them, objective perspective, and quantitative data on their role as an intermediate stop were provided. It is expected that international cooperation can be led by analyzing changes in the migration path of domestic East Asia-Australia Flyway due to climate change and presenting measures reflecting future distribution when establishing the direction of conservation of migratory birds. In addition, it is expected to contribute to the preservation and increase of the Far Eastern Curlew population through the establishment of hot-spot in Ramsar’s strategic area due to the construction of highways near the destination of migratory birds in the future.

The Yeoncheon GeoEco Network conducted a bird survey on Chattantcheon stream in the Imjin River biosphere conservation area of Yeoncheon. Also, they provided education to promote knowledge and awareness of birds and biodiversity and foster citizen scientists to build a foundation for ecological preservation. This project contributed to raising awareness of the biodiversity of rivers and wetlands through a total of 20 bird monitoring sessions per week and three training sessions for civic scientists on a field trip to the DMZ Peace Town for Migratory Birds. In the case of Chathancheon stream, natural preservation is urgently needed due to livestock manure coming down from Gangwon-do, a lot of contact with people, and illegal fishing activities. Education for fostering civic scientists for ordinary citizens was also difficult to induce participation due to COVID-19, but it is meaningful that members were able to distinguish birds and accumulate knowledge through continuous training.