Each year, between late autumn and early winter, thousands of birds migrate to Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake. Its flourishing wetland ecosystem and associated biodiversity provides a safe haven of suitable habitats and abundant food supplies. More than 98% of the world's Siberian Cranes spend the winter here, in the southeastern province of Jiangxi. It’s one of the many locations protected through vital ecological work led by the International Crane Foundation (ICF). A global charitable partner of ICF since 1995, ConocoPhillips extended our conservation support to address habitat loss and fragmentation of wetlands in China in 2005. Efforts raise public awareness about crane conservation, with a particular emphasis on Siberian Cranes and Red-crowned Cranes. ICF leads and conducts science-based conservation work, such as species surveys, wetland management, environmental education, and international collaboration, including for the two most endangered species at the Hui River National Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia. They also work to protect vital migratory stopover sites in Northeast China.
Regular surveying is an important aspect of crane conservation, allowing researchers and scientists to better understand these endangered species. With support from ConocoPhillips, ICF conducts annual flyway-scale crane and waterbird synchronized surveys, as well as frequent monitoring, to provide data related to distribution and population trends. Between 2012 and 2021, the foundation conducted 59 surveys covering 35 wetlands in 10 provinces and mobilized more than 70 scientists, reserve staff, and volunteers annually. To promote cooperation and information sharing, findings are widely shared within the network of local researchers and conservation organizations.
“The long-term support of ConocoPhillips has enabled us to monitor trends in crane populations and wetland conditions,” said Spike Millington, ICF Vice President. “As a result, we better understand the challenges facing cranes and wetlands, notably in China, and we are able to target actions and areas to help cranes navigate changing landscapes.”
The foundation also focuses on conserving wetland ecosystems. In 2012, ICF adopted an adaptive wetland management plan for the Momoge and Xianghai National Nature Reserves of the Songnen Plain. Working together with experts and nature reserve staff in China, they tailored the most up to date wetland zoning management with local requirements. Dr. Jiang Hongxing from the National Bird Banding Center of China said, “through adaptive and dynamic management of the Siberian Crane migratory stopover areas, the quality and resilience of these habitats are maintained, which ensures the migratory safety and reproductive development of the species.”
Environmental education remains at the forefront of crane conservation efforts and raising public awareness among local communities in China is critical for crane survival. ICF organizes several learning initiatives, from presentations to volunteering and interactive experiences, to increase public knowledge about cranes and wetland conservation.
To date, ICF has shared 78 presentations with over 10,000 participants. Other educational initiatives include International Nature School events, which have trained more than 200 teachers and volunteers to help over 2,400 students better understand wetlands and cranes. ConocoPhillips also worked closely with ICF to distribute environmental education materials to local communities in Northeast China and Bohai Bay.
ICF also connects experts and resources to enhance international collaboration. In 2019, the organization joined the Center for East Asian – Australasian Flyway Studies to host a multilateral seminar on crane conservation in Beijing. The meeting brought together 150 representatives from six countries to develop a 10-year Crane Strategy and Action Plan for the East Asian Flyway. It now serves as the joint advocacy initiative for crane conservation among the participating countries.
ConocoPhillips has sponsored several additional ICF research projects within the United States and Canada. Read more about our Proactive Conservation efforts.