Activity guide to the public awareness activities about migratory birds and wetlands:
Holding an event and making a pamphlet
October 2021
BirdLife international Tokyo
BirdLife International Tokyo (hereafter referred to as "BirdLife Tokyo") created apamphlet for public awareness and held an event on wetlands in cooperation with Saga
City to raise public awareness of wetlands and migratory birds, and to strengthen
collaborations among people involved in wetlands. In April 2021, we prepared anddistributed pamphlets involved in wetlands and migratory birds, held a video seminar,and set up an exhibition booth to introduce wetlands at the “Shigichi Fes”, which means
Shorebirds Festival, held in Saga City.
In this activity guide, we summarize the contents of our activities, how we proceededwith them, the results, the challenges and the opportunities, to help to organize future
events and activities related to wetlands and migratory birds in other areas.
We deeply thank the Environmental Policy Division of the Environment Department,
Saga City for their many efforts from the beginning of our activities. We appreciate the
Crane Community Center, Shunan City and the World Agricultural Heritage Promotion
Division of the Industry and Economy Department, Osaki City for their cooperation in
preparing the pamphlet and an exhibition booth at the event. We are grateful to Ikimono
Palette for preparing lovely illustrations and designs for the pamphlet and to Mr
Toshifumi Moriya of the Japan Bird Research Association, Mr Yasuhiro Nakamura of the
Arao-higata Waterfowl and Wetland Center and Ms Sayaka Nakamura of the Saga
Prefecture Branch of the Wild Bird Society of Japan for preparing movies for the video
seminar. These activities were partly supported by the Taisei Nature, Historical andEnvironmental Fund. We would like to take this opportunity to thank so much everyone
involved in our activities.

Contents
1. Backgrounds, Objectives and Outline of the Activities・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・1
1.1. Backgrounds and objectives・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・1
1.2. Outlines・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・1
2. Activities・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・2
2.1 Public awareness pamphlet・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・2
2.2 Activities at the event・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・4
3. Time Schedule・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・7
4. Achievements・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・9
5. Challenges and Opportunities・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・10
6. Contact・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・11

1. Backgrounds, Objectives and Outline of the Activities
1.1. Backgrounds and objectives
Migratory waterbirds species have rapidly declined due to habitat loss anddegradation. For the conservation of these species, we have to protect their habitats
along the entire migratory route (flyway), including breeding grounds where they raise
their young, stopover sites where they rest and feed during migration, and wintering
grounds where they pass the winter. The East Asian-Australasian Flyway (hereinafterreferred to as "EAAF") is a flyway that extends from eastern Russia and Alaska to Eastand Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, including Japan. This flyway harbours
many waterbirds species, but many of them are endangered now. There is aninternational framework called the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership(EAAFP), which promotes activities and initiatives to protect migratory waterbirds,
their habitat and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them. Currently, more than
140 wetlands within the EAAF have been identified as an internationally important
wetland for migratory waterbirds and included in the Flyway Site Network of EAAFP.
Thus, in order to protect wetlands and the migratory waterbirds that inhabit them, it isimportant to work together across the flyway and strengthen the connections between
wetlands, but such efforts and systems are lacking. Therefore, in this project, we held an
event in collaboration with several wetlands designated as a Flyway Network Site, topromote cooperation and exchange among wetlands and regions.
Wetlands are not only important habitats for migratory waterbirds, but also provide
us with benefits through the food and water supply, water purification, and reduction ofdamage from natural disasters. In order to promote wetland conservation, it is important
to raise the interest of many people, not just a few enthusiasts, and it is necessary to
work with various stakeholders to engage the entire community in activities. Therefore,
we made an opportunity for many people to learn about migratory birds and wetlands
by making promotional and educational materials on wetlands and holding exhibitionbooths and a video lecture to introduce wetlands in each region, their benefit, andmigratory birds that live in wetlands. The goal is to connect people involved in wetland
conservation with people who are not familiar with wetlands and build a cooperative
system to promote the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.
1.2. Outlines
Higashiyoka Tidal Flat, located in Saga City, Saga Prefecture, is part of the tidal flatsof the Ariake Sea and is included in the EAAFP's Flyway Network Site, and also1

registered as a Ramsar Convention wetland. The Higashiyoka Tidal Flat is one of theremaining habitats for shorebirds to visit in Japan, and many migratory waterbirds
including shorebirds visit the tidal flat during their migration in spring and autumn,
and the wintering season. In October 2020, the visitor centre "Higasasu" opened and has
communicated the value and attractions of the Higashiyoka Tidal Flat and served as abase for various activities such as tourism, learning and exchange.
In addition, since 2019, an event called "Shigichi Fes", which means Shorebirds
Festival, has been held in April or May, when many shorebirds can be observed on theirmigration (the event was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic). The event isorganized by Saga City, Saga Branch of Wild Bird Society of Japan, and Saga Wild Bird
Society, with the cooperation of the Laboratory of Environment of Shallow and Tidal Flat,
Faculty of Agriculture, Saga University and Shigi-no-Ongaeshi Rice (Environmentalfriendly rice made near the tidal flat) Project Promotion Council. In the event, various
activities are conducted, such as bird-watching, crafts and other hands-on events,
exhibition booth, and sales of the Shigi no Ongaeshi Rice.
BirdLife Tokyo, in cooperation with Saga City, conducted the following activities at“the Shigichi Fest 2021 in Higashiyoka-higata” to raise public awareness about wetlands
and migratory birds, and to promote cooperation among local communities.
(1) Preparation and distribution of pamphlets to raise awareness about wetlands
and migratory birds(2) Conducting a video seminar and establishing an exhibition booth to introduce
wetlands at the event (Shigichi Fest)Due to the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to shrink the scale of the"Shigichi Fest 2021 in Higashiyoka-higata”. For this reason, we decided to cancel
activities such as bird-watching and crafts, and change the method of conducting otheractivities to prevent too many people from gathering and to reduce the risk of infection.

2. Activities
2.1 Public awareness pamphlet
We made an awareness-raising pamphlet focusing on wetlands, migratory birds thatlive in wetlands, and the benefits of wetlands. The pamphlet focuses on the benefits ofwetlands such as providing water and food to us, as well as introduces wetlands andmigratory waterbirds. By making such a pamphlet, we aimed to make people who are
not familiar with the natural environment more interested in wetlands and their2benefits. In addition, by introducing the wetlands of several regions where initiatives
that make use of the benefits of wetlands are implemented, we aimed to get readersinterested in wetlands and initiatives in each wetland, and at the same time, promotecollaboration among regions through making this pamphlet.

Fig. 1. The front and back covers of the pamphlet about wetlands.
The contents of the pamphlet include basic information about wetlands, the benefitsof wetlands, migratory waterbirds and their migration routes, and introductions of threewetlands in Japan and the efforts made in these wetlands. We tried to make thepamphlet easy to read and understand, even for those who are not familiar with wetlands
and migratory birds. In addition, we tried to make people feel familiar and interested inwetlands and migratory birds by introducing the benefits of wetlands (food and watersupply, disaster damage reduction, etc.) and regions that are promoting specific efforts
to utilize wetlands and their benefits.
In addition to the Higashiyoka Tidal Flat (Saga City, Saga Prefecture), we selectedYashiro (Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture) and Kabukuri-numa and Kejyo-numa(Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture) as a wetland designated EAAFP Flyway Network Site inJapan. These wetlands, the living things such as migratory birds that live there, and theefforts to utilize the wetlands were introduced in the pamphlet. Three wetlands aremaking efforts to conserve biodiversity by utilizing wetlands like rice fields, including3

the production of the environmental-friendly-farming rice ("Shigi no Ongaeshi Rice":
Saga City, and "Fuyu-mizu Tambo Rice": Osaki City), and actively making use of
wetlands and migratory birds that live in wetlands in environmental education. The
wetlands are also important habitats for migratory waterbirds. A large number ofshorebirds visit the Higashiyoka Tidal Flat, while Yashiro is the wintering site for one
crane species, the Hooded Crane, and the Kabukuri-numa and Kejyo-numa are home toa large number of geese like the White-fronted Goose and other ducks. Each wetland
participates in different species group network (shorebird, crane and Anatidae).
Therefore, by introducing the wetlands in the three areas, we aimed to introduce someof the efforts of each of the three species groups that represent the Flyway Network Sites
in Japan.
Making the pamphlet, firstly BirdLife Tokyo considered the plan of the pamphlet
contents and then discussed the contents with local government officials in Saga City,
Shunan City, and Osaki City. After that, we commissioned a designer to design thepamphlet and revised the contents, text, and illustrations with the designer. We
commissioned

Ikimono

Palette(http://www.eonet.ne.jp/~flowers/ikimono/),which

designs using nature and living things as motifs. The specific schedule is described in
Section 3. Time Schedule.
We printed 2,000 copies of the completed pamphlet and distributed them on the day of
the festival. We also printed and distributed copies each to Osaki City and Shunan City,
as well as to each of the other Flyway Network Site in Japan. An English version was
also created and distributed in the same way so that it can be used by people from othercountries and people involved in overseas wetlands, including the Flyway Network Sites
in foreign countries. In addition to the distribution of printed copies, we also made PDF
files available on BirdLife Tokyo and other web pages for people to use freely.
2.2 Activities at the event
In addition to distributing the above-mentioned pamphlet, we (1) held a video seminar
titled "Story of Wetlands and Migratory Birds" and (2) set up an exhibition booth to
introduce wetlands and wetland-based initiatives as follows, at the "Shigichi Fest 2021
in Higashiyoka Tidal Flat" held on Thursday, April 29, 2021.
(1) Video seminar "Story of Wetlands and Migratory Birds"
When we first planned the activity, we planned to have the participants gather in thelecture room of the Higashiyoka Visitor Center (Higasasu) and give an onsite lecture forthe participants. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to shrike the scale of4the event, so we also changed the form of the lecture from the original plan. We decided
to cancel the real-time face-to-face lectures and asked each lecturer to record theirlecture in advance and play the lecture movie in the lecture room on the day of the event.
The content of the lecture and the lecturer were selected with the cooperation of Saga
City and the Japan Bird Research Association and are summarized in Table 1 below.
Table 1. The titles, lecturer and contents of lecture seminar “Story of Wetlands andMigratory Birds”.
1

2

Title

LecturerContents

Shorebirds

Mr Toshifumi Moriya

Basic information and characteristics ofare birds like

(Japanshorebirds,

thisAssociation)

species and their habitats.

Shorebirds

Mr Yasuhiro Nakamura

Introduction

Migration(Arao-higata

shorebirds migration, the environment

Bird

Research

Waterfowl

and Wetland Center)

includingofrepresentative

characteristics

ofthat supports the migration and movie ofshorebirds that visit the Ariake Sea.

3

Tidal flats in

Mr Toshifumi Moriya

Introduction of tidal flats that supportJapan

shorebirds, the characteristics of tidal
flats and the benefits of tidal flats inJapan.

4

Ariake Sea –Ms Sayaka Nakamura

The

3(Saga Prefecture Branch

Convention wetlands in the Ariake Sea

Conventionof the Wild Bird Society(Higashiyoka Tidal Flat, Hizen Kashima

Wetlands.

of Japan)

Tidal Flat, and Arao Tidal Flat) and what

Ramsarattractiveness

of

three

Ramsarto look for when visiting them
5

Today

and

Mr Toshifumi Moriya

Shorebird’s survey, its results and theconservationconservationof shorebirds
The video seminar was so well received that we delivery it not only on the day of theevent but also for about a month after the event in the lecture room of the visitor centre
so that visitors could freely watch it. The movies were also made available to the public
on YouTube so that they could be watched by the general public.
You can watch the movies here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOa1eQqmygroWPm_VzvwBBe31BM2kZw9y5

Fig. 2. Visitors watching the video seminar in the lecture room at the Visitor Centeron the day of Shigichi Fest.
(2) Exhibition booth to introduce the wetlands and wetland-based initiatives
Initially, we had planned to hold a product exhibition selling local specialities of eachwetland and region (especially agricultural products related to wetlands) to attract more
visitors and increase the interest of many people in wetlands and their benefits. However,
due to the spread of the Covid-19, it has become difficult to visit other regions andtherefore sell local products. So instead of holding a product exhibition, we decided to set
up an exhibition booth to introduce each wetland and local initiatives involved in eachwetland. We set up panels and desks in the visitor centre and placed posters andpamphlets for visitors to browse through and take home. We also used VR goggles owned
by each local government so that visitors could experience the atmosphere of the wetland
more realistically. Saga City secured a space for us to display the exhibition booth, andprepared desks and panels for us. We also asked Shunan City and Osaki City to prepare
posters and pamphlets.

Fig. 3. The exhibition booth on the day of the event.
A visitor experiencing a VR image with VR goggles (right).

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3. Time Schedule
The time schedule of the activities is summarized in Table 2. We had a meeting withthe officials of Saga City to discuss the details of the activity in November 2020 and thenstarted to prepare the pamphlet. We collaborated with three local governments including
Saga City and the designer and prepared the pamphlet for distribution on the day of theevent. As for the contents on the day of the event, after discussing with the officials of
Saga City once in November 2020, we started preparing in earnest in March 2021 whenthe event officially decided to be held. In March, we reexamined the details of ouractivities, and then proceeded with them in consultation with local governments and theJapan Bird Research Association, taking into consideration the influence of the Covid19 pandemic. This year's activities faced some challenges, such as the fact that we could
not take enough time to prepare for the event due to the uncertain prospects of holding
the event because of this pandemic.
Table 2. Activities schedule.
Activities
Month.

General activities

Make the pamphlet

Hold

the

event

(Shigichi Fest）

Year
Jun 2020

Consider the activity

Jul 2020

Consult

with

Saga

City officials
Aug 2020
Sep 2020
Oct 2020

Launch the project inearnestNov 2020

Consult and discuss
with

Saga

City

officials
Dec 2020

Consider the pamphlet
contents

Jan 2021

Consult

with

local

government officials
Gather materials likepictures7

Consult

with

local

government officials

Activities
Month.

General activities

Make the pamphlet

Hold

the

event

(Shigichi Fest）

Year
Feb 2021

Consultwiththedesigner
Gather materials likepictures and text
Mar 2021

Make

the

pamphlet,Consider the detailed

discusswiththeactivities (exhibition

designer

and

local

booth contents andgovernment officials

seminarandcontents)

consult

local

with

government

officials
Prepare

the

video

seminarApr 2021

Complete design andprint the pamphlet
Distribute

it

at

the

event

Considertheexhibition

booth

contents,

prepareandposterssend

and other materials
to be exhibited
Prepareseminar

the

video

(requests

for the lecturer, andmaking the movie)
Hold the event (29thApril)
May 2021

Make

anactivity

handbookJun 2021

Make an activity bookand translate it into

Translate and make an
English version
Translate and make an
English version

EnglishJul 2021

Make an activity bookand translate it into

Translate and make an
English version

English8

Summarize the event

4. Achievements
It rained on the morning of the event day, so there were not many visitors. However,
the weather recovered in the afternoon, and in the end, more than 300 people visited thevisitor centre. It is hoped that many people became interested in wetlands and migratorywaterbirds by picking up pamphlets and looking at displays about the Higashiyoka Tidal
Flat and other wetlands and activities at each wetland. In addition, we expect that
communicating the appeal of wetlands, tidal flats in the Ariake Sea and shorebirds
species through the video seminar have made many people more interested in them.

Fig. 4. The entrance to the visitor centre on the day of Shigichi Fest (left).
Visitors looking at the exhibition booth (right).
In addition to organizing the event, making the pamphlet and delivering the video
seminar, we believe that these activities have provided us with an opportunity to start
initiatives that can be applied to future activities at the Flyway Network Sites and inother areas. Our activities focused not only on wetlands and the migratory birds that use
them but also on the benefits of wetlands. Making the pamphlet and exhibition boothenabled us to provide an opportunity for people who are not familiar with wetlands tobecome interested in them. It is hoped that this pamphlet and other materials will beutilized to have more and more people participate in activities related to wetlands andstimulate activities working with multiple stakeholders.
In addition, we were able to conduct activities that connected multiple regions,
including Saga City, Shunan City, and Osaki City. In order to conserve migratory birds,
it is necessary to conserve their entire migration route, including breeding grounds,
wintering grounds, and resting grounds. Therefore, many countries and regions need towork together to conserve migratory birds and their habitats. With this activity as a step
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toward cooperation, it is hoped that collaborative activities between the three local
governments and activities involving other regions become more active and that theconservation of migratory birds and their habitats will be further advanced.

5. Challenges and Opportunities
We would like to summarize the challenges of our activities and what we think isimportant in order to promote more meaningful activities in the future.
The first point is to hold a product exhibition. When we first started planning thisactivity, we planned to sell local specialities (especially rice, seaweed and sake, which
are the benefits of the wetlands), but due to the pandemic of Covid-19, we were not able
to hold a product exhibition. In recent years, the production of agricultural products thatconsider biodiversity conservation and the development and sale of processed productsthat use these agricultural products have been promoted in many places. There are more
and more agricultural products that consider wetlands and species depending on awetland, such as "Shigi no Ongaeshi Rice" produced in Saga City and "Fuyumizu Tambo
Rice" and "Sasamusubi" produced in Osaki City. The number of agricultural products
and foods that are friendly to wildlife and their habitats is increasing, and such products
let us enjoy the benefits of the wetlands with a greater sense of reality. By promoting
these products, even people who do not know much about wetlands and migratory birds
may visit wetlands and also become interested in them and their conservation. Although
we could not sell local specialities this time only introduced them through pamphlets
and posters, we hope to hold product exhibitions and sell agricultural products and goods
related to wetlands from various regions in the future to expand the number of people
involved in wetland and migratory bird conservation.
Secondly, it is important to maintain and develop the cooperation and connections thathave been established this time. In the tidal flats around the Ariake Sea (Higashiyoka
Tidal Flat in Saga City, Hizen Kashima Tidal Flat in Kashima City, and Arao Tidal Flat
in Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture), three tidal flats have been working together to build
a cooperative relationship, but there have not been many collaborative efforts among the
Flyway Network Sites in Japan. This time, we were able to promote collaborative efforts
among the Higashiyoka Tidal Flat in Saga City, Yashiro in Shunan City, and Kabukurinuma and Kajyo-numa in Osaki City, and we believe that it is necessary to maintain thiskind of collaboration in the future, as well as to make such connections in other areas. It
is necessary to continue to provide support and build a system that will allow to maintainand develop our collaboration system. It is also important to build a system that will
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make it easier for local government officials and local NGO officials to carry out theircollaborative activities.
In this event, we focused on the three species group in EAAFP (Crane, Anatidae andshorebirds) and conducted activities in cooperation with the three regions. We believethat it has been effective in focusing on the three species groups that are the targets ofthe EAAFP. However, there are not many migratory waterbirds that are common to all
three wetlands. In order to promote more close collaborative efforts in the future, it isexpected that activities focusing on common waterbirds in areas where these migratorywaterbirds visit will allow us to feel more connected between wetlands and regions andachieve greater results. In addition, although the activities this time were conducted
only at the Flyway Network Sites in Japan, strengthening not only the connection
between the site in Japan but also the sites in the foreign countries would make us
enable to further develop activities that can disseminate the appeal of wetlands andmigration.

6. Contact
If you have any inquiries or questions regarding this activity, please feel free to contact
us at the following contact information.
BirdLife International Tokyo （Contact person: Tohki INOUE）
E-mail: Tokyo.office@birdlife.org
Tel: +81(0)3-6206-2941
Address: Unizo Kakigara-cho Kitajima Bldg. 1F, 1-13-1 Nihonbashi Kakigaracho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0014 Japan

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