On the mudflat of the important international wetland in the Inner Deep Bay, Mai Po, Hong Kong, every autumn and winter, a group of creatures dressed in "white robes" and with black beaks like lutes will arrive as scheduled. They are the endangered bird Black faced Spoonbill. The global population has grown from a few hundred in the early 1990s to over 7000 today, a leap that cannot be separated from decades of dedication by the Mai Po Nature Reserve team. Recently, Wen Xianji, Director of the Conservation Project of the Mai Po Nature Reserve and Relocation Route of the World Wildlife Fund Hong Kong Branch, was interviewed by Xinhua News Agency, introducing the development process, innovative practices, and joint efforts of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area in ecological conservation of Mai Po. The population restoration of black faced spoonbills can be regarded as a model of ecological conservation. Wen Xianji introduced that by establishing exclusive habitats, conducting satellite tracking, and coordinating protection along the route, the migration routes of endangered birds such as the black faced spoonbill have been effectively protected. In 1983, the Hong Kong branch of the World Wildlife Fund began to take over Mai Po and initiated a scientific conservation process; In 1995, Mai Po Inner Deep Bay, where the Mai Po Nature Reserve is located, was designated as an internationally important wetland as a whole; In recent years, the team has introduced intelligent management methods, such as drone patrols, automatic water level monitoring, electronic fences, etc., to improve management efficiency. Nowadays, this internationally important wetland with a total area of about 1500 hectares is not only a wintering home for endangered birds such as black faced spoonbills and yellow breasted bunting, but also a key node on the migration route of migratory birds from East Asia to Australia. Wen Xianji believes that "proactive management" is their core experience in wetland conservation and management. In response to the water depth requirements of different bird species, the team finely regulates the water level of the surrounding area, creating exclusive habitats for different bird species such as geese and ducks, shorebirds and sandpipers, from damp beaches and shallow water areas with a depth of several centimeters to deep water areas of nearly one meter. The integration of traditional wisdom and modern technology brings new vitality to wetlands. In Mai Po, the team follows the tradition of local fishermen, raising shrimp in the pond during spring and summer, and taking turns draining the pond during autumn and winter to allow water birds to forage for small fish and shrimp in the pond. At the same time, trial planting of rice in the wetland reproduced the traditional agricultural landscape around Mipu, successfully attracting the endangered species Yellow breasted Bunting to come and forage. In recent years, we have also attempted to use automated water gates to regulate water levels, screen and identify wildlife images captured by infrared cameras through AI technology, and use satellite tracking technology to understand the migration routes of black faced spoonbills and other species of waterbirds. ”Wen Xian continued to say. The smooth implementation of these protection practices cannot be separated from the institutional support of the Hong Kong SAR government. The Mai Po Nature Reserve adopts a co management model of "land supply by the SAR government, foundation management, and supervision by the SAR government's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department". The SAR government provides partial funding to support habitat management and student education projects every year, and develops a management plan every five years. The management plan and annual plan need to be approved by the Mai Po Management Committee. For black faced spoonbills, the Mai Po Nature Reserve and the Guangdong Neiling Ding Futian National Nature Reserve on the other side of the Back Bay together form one of their important wintering grounds. Cooperation with Shenzhen is a crucial aspect of regional ecological protection. ”Wen Xianji emphasized. At present, Hong Kong and Shenzhen have established a regular exchange mechanism to share data on the number and migration patterns of rare bird species, jointly carry out monitoring, and jointly formulate protection strategies. We will share our experience in attracting waterbirds through the renovation of the foundation with the Shenzhen side, and the Shenzhen side will pass on the technical solution of automated water gates to us. He said that Hong Kong and Shenzhen jointly safeguard the ecological balance of wetlands. The experience of Mai Po has also been extended to a wider area through the World Wildlife Fund's wetland training program. Since 1990, the Mai Po team has been providing training and sharing experiences in proactive management and environmental education for wetland managers in mainland China and other countries. Every wetland on the migration route is crucial, and only by working together can migratory birds safely travel back and forth every year. ”Wen Xianji said that the team is currently in communication with relevant institutions in other regions to promote cross channel sharing of protection experience. We not only need to protect the ecology, but also integrate the concept of protection into public life. ”Wen Xianji believes that this is precisely the original intention of the team to continue carrying out environmental education. The Hong Kong Bird Watching Competition, which is held annually, has gradually developed from an initial "emergency measure" to raise funds into a brand event that integrates competition, science popularization, and fundraising, and an annual event for international bird watching enthusiasts since its establishment in 1984. Since 2019, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Competition has added a secondary school competition, which not only provides a platform for students to exchange and increase their knowledge, but also hopes to cultivate more young people who are interested in conservation and promote more information about bird conservation to the public. ”Wen Xian continued to say. From the restoration of the black faced spoonbill population to the construction of the Hong Kong Shenzhen collaborative conservation network, from traditional management to intelligent upgrading, the practice of the Mai Po Nature Reserve has provided a "Chinese solution" for global wetland conservation and has also helped Hong Kong retain more bird species. (New Society)