Nature notes are a way of observing and recording nature that originated in European and American countries. Simply put, it means using pictures and text to write a diary of nature and record the process of experiencing it. On the morning of April 15, the Shanghai Chongming Dongtan Bird National Nature Reserve organized a "nature note" creation training activity for teachwers. Let’s take a look at it together.

The spring scenery is bright, and the wooden structure of the Science Popularization Education Hall in the Dongtan Nature Reserve is surrounded by green grass everywhere. Before starting formal bird watching and creating nature notes, 40 teachers from primary and secondary schools, youth activity centers, and other educational units in Shanghai will first learn about common birds in the protected area, bird watching knowledge, and the basic creation methods of nature notes.

Bird watching is the most anticipated and exciting part for everyone. In mid-April, a large number of migratory birds had left Dongtan and continued to breed in Northeast and Siberia. The reeds had not yet sprouted, making the Dongtan Nature Reserve appear slightly quiet. However, from time to time, some shorebirds, geese and ducks can be seen resting and looking for food on the mudflat bank, in the pond and in the reeds outside the birdwatching levee. At the bird watching scene, some teachers held single or binoculars, while others held cameras and patiently searched for birds in the protected area.

After bird watching, it is necessary to complete the nature notes, but for these teachers, there is a more important task to bring the experience back to their classroom and lead students into the protected area in the future to participate in nature note taking activities together.

The Shanghai Chongming Dongtan Bird National Nature Reserve, with a total area of 241.55 square kilometers, is an important habitat for international migratory birds on the East Asia Australia route. Here, birds rest and forage and replenish energy to recover nearly 60% of their weight lost during flight. As the first stop for migratory birds to move north and the last stop for returning south, its importance is self-evident. Every year, 300 species of nearly 1-million-times migratory waterfowls inhabit or transit through the protected area, making it a paradise for plovers, geese, ducks, cranes, gulls, and egrets.

In recent years, while actively carrying out ecological restoration work such as controlling Spartina alterniflora and optimizing bird habitats in the protected areas, the pace of carrying out natural education has never stopped. The nature reserve has continuously carried out natural science popularization activities for the public to enhance their participation in wetland protection, to enhance their awareness of wetland protection and ecological civilization.