CHILDREN filled The Tent grounds of Waterfront Insular Hotel over the weekend, most of them sporting sticker tattoos of birds, coloring birds, learning how to make origami birds, and learning about birds.
It was the 1st Asian Bird Fair that sought not only to fan eco-tourism in the city but to promote awareness about endemic birds of Mindanao as natural and cultural heritage.
"Bird enthusiasts have a list of birds that they want to see in their lifetime," said Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) president Michael Lu. "If you lose the endemic birds of Mindanao, then you lose a heritage."
With the theme, "Nurture Nature, Save Our Future," promotion of bird-watching in the wild is seen as a vehicle to stimulate interest in conservation.
Protecting birds in the wild is not new to Davao City through the Philippine Eagle Conservation Program. For years, the Philippine Eagle Foundation Inc. has been making inroads in the conservation of the endangered Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyii), including captive breeding and experimental releases of birds born in captivity. Consequently, conservation awareness is high.
But the struggle to conserve the eagle by conserving its primary habitat - the rainforest - remains in stiff competition with development as even the foothills of the country's highest peak and the eagle's natural habitat are cleared up to make way for monocrop plantations like the premium-priced highland cavendish bananas, the forests of Mati, Davao Oriental are cut down to make way for mining operations, and estuaries are turned into fishponds and resort residences.
Nearer downtown, vast tracts of land are opened up and cemented for property development projects.
In bringing in children to learn about wild birds, their habitats, and have fun in the learning process hopes that the new generation will realize that these same birds need their natural habitats to survive.
The event at the Waterfront Insular, which is co-sponsored by Philippine Eagle Foundation and the city government of Davao, was held in conjunction with the 6th Philippine Bird Festival, the country's avian conservation and eco-tourism event.
The major participating groups are the Bird Conservation of Thailand, the Chinese Wild Bird Federation, the Wild Bird Society of Taipei, the Malaysian Nature Society, and the Nature Society of Singapore.
Also in attendance were the Shanghai Wild Bird Society, Fujian Bird Watching Society, Kaoshiung Wild Bird Society, Wild Bird Society of Tainan, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Eco-education and Resources Center, Asian Raptor Research and Conservation Network, Borneo Bird Club, Hornbill Research Foundation, the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association, Bird Conservation Nepal and the Oriental Bird Club.
Philippine-based government and environmental groups joined the fair were the Conservation International, Fauna and Flora International, Katala Foundation, WWF-Philippines, Birding Adventure Philippines, Kaakbay, Malagos Garden Resort, Monfort Bat Cave and Conservation Foundation, Philippine Association of Wildlife Veterinarians, Philippine Wild Bird Photographers, My Zoo Foundation, the City of Alaminos in Pangasinan and the City of Balanga in Bataan.
Carmela Q. Balcazar of the Wild Birds Club of the Philippines, who was walking around with one of the rescued birds of Davao's Malagos Garden Resort, also pointed out how wildlife smuggling is not just dessimating the population in the wilds, but also places the captured bird in dire situations.
The birds named Boots for "buta" or blind because its one eye is blind, also has a cracked beak. Because of its disabilities, it can no longer be released in the wild and is now among the rescued birds being taken cared of at Malagos Garden.
Dr. Roberto Puentespina of Malagos Garden who had with him a number of rescued birds like Boots, including an owl that was rescued as an egg, and was thus hatched in captivity pointed out that a booming city like Davao need not sacrifice its wild bird population to urbanization through well-planned developments that should include micro-habitats. In such manner, birds are not deprived of their natural habitats.
"An example of a micro-habitat is Malagos Garden where you just plant and plant so that the birds will have a place to live," he said.
Davao City Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, who chairs the council committee on tourism, meanwhile said he is looking into the concept of green urban to conserve what the city has while at the same time enhance its eco-tourism potentials.
He did not elaborate on how he intends to push this concept.
Meanwhile, WBCP president Lu said the holding of the Asian Bird Fair here just shows their confidence in the stable peace and order of the city.
This is because birdwatchers like them will explore uninhabited places just to get a glimpse of the birds there. A place where the safety and security of the birdwatchers are endangered by criminal or other bad elements will not be an enticing place for them to explore the wilds.
"By being here, we are showing our confidence that the city is safe," he said in a press conference held after the fair opening last Friday.