Yeongdeungpo-gu Completes Creation of Migratory Bird Habitats and Ecological Rest Areas Along Anyangcheon Riverbanks

Ecological Environment Improvement of 9,760㎡ Along Anyangcheon from Sep to Mid-Dec 2023... 430 Million KRW National Funding Invested... Ecological Restoration, Invasive Species Removal, Creation of Rest Areas and Experience Spaces... "We Will Continue Efforts to Make It a Rest and Leisure Space for Residents and a Treasure Trove of Ecological Environment"

Willow Rest Area

Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced that it secured 430 million KRW in national funding after its project, the "Anyangcheon Riverside Migratory Bird Habitat and Ecological Rest Area Creation Project," was selected in the Ministry of Environment’s “2023 Ecosystem Conservation Charge Return Project,” and completed the project by mid-December this year.

The Ecosystem Conservation Charge Return Project refers to a program that uses funds collected from developers responsible for ecological damage to carry out vegetation restoration, installation of ecological facilities, and other related activities.

From September to mid-December 2023, as part of the Ecosystem Conservation Charge Return Project, the district carried out construction work in the area around 270-1 Yangpyeong-dong to ▲restore the wetland ecosystem functions within the Anyangcheon riverside floodplain ▲secure buffer zones for small organism habitats ▲create ecological learning spaces.

The project site, covering 9,760㎡, is the only place where a willow tree colony has naturally grown along the Anyangcheon riverside for decades. Although this area has high potential as an ecological space, it had become an environment requiring improvement due to the risk of polluted water contaminated by accumulated mowing residues, sedimented garbage, and waste flowing into Anyangcheon, causing damage to the aquatic ecosystem. Additionally, invasive plants such as kudzu vine, oriental bittersweet, and arrowroot had spread and encroached upon the willow colony.

In response, the district expanded the ecological space around the willow colony and restored the vegetation in the damaged areas. It also removed invasive plants to improve issues such as the hardening (terrestrialization) of the riverside wetland, reduction in biodiversity, and degradation of the ecological landscape.

An ecological rest area was also created for residents visiting Anyangcheon for walking, cycling, and other activities to relax. New healing ecological spaces such as observation decks and willow tree rest areas were established.

Furthermore, the district utilized existing waterways and groundwater to create ecological wetlands, enhancing biodiversity by providing habitats for migratory birds and small organisms. In the future, ecological programs linked to Anyangcheon, such as bird watching and experiential learning, will also be operated.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, stated, “Through this project, we have restored the vegetation of Anyangcheon, which had been isolated and difficult to access, and awakened its ecological potential by increasing biodiversity. We will continue our efforts to make Anyangcheon a place of rest and leisure for residents as well as a treasure trove of ecological environment.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.