World Migratory Bird Day 2011 in Rwanda

14 – 16 May 2011

 

By ACNR

 

Background to WMBD 2011 in Rwanda

 

World Migratory Bird Day is an annual event initiated in 2006 by the Secretariat of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). While the annual WMBD campaigns are prepared and coordinated centrally by the AEWA and CMS Secretariats, national authorities and NGOs worldwide, in particular BirdLife International and its partners, help to encourage individuals and organizations around the world to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day and to incorporate each year's theme into their awareness-raising programmes and festivals. The theme for 2011 is “Land Use Changes from a Bird’s-Eye View”.

 

 

In Rwanda WMBD has been celebrated at local level by the Association pour la Conservation de la Nature au Rwanda (ACNR), the national BirdLife Partner, together with nature clubs in schools and other bird lovers since 2007.

 

This year 2011, ACNR in collaboration with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the Rwanda Birding Association (RBA) organized a joint event. With RDB on board this was the first celebration of WMBD on a national level in Rwanda.

 

The Programme

 

The celebration of World Migratory Bird Day 2011 in Rwanda had 3 components.

 

·         A preliminary round table discussion was broadcasted live on Rwanda TV on Thursday 12^th May 2012, featuring

-          Mrs Rica Rwigamba, Head of the Tourism and Conservation Department at RDB to present the standpoint of the government on bird conservation and tourism,

-          Mr Serge Nsengimana, ACNR Executive Director to call for conservation of Birds and their habitats in general and migratory birds in particular and

-          Mr Davidson Mugisha, President of RBA to talk on behalf of eco-tourism operators in Rwanda.

 

·         A press release on World Migratory Bird Day 2011 and the events in Rwanda was sent out to prominent media in Rwanda to advertise the celebration. The press release was coordinated by ACNR and RDB.

 

·         Sunday 15^th May 2011 was the day for a big bird watching event, aiming at catching people’s interest in birds and their protection needs while at the same time introducing the newly developed Bugesera Birding Circuit. It brought together more than 100 participants including RDB, ACNR and RBA staff, bird guides, Nature Club students, community members, media, tour operators, some diplomats like the US Ambassador, government officials and general public.

 

 

 

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·         The event was held in Bugesera District, south of Kigali. Participants were assembled in three Birding Groups for different birding sites; one to two guides were available for each group. After birding, participants met at Gashora La Palisse Hotel, for refreshments and short boat rides on Lake Rumira. Speeches were held by the following individuals:

-          Davidson Mugisha as MC, as an introduction and information on avi-tourism in Rwanda.

-          The Mayor of Bugesera District to welcome the event.

-          Bird watching group representatives to talk about their impressions from bird watching.

-          An ACNR representative  to recite a poem on the World Migratory Bird Day.

-          Rica Rwigamba to thank all participants for coming and invite for lunch.

 

ACNR initiated the creation of a paper bird sculpture. For this purpose every participant received a paper bird to write on it his personal impressions, ideas and wishes concerning WMBD. Afterwards all paper birds were collected and will be hung up in the RDB entrance hall in a shape of big bird, where more than thousand people pass every day, to give the event an even bigger range.

 

RDB provided logistics for all participants, including transport and refreshments while ACNR provided all necessary information on birds, posters, fact sheets, buttons for all participants etc. Guides and birding materials were shared by all organizing parties.

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

World Migratory Bird Day 2011 in Rwanda can be called a success. The collaboration of three able institutions substantially increased the range and diversity of the event, despite the time pressure of preparation at the last minute and ACNR’s financial constraints. Feedback from the participants and also the organizing parties was throughout positive, showing that the event had left a mark in people’s minds and will leave them thinking about birds and the threats they face.