Latest Breaking News On - Asian waterbird census - Page 5 : vimarsana.com

CS directs prioritization of forest conservation - Jammu Kashmir Latest News | Tourism

Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Feb 8: The Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta today chaired the meeting of the Steering Committee of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) to review achievements registered under the Annual Plan of Operations (APOs). At the outset, Dr. Mohit Gera, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests gave an overview of the major initiatives of the Government including Green J&K Drive, Har Gaon Haryali, creation of livelihoods from forests, eco-tourism and major achievements of department […]

World Wetlands Day: PH has 8 Wetlands of Int'l Importance – Manila Bulletin

• The Ramsar sites: Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary; Naujan Lake National Park; Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary; Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park; Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park; Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat And Ecotourism Area; Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation

DENR wraps up Asian Waterbird Census 2022, urges public to protect environment

To provide healthy wetlands for migratory birds, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has urged the public to maintain a clean environment as it concluded the Asian Waterbird Census 2022 recently. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu (F

Ilocos Norte's 'new normal' attractions: Saving grace amid Covid

ILOCOS INFLATABLE ISLAND. An inflatable island is being set up at Paoay Lake which is expected to open this December. The province of Ilocos Norte continues to invest in outdoor tourism as part of its economic recovery amid the pandemic.(Photo courtesy of Ilocos Norte Tourism) LAOAG CITY - The province of Ilocos Norte keeps on innovating outdoor sites as tourism stakeholders find ways to bounce back in the "new normal" amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. As 2021 ends, the Department of Tourism (DOT) along with the 21 towns and two cities of Ilocos Norte are rebooting the province's tourism development framework focusing on promoting more outdoor sites to attract tourists with no more testing required at the provincial borders for fully vaccinated individuals. As of Dec. 22, 2021, the Pinili tourist triage has registered a total of 15,741 tourists since Oct. 1, 2020, with more tourists arriving when Ilocos Norte started to relax its travel protocols among returning residents and later on, to all fully vaccinated tourists including minors traveling with adults. From Dec. 1 to 15, provincial tourism officer Aianree Raquel reported on Thursday that 3,715 tourists visited Ilocos Norte. Most of the local tourists came from Nueva Ecija, Baguio City, Benguet, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, and Zamboanga Sibugay. Visitors from Metro Manila also eagerly made their way to the north. The number is a big jump to the 65 visitors recorded during the same period last year. "The 5,891.94 percent increase is just for inbound visitors, and does not include data for locals," Raquel added, citing more tourists are expected to visit the province until the year-end following more relaxed entry guidelines. 'New normal' sites Seen to jumpstart tourism recovery amid the pandemic are scenic bike trails in various parts of Ilocos Norte. At least 12 scenic bike trails are being promoted in Ilocos Norte which will soon be incorporated as an additional alternative for leisure travel. In Ilocos Norte, the bikers' community has grown to around 30,000 as compared in pre-pandemic times when there were less than 5,000 of them, said Roja Burgos, coordinator of Ilocos bikers group Team Burgy x Ilocos DH racing Team. The province offers something for environmentalists and nature lovers with the opening of a bird-watching circuit recently launched at the Paoay Lake Natural Park to help spur the local economy in the area, DOT Regional Director Evangeline Dadat said in a recent interview. Before the pandemic, bird watchers frequent the lake, for a chance to see the great cormorant, a migratory bird known for its matted feathers, along with other bird species. Based on the latest Asian Waterbird Census, the Philippine ducks are commonly seen in the area with an average number of 600. The cormorants are also commonly seen at the lake wetlands, around 10 of these or more at a time. The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) has also noted that Paoay Lake has been providing shelter to other bird species like the Little Grebe, Great Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Tufted Duck, White-brow Crane, Common Kingfisher, White-collared Kingfisher, and the White-throat Kingfisher. Aside from bird-watching, tourists can also enjoy a quick run and swim in the planned inflatable island being set up at Paoay Lake expected to open this December. The PHP 26.1 million-worth waterpark is said to be the beginning of a long-time wish of the Ilocos Norte government to activate the Paoay Lake for tourism and investment opportunities. "I do love our place for having such a healthy and grandeur lake. Its beauty and cleanliness have been preserved for our next generation to see and enjoy," said Claire Tabili, a resident of Nagbacalan village, just a stone's throw away from the landlocked lake. "Before the pandemic, we used to sell grilled food by the lake and earn extra because of tourists buying refreshments and snacks from us," she recalled. In Batac City, stall owners selling the famous empanada made of grated papaya, mung beans (monggo), egg and longganisa (local sausages) are lately running out of stocks before closing time because of pop-up events being organized by various groups including some newly-opened outdoor attractions in nearby towns of Paoay and Currimao. "We are grateful for the government support as our sales have slowly increased this December because many people are now going out to enjoy the outdoors," said Rolen Oracion, one of the stall owners at the Batac Riverside Empanadaan. To help spur economic recovery, the city government of Batac has also introduced a boat-riding and kayaking adventure at the Quiaoit River to attract more visitors. "We keep on pushing for tourism hoping that 2022 will be a better year for all of us," Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc said during a Christmas caravan in Paoay town on Thursday. Recovery Assistance To help displaced workers in the tourism industry due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), through the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office (INTO), has sustained the Tourism Livelihood Continuity Program (TLCP) to aid daily wage earners, informal workers, and freelancers. Government data shows more than 1,250 beneficiaries from around 300 tourism establishments in the province worked for 10 days under the supervision of their employers and received a salary amounting to PHP4,000. Over 2,000 restaurant workers, travel and tour staff, senior citizen tour guides, accommodation staff, destination workers, vendors of local products, souvenir makers, events and freelance artists, heritage artisans, and other workers in the tourism and cultural sectors have been assisted through the TLCP. Solving traffic woes Guided by the Metro Ilocos Master Development Plan of 2020, the province aims to develop more outdoor sites and update the Transport Master Plan of the province, incorporating bike lanes in areas with a growing traffic problem such as in downtown Laoag. Priority areas are Laoag City Center, the Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes located in Paoay and Laoag, Paoay Lake and Malacanang of the North, Badoc Gateway and La Virgen Milagrosa, Kapurpurawan Geo and Renewable Energy Park, Saud Municipal Beach, and the Solsona-Apayao Road Mountain Tourism. (PNA) }

Ilocos Norte hatches potentials for birdwatching tourism

BIRDING. Local birdwatchers and photographers visit Paoay Lake for the yearly Asian bird census in this undated photo. a birdwatching tour circuit was launched on Friday (Dec. 17, 2021) at the Paoay Lake Natural Park in Nanguyudan village, Paoay town, considered as one of the migratory bird sites in the country.(Photo courtesy of Ilocos Norte Tourism) LAOAG CITY - The province of Ilocos Norte, which is working on the development of new tourism attractions under the new normal, has birdwatching or "avitourism" for its latest offering. Meant to boost local employment and livelihood in communities, a birdwatching tour circuit was launched on Friday at the Paoay Lake Natural Park in Nanguyudan village, Paoay town, considered as one of the migratory bird sites in the country. Evangeline Dadat, officer-in-charge of the Department of Tourism in Ilocos (Region 1), said during the launching on Friday that "this newly develop roadmap promises a safer eco-tourism in the province that will surely entice both local and foreign visitors." As Ilocos tourism is now being slowly introduced to the "new normal" market, she hopes that these birdwatching or birding activities will also serve as an eye-opener in the conservation of natural heritage. "Today, birders from different countries enjoy the birding activities which jive with the cultural aspects of the province. The blended natural ecology of Ilocos Norte offers different species with their varying habitat from vast sand dunes to tropical rainforests," she added. In previous years, a team of birdwatchers started monitoring the presence of migratory birds escaping the cold front of temperate regions into Paoay Lake. Based on the yearly Asian Waterbird Census, Paoay Lake has been providing shelter to some bird species namely Little Grebe, Great Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Philippine Duck, Tufted Duck, White-browed Crake, Common Kingfisher, White-collared Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, and the Great Cormorant. Backed by the Department of Tourism, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, has been working closely with organizations of birdwatchers and other wildlife enthusiasts to protect migratory bird sites. Migratory bird sites are often threatened by human activities, such as overexploitation and conversion of ecosystems for development purposes. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Philippines has 117 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) covering 32,302 square kilometers that act as a refuge for as many as 115 globally threatened species of water birds. In the Philippines, the peak months for birds migrating to the South are usually from September to November, while those traveling North often occur between February and April, the DENR said. (PNA) }

Saving Wildlife With Photography

World environment day: RER Seven Years of successfully safeguarding restored forest

The fight to save India's most elusive cat-548236

Count of water birds in Thiruvananthapuram goes up by 36%

Count of water birds in Thiruvananthapuram goes up by 36% Updated: Updated: Birdwatchers identify 74 species of avians in 11 sites as part of Asian Waterbird Census Share Article Birdwatchers identify 74 species of avians in 11 sites as part of Asian Waterbird Census A 36 per cent hike was observed in the total count of birds compared to the previous year during the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) carried out in the district recently in connection with PAN Asia AWC. Birdwatchers counted 74 species of water birds in 11 sites. Asian Water bird Census in the capital validates the need for wetland conservation. A total of 4,372 individual birds, including 30 migratory species, were observed. In 2020, 3,206 individual avians belonging to 52 species were noted in 10 sites. Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black capped Kingfisher and Peregrine Falcon were some of the unique species observed this year.

The world's wetlands are slipping away. This vibrant wildlife sanctuary underscores the stakes.

Email In the lush, bright-green thickets of the Philippine’s Agusan Marsh, nestled in the country’s far south Mindanao island, children steer canoes through meandering waterways and swim in lakes. The marsh is a playground, as well as a source of food, shelter, and culture for the Manobo Indigenous tribe that lives there in moored floating houses that rise and fall with the rainy seasons. For hundreds of years, this wetland ecosystem has been a veritable paradise for the Manobo people who make a living there hunting and fishing. The more than 100,000 inland acres is also home to nearly 200 species of birds, as well as mammals, reptiles, and fish living in the region.