TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Pingtung County Government completed slope renovations on an ecological pool located within the Haifeng Wetland, which opened to the public on Earth Day (April 22).
Pingtung County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi (周春米) said more than NT$9 million (US$276,000) in county funds were spent on the project, with work carried out in just three months so as not to disturb the breeding season of the pheasant-tailed jacana, a Category II rare and protected species in Taiwan.
Chou said the Haifeng Wetland is the home of many other Category II rare birds, including the greater-painted snipe and black kite. Of special importance is the annual increase in pheasant-tailed jacana, which went from just four to a record of 62 spotted last year, per CNA.
Chou said opening the park on Earth Day took on particular importance, encouraging local villagers to visit the wetland and do their part to maintain the surrounding environment. Improvements to the pool used ecological engineering methods with the least amount of environmental impact.
Haifeng Wetland is not only a refuge for rare wild bird species, but also serves a vital role in supporting Pingtung County's overall natural ecology. A six-hectare ecological pond within the wetland offers a natural means of purifying water from the nearby Chonglan Jiuzhen canal.
According to Ministry of Interior data, the Haifeng Wetland is an important part of the larger Wannian Wetland in northern Pingtung County. The Wannian Wetland contains 86,000 cubic meters of water storage capacity and provides protection from flooding, replenishes groundwater, and purifies 35,000 metric tons of water every day.