On the afternoon of October 11, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) was held in Kunming, Yunnan. Longguan Township of Haishu District was invited to participate in the COP15 NGO Parallel Forum as the only township-level representative from Zhejiang Province.
Why did Longguan receive this prestigious invitation? This is mainly due to its unique approach to biodiversity conservation. At present, Longguan is actively conducting a biodiversity survey of the Siming Mountains, despite not being required to do so according to the task list.
At the same time, Longguan is developing a biodiversity reserve and actively participating in the "Towards Kunming: My Commitment to Nature" series of activities. It has submitted an independent biodiversity contribution initiative to COP15 as the only township in Zhejiang.
Longguan Township is located at the eastern foot of the Siming Mountains. The township mostly consists of mountain ranges. With 86% of its area covered by forests, it is rich in natural resources and is home to a wide variety of species. National-level protected plants such as Isoetes sinensis and Taxus chinensis var. mairei and protected animals such as the hooded crane are all native to Longguan. The area also has popular travel destinations, receiving more than 1 million tourists per year. It was awarded the title "nationally-famous scenic destination township". This opens up the possibility of integrating tourism development with biodiversity conservation.
On May 19, 2021, the construction of the biodiversity conservation base in Haishu District officially began in Longguan. After completion, it will become the largest biodiversity reserve and learning base in Zhejiang Province, greatly boosting Ningbo's overall conservation efforts.
Next, Longguan Township will join hands with a team of experts to promote regional biodiversity conservation and design an education travel route as part of the "1+M" model. This move will raise the public's awareness of green development, sensible development, and informed utilization of biodiversity resources.
By Dong Na