Retired biology teacher fights for wetland conservation

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Tue, September 26, 2023 | 07:50

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Retired biology teacher fights for wetland conservation

Posted : 2020-03-27 16:31

Updated : 2020-03-27 16:31

By Kim Se-jeong

Park June-log

Park June-log is a retired high school biology teacher from Busan who is passionate about conserving wetlands in the city and protecting the migratory bird species that visit them.

Eulsuk Island, located at the estuary of the Nakdong River, is a sizable wetland and one of the largest migratory bird habitats in Korea. It is home to black-headed gulls, swans, snipes, Japanese cranes, storks and other species, including endangered ones.

For the last 17 years, he has been bird watching and recording data on the migratory birds of the island.

In the early 2000s, Park led a fight against the Busan Metropolitan Government over the construction of the Eulsuk Bridge. The prolonged fight ended when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the city government. The bridge opened in 2009. Yet, he persuaded the city to alter the construction plan so that the bridge could go around a crucial habitat spot for swans on the island, instead of going over it.

Asked how his passion for conservation began, Park said, "I thought school children should experience nature firsthand instead of just learning through books. So, I took my children to the island. That's how it began. As I traveled to the island, I learned more about wetlands and migratory birds," Park said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. He retired from teaching last year.

"However, I also witnessed how urban development destroyed the wetlands. I was compelled to do something. Like-minded teachers and I reached out to local environmental groups to inform them of what was happening, but they were too busy with other problems. So, we decided to act ourselves."

In 2000, the 59-year-old former teacher founded an NGO named Wetlands and Birds Korea.

Park said that what he had witnessed in terms of destruction of the wetlands and the consequences on the bird populations was quite devastating.

"Take the swans, for example. Wetlands in Busan are where you can see one of the largest number of swans in the world. Previously, I could see almost 3,000 swans every winter. Three years ago, the number was only half of that, and this winter, we only saw about 1000 birds," Park said. "This impacts humans because we're all part of a big ecosystem. Developmental projects play a crucial role in decreasing the number of migratory birds. This is why we're deeply worried about the situation."
Swans are only one such example.
Spoon-billed Sandpipers suffer the biggest risk of extinction. "Worldwide, fewer than 500 birds are believed to remain. They come to Eulsuk Island to stay. We'd seen 15-20 birds per year until the the early 2000s, but now I see only one or two a year."

Currently, he is fighting against the government's planned construction of two more bridges. "The bridges would go over important habitat spots on the island. They could make the bridges go around critical areas."

skim@koreatimes.co.kr