Birds Korea, July 1st, 2013
Most Birds Koreans and followers of the blog will already know about a wonderful animation project, initiated by the dynamic Ms. Vivian Fu of the Hong Kong Birdwatching Society. First, Ms. Fu designed and drew an animation depicting the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (and the multiple threats to it). Next, students along the Flyway were encouraged to colour in one or more sheets each. And finally, all the sheets were to be put back together – collectively to tell the story.
First planned in early 2012, this wonderful project eventually succeeded in involving more than 500 students (ranging in age from elementary to high school) in all eight countries most depended upon in the wild by the Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper: Russia, the Republic of Korea, Japan, China (mainland and Hong Kong SAR), Viet Nam, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand and Bangladesh. This is the first Flyway-wide initiative of this kind that we are aware of.
Here in the ROK, as part of this project, Birds Korea was delighted to give short presentations on Spoon-billed Sandpiper conservation and to work directly with students in three schools on the animation itself: Obang Elementary School in Gimhae; Chadwick International School, Song Do in Incheon (with thanks to Mr. Aaron Miller and Ms. Lynn Crew and other staff); and the Eco-class at Shingok Middle School in Busan.
The process was an excellent one for helping us to reach out and to meet students and their teachers; and for students to be heard, both on the video and in related posts to school forums and our own online materials. A post on the project by one of the wonderful students at Shingok Middle School, for example, was viewed more than 12,000 times this spring on our Forum.
The short animation itself was completed in late May/ early June this year, and was first shown to the public at the BirdLife International congress in Canada in late June. And now, it is viewable on YouTube:
Please take time to watch and post your comments; if you like it (who would not?) please also take the time to share it with your networks and friends, and in so doing help these students’ voices continue to be heard around the world!
Thank you – and again sincere thanks too to the schools, teachers and students of Obang Elementary, Chadwick International and Shingok Middle School.
For additional posts on this project, please see:
http://worldwaders.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/spoon-billed-sandpiper-animation-project/
https://www.birdskoreablog.org/?p=7604
https://www.birdskoreablog.org/?p=8179
and (in Korean at)