Coastal Wetland Sets New Standard for Wildlife Conservation
In Jiangsu Province's Tiaozini tidal wetlands, a groundbreaking ecological project now offers migratory birds a 247-hectare refuge during high tides – the first permanent installation of its kind in Asia. Completed this winter through collaboration between local communities and environmental authorities, the sanctuary provides critical rest stops for over 500,000 birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
"This 'avian airport' isn't just infrastructure – it's a life support system," explained lead ecologist Dr. Wei Lin during a recent site visit. The mosaic of artificial islands and native vegetation supports endangered species like spoon-billed sandpipers and black-faced spoonbills, while maintaining tidal ecosystem balance.
The project forms part of China's National Ecological Red Line initiative, which has protected 64 million hectares of wetlands since 2020. Recent bird population surveys show a 12% year-on-year increase in migratory species utilizing the Jiangsu coastline.
