Over 10 types of rare birds have been spotted this spring at the Qinhu River National Wetland Park in Jiangyan district – administered by Taizhou city in East China's Jiangsu province.
Mallard ducks take wing in the Qinhu River National Wetland Park. [Photo/www.ourjiangsu.com]
In the wake of the migration season which started recently, more than 100,000 wintering birds are flying north and more numbers of summer migratory birds are returning one after another, thanks to the region's efforts in ecosystem restoration and protection.
Last year Jiangyan district issued a plan to develop the Qinhu ecological island pilot area, with 17 key projects costing 704 million yuan ($101.74 million) being invested in biodiversity protection and habitat improvements between 2022 and 2025.
To date, Jiangyan district has relocated 26 polluting companies and livestock farms along the lake and its upstream areas and it has carried out projects such as water eutrophication management and wetland wildlife conservation. Some 588.6 hectares of ecological wetlands have been restored.
Latest news: Qinhu River National Wetland Park in Jiangyan district welcomes 20 newborn baby elks recently, taking the total number of naturally released elk to over 160. [Photo/WeChat ID: tzfabu]
The much improved environment has contributed to local tourism. Relying on its ecological advantages, the scenic area last year attracted around 4.6 million visitors annually and generated direct tourism income of 1.2 billion yuan.