Dear All,
Excuse the cross-post, but here is an opportunity for young birders to help a worthwhile cause.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
Begin forwarded message:
From: “Simba Chan”
Dear OBers,
http://www.birdlife.org/community/2010/12/spoony-needs-your-vote/
BirdLife’s work to save two key resting and feeding sites in China, used by one of the world’s oddest and most appealing waterbirds is to receive support from Disney’s Friends for Change initiative.
The project, ‘Saving Spoony’s Chinese Wetlands ‘ will receive at least $25,000. But if children around the world decide to give it their vote, that support could rise to $50,000, or even $100,000.
Spoony- the Spoon-billed Sandpiper- is one of the rarest birds in the world. It gets its name from its spoon-shaped beak, which it uses to pick up food from the mud left uncovered when the tide goes out.
Every year it flies over 9,000 km from the Arctic tundra in Russia, where it nests, to the tropics of southern Asia, where it spends the winter. Then, in spring, it flies all the way back again.
But the bird that carries its own cutlery is in danger of having nowhere to go to eat. The tidal mudflats it depends on to rest and refuel on its incredible journey are being drained and covered with houses and factories.
Fewer and fewer Spoon-billed Sandpipers make it back to breed each year, and unless we act quickly, this tough and determined little bird could soon be gone for ever. There may be as few as 400 left, down from 2,000 just 10 years ago.
BirdLife’s China Programme, the Hong Kong Birdwatching Society and friends in China, including the Wild Bird Society of Shanghai and Fujian Bird Watching Society will work at two wetlands near Shanghai, which Spoon- billed Sandpipers stop at on their way round China’s coast. Gathering information about all the waterbirds that use these two wetlands will help us protect them better.
Talks, games and field trips will be organised for children at local schools, to inspire them about the values of wetlands and wildlife. Students will be encouraged to form Conservation Groups, and become the ambassadors for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, telling local people and the government that there is a bird nearby that needs their help.
Voting opened on 29th November. You can help the Spoon-billed Sandpiper with registering on the Disney website by going to one of the following links and giving Spoony your vote:
* United States – http://disney.go.com/projectgreen/explorevote.html * Germany – www.disney.de/friendsforchange/explore_and_vote.jsp * France – http://www.disney.fr/ensembleonchangetout/explore_and_vote.jsp * Netherlands – www.disney.nl/friendsforchange/explore_and_vote.jsp * Belgium – www.disney.be/friendsforchange/explore_and_vote.jsp * Poland – www.disney.pl/friendsforchange/explore_and_vote.jsp * UK – www.disney.co.uk/friendsforchange/explore_and_vote.jsp * Italy – www.disney.it/friendsforchange/explore_and_vote.jsp * Sweden – www.disney.se/friendsforchange/explore_and_vote.jsp * Finland – www.disney.fi/friendsforchange/explore_and_vote.jsp * Norway – www.disney.no/friendsforchange/explore_and_vote.jsp * Denmark – www.disney.dk/friendsforchange/explore_and_vote.jsp
And have a Happy New Year.
Simba Chan
BirdLife International Asia Division.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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