(Originally published on 04/01/2016)

The 2016 Hainan Bird-loving Week, themed Protecting Birds according to the law, building a beautiful China, was kicked off at Yingcai Primary School in Haikou City, Hainan Province on March 25. The Hainan Project co-hosted the event along with the Hainan Forestry Department, and Haikou Country People’s government with the goal to increase public awareness on wildlife protection. The Hainan project is part of the greater United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)- Global Environment Facility (GEF) Wetland Protected Area System Strengthening for Biodiversity Conservation programme.

 “China possesses one of the greatest varieties of birds in the world.  Among the nearly 1500 kinds of birds that have been documented in China, Hainan is home to 428 of them,” said Lu Gang, the UNDP-GEF Hainan Project Communication officer, who is an expert in bird conservation, at his talk to over 200 students who participated in this event.

Students who attended the event were inspired to take action in the protection of birds and other wildlife. “I think birds can bring a lot of vitality and joy into our life”, one student commented. There was general surprise expressed by the students upon learning about the great diversity of birds that China possesses, demonstrating the need for more education on China’s wildlife situation.

Assisting youth in China to gain a more comprehensive understanding about wildlife protection is one of the objectives of Hainan Bird-loving Week. “We intend to promote education about ecology among youth through developing communications campaigns, organizing interactive activities like lectures, eco-tourism, photo exhibitions and handcraft activities etc.,” said Ms. Yanni Mo, a researcher for Wild Animals and Plants Protection Bureau of Hainan.

The activities for Bird-loving Week were just the beginning. A series of events around “Teaching Ecological Conservation in Schools” will be organized over the next 6 months to continue raising awareness amongst the general public about bird and wildlife protection and conservation.

In 2013, UNDP partnered with Hainan Forestry Department and Dongzhaigang Nature Reserve to launch the UNDP-GEF Hainan project, aiming at strengthening the management effectiveness of wetland protected area system in Hainan. The Bird-Loving Week, as part of the five-year effort, will contribute to the overall goal of the project. It will tackle the existing and emerging threats to the globally significant biodiversity and ecosystem in Hainan, which in return will contribute to the provincial economy, bringing ecological and social benefits to local residents.