Today, I came to a place different from my usual spots — the OCT Wetland Park. Normally, I go birdwatching at Shenzhen Bay, but this wetland park surrounds a body of water left over from land reclamation. As Shenzhen has expanded, this area has become a unique transitional zone between humans and nature, meeting the needs of development while also preserving a space for the natural world. Because the park requires reservations, there are relatively few visitors. It’s neither as crowded as Shenzhen Bay nor as strictly regulated as the Mangrove Nature Reserve I visited before.
Here, I saw birds either hunting or resting, and I also encountered visitors being led by guides, enjoying the park while receiving education about ecological conservation. This scene was heartening. Just like the black-faced spoonbill conservation activities I saw at Shenzhen Bay, there are similar efforts in natural education here. Signs and display boards along the paths quietly convey messages about environmental protection and responsible birdwatching. This harmony between humans and nature deeply moved me and filled me with hope for the future of ecological conservation.
(A group of tourists watching birds in the marshes, likely the egret in the following picture:)
