From September 1st to September 7th, eleven high school students from Chadwick International (Incheon), under the direction of long-term Birds Korea members Aaron Miller and Lynn Crew, participated in the IUCN World Conservation Congress to present a poster regarding the reclamation of the Songdo Tidal Flat. The title of the poster presentation was “The Youth’s Call for the Balance between Environmental Conservation and Development (see link to poster HERE). The poster investigated Songdo Tidal Flat reclamation from 4 different perspectives: scientific, economic, ethical, and political.
Our five year investigation concluded that Songdo Tidal Flat reclamation deteriorated water quality and water bird populations, and that the Songdo International Business District is currently facing an enormous economic deficit. In order to prevent these tidal flat reclamations, we also successfully tabled an amendment called “Wetlands Conservation Act Partial Amendment” through a function called petition for legislation that is used in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.
Members of the Chadwick International’s IUCN Club at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Hawaii © Chadwick International
하와이에서 개최한 ”세계자연보전총회¢에 참여한 채드윅 국제학교 고등학생의 ”세계자
연보전총회¢동아리의 멤버들 ç채드윅 국제학교
Birds Korea was an important partner in supporting our work helping us get accepted to the World Conservation Congress. Dr. Nial Moores met with us over Skype to help the students focus their research question and goals. He has met with us several times over years in person and over Skype. Dr. Moores also connected students with various experts from around the world who answered our questions and helped edit our final poster.
On September 4th, from 2:00 to 2:30 PM, we presented our poster. While presenting the poster, many IUCN participants were impressed by our work. For example, Korea’s Director of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries came to watch our presentation. He was impressed to see Korean students taking action to save tidal flats globally, and he wished us to continue our work. In addition to the presentation, we participated in the IUCN WCC for several days, and it was a great opportunity to learn how people around the globe try to conserve nature.
While we prepared this poster presentation, we felt that the current adult generation should not consider nature as a possession that they have inherited from the previous generation. However, they should consider nature as a heritage that they should conserve in order to pass down to the younger generation. In order to initiate this paradigm shift, we think youth’s call to balance development and environmental conservation is crucial, and we hope the current adult generation realizes that they should behave differently from now on for the sake of our home, Earth.
With respect,
Pedroh Kim and Eunah Jung
Co-leaders of Chadwick International’s IUCN Club
채드윅 국제학교에 다니는 11명의 고등학생들이 9월 1일부터 9월 7일까지 크루와 밀러 선생님의 감독하에 송도갯벌 간척사업에 대한 포스터를 발표하러 세계자연보전총회 에 다녀왔다. 포스터의 제목은 ”자연보존과 경제발전의 균형점을 찾기 위한 아이들의 부름
링크를 보려면 여기를 클릭 하십시오). 포스터는 송도 갯벌 간척사업을 4가지 분류로 분석하였다: 과학적, 경제적, 윤리적 그리고 경제적으로다. 새와 생명의 터는 채드윅 국제학교 학생들이 세계자연보전총회에 받아들여지기 위해 많은 도움을 준 파트너다. 니얼 모어스는 스카입이라는 영상 어플리케이션을 통해 학생들이 목표와 주요 질문을 간추리고 발전하는데 많은 도움을 주었다. 수년에 걸쳐 모어스는 수차례 직접 만나고 영상통화를 하였다. 또한 모어스는 학생들이랑 세계적인 전문가들을 연결시켜 학생들의 많은 질문을 해결해주었고 최종적인 포스터 작업을 도와주었다
5년동안 이어진 송도간척사업 조사결과에 따르면 송도 갯벌 간척 사업은 물의 질과 물새의 인구수를 급격하게 떨어트리고¨ 송도국제도시는 지금 심각한 경제적 손실을 입고 있다. 이러한 갯벌 간척 사업을 막기 위해, 학생들은 한국 국회에서 사용하는 법 개정 신청서를 사용해 ”습지보호 부분개정¢을 발표하였다.