Department of Freshwater Wetland Conservation of General Directorate of Administrative for Nature Conservation and Protection, Ministry of Environment organized awareness and education event “World Migratory Bird Day 2018” at Anlung Pring Protected Landscape where a flock of Sarus Crane and other shorebird such as Black-tailed Godwit using that area as feeding ground during their non-breeding period. This awareness event was celebrated on 9th and 10th May 2018 with support from Non-Government Organization partners including BirdLife International Cambodia Programme, Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, NatureLife Cambodia Organization, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Mangrove for the Future, Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund, Indo-Burma Ramsar Regional Initiative, Wildlife Conservation Society Cambodia, and Pannasastra University of Cambodia.
Many awareness raising materials were designed and produced including books and banners. In addition, T-shirts also been designed and printed for students and related NGOs showing the massage of World Migratory Bird Day 2018 in the theme of “Unifying our Voices for Bird Conservation”. Leaflets about the impact of agriculture chemical fertilizer and pesticide on people, wildlife, and wetland were produced for disturbed to villagers for awareness of their fertilizer and pesticide usage. The education audio was recorded as awareness raising tools to play during the awareness parade.
On 9th May 2018, participants and university students traveled to Anlung Pring Protected Landscape to learn about site conservation, ecotourism and bird identification. Site manager, partner NGOs and head of community based ecotourism briefly introduced site management, ecotourism operation and Sarus Crane conservation at the site. With guiding from conservationist, university students walk to the wetland station and learnt about wetland ecology and using of telescope and binocular for birding. In addition, students also participants to finding birds challenge which were conducted in the wetland station where students able to spot birds through telescope and record the name of each specie their found into the bird log. The winner who able to spot most of the species was provided a reward after finished the challenge.
The World Migratory Bird Day 2018 event was hosted in Thmor Berk Secondary School near by Anlung Pring Protected Landscaped On 10th May 2018 with participants of about 350 students, local authorities, villagers, conservation NGOs, university students. Opening speech of the event was provided by General Director of General Directorate of Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection with followed by speech of Director of Environmental Department of Kampot Province, deputy provincial governor and Country Programme Manager of BirdLife International Cambodia Programme. The education and awareness speech about the conservation of migratory birds and it habitat and the key message of World Migratory Bird Day 2018 theme or a take home message “Together to Conserve Migratory Birds” was delivery to the local communities, local student and relevant stakeholders. The activities also including Question and Answer section to students. Those questions are related to migratory birds, wetland ecosystem services, and Sarus Crane. Activities also including recited poetry about the environment and the birds of secondary students during the event which those poetry were written by those students. The awareness materials such as books and T-shirts were provided to local ranger, local communities, and local students.
The event also involved awareness parade across the village for dissemination about impact of using agriculture chemical fertilizer and pesticide to human, wildlife and wetland. Participants were on tractors and bikes with the bird sign such as Sarus Crane and other water bird species with the education audio played. The parade were start at the Thmor Berk Secondary School and paraded along the road to the villages. This parade not only raising awareness to villager about the impact of pesticide through education audio and leaflet but also drawn their attention toward Sarus Crane and wetland conservation at Anlung Pring Protected Landscape.
The public event also captured and spread through Ministry of Environment and partner NGOs social media. The messages and the objective of this annual awareness event, World Migratory Bird Day, will reach more public people attention toward conservation of migratory bird and its habitat.
World Migratory Bird Day 2018 was regarded as successful event. It had provided the opportunity for university student and local students to visit the important wetland, Anlung Pring Protected Landscape and understand about conservation of Sarus Crane, migratory birds and the flyway. Moreover, the awareness raising campaign in the village about the impact of agriculture chemical fertilizer and pesticide on people, wildlife and wetland significant drawn the attention by local villagers and students.