Nantong continues to enhance biodiversity conservation

Migratory birds in Nantong. [Photo provided to en.nantong.gov.cn]

March 3 marks World Wildlife Day. Nantong, a city by the river and sea, has, in recent years, optimized its natural environment and improved the rest areas of migratory birds.

Since 2021, the city has added 22,400 mu (1,493.33 hectares) of wooded areas, restored 5,000 mu of wetlands, and improved five natural reserves with a combined area of 528,000 mu.

Nantong is ranked at the forefront of Jiangsu province in the total forest coverage area, wetland protection area, and natural reserve area, achieving the development goals related to improving biodiversity conservation.

Migratory birds in Nantong. [Photo provided to en.nantong.gov.cn]

The improvement of the natural environment has enriched bird species in the city. In 2023, China's first batch of crucial terrestrial wildlife habitats was announced, including the habitat for spoon-billed sandpipers in the Xiaoyangkou coastal mudflats in Rudong and habitats for migratory birds in the Yangtze River Estuary wetland in Qidong and Lisha Mountain wetland in Haimen.

Nantong has also established the province's first spoon-billed sandpiper protection area, transforming more birds from "passersby" to "returned customers".

In 2021, Nantong introduced the national first-level protected animal – the crested ibis. Three years later, four crested ibis babies were hatched in the city, marking the province's first successful artificial hatching of crested ibis. Last week, eight restored reefs were successfully placed into the sea in the Lisha Mountain National Marine Park, kicking off the oyster reef restoration experimental project. This project is expected to provide food, habitats, and breeding grounds for more marine benthic organisms and migratory birds.