Egrets have been dubbed "environmental friendly birds." Their
presence is an indication of good air and water quality. They are
under state protection at the second-class level.
With an improvement in Ningbo's environment in recent years, the
egrets that had long since disappeared have now returned. Attracted
by the now favorable environs of Ningbo
University, the number of egrets resident on campus has
increased sharply.
However, these beautiful birds have brought disruption and
embarrassment to this normally quiet and refined campus through
their droppings and noise.
In
response, the University has set up loud bird-scares to disperse
the egrets with a variety of frightening noises. The birds are
indeed being both scared and dispersed but not without
controversy.
The Green Environment Attracts Egrets and Trouble
With over 20,000 staff and students, Ningbo University is Ningbo's
first key comprehensive university embracing a wide range of
academic disciplines. Covering an area of 1,700 mu (282
acres), over 60 percent of the campus is covered by trees. There
are thousands of lush green, dawn redwoods standing straight some
10 meters (33 feet) high. They are laid out to both east and west
of the campus. Since the mid-1990s egrets and other birds have
started to build nests and raise their young there.
During the three-year natural disaster (1959-1961), the egrets had
disappeared from here due to deterioration in the local ecological
environment. Thirty years later when the egrets returned, the
University welcomed the arrival of these "honored guests" with
great enthusiasm. They even set up a Bird Lovers' Association on
campus in order to take good care of them.
However the good times did not last long once the egrets started to
come in such swarms that they seemed to block out the sky.
According to some junior female students, there were fewer egrets
when they were in their first year. Then sitting in the classroom
and looking out of the window, they really enjoyed watching the
graceful flying figures of egrets in the woods. However, since more
and more came last year, the roads have been painted white with
bird droppings.
Everyday when they walk under the trees they run the risk of being
"bombed" and have taken to sheltering under umbrellas on their way
to class.
According to Teacher Liao from the administrative office, the
birds' droppings have discolored the campus roads and made a mess
in the woods. Many of the windows in the buildings nearest the
woods are kept shut due to the revolting smell of droppings.
During April and May of last year when the egrets on campus reached
their highest numbers, the dawn redwoods became a sea of white with
birds' droppings everywhere. "Many teachers and students have asked
us to find a way to deal with it," said Liao.
How to Disperse the Egrets?
Teacher Zhu also from the administrative office said, "Egrets are
migratory birds which come here regularly in early spring and leave
by the end of autumn. The number of egrets in Ningbo University
reached a peak of about 20,000 last year. They will not leave of
their own accord as they find this a good place to live and so
their numbers have increased sharply.
"We finally took the decision to disperse the egrets because of the
large area of dawn redwoods on campus that had actually died due to
pollution by birds' droppings. A total of 370 dawn redwoods died
last year within a short space of time.
"The school has spent in excess of 40,000 yuan (US$4,800) on
digging ditches and replanting trees. These dawn redwoods have been
growing here for more than 10 years. It really makes us sad to see
them destroyed," he said.
How should they deal with the troubles brought by the egrets?
According to Teacher Zhu, after considering many solutions they
finally decided to disperse the egrets through modern technology,
namely using artificially generated noises.
Teacher Zhu explained, "In order to carry out this plan, the
administrative office has signed a contract with the Information
Industry and Sci-tech Company of Ningbo University. The relevant
researchers have developed a computer-based multimedia broadcasting
control system. In developing this solution they consulted widely
drawing on experience both at home and abroad from the Internet and
from experts in the field.
"They have set up 24 "tweeters" in the dawn redwoods. Over a time
cycle these broadcast a range of noises which include imitations of
the sounds of fireworks and of the egrets' natural enemies. Few
egrets are now seen and all that's left to remind us of them at
their worst are the mottled droppings they have left in the woods
and on the roads," he said.
Remaining numbers of egrets have been put at just 10 percent of the
peak. The University has spent nearly 80, 000 yuan (US$9,600) to
disperse egrets using these noises and has met with some success.
According to Teacher Zhu, they are now in the process of
fine-tuning the range of sounds used so as to find the most
effective noises to disperse egrets.
However, broadcasting noises can only effect a temporary cure and
cannot tackle the problem completely. The egrets will come back
when the noises stop.
According to some students the reporter met outside the library,
the noises being broadcasted every day not only scare the birds but
also the students.
Criticism Following Dispersal
Although some staff and students at Ningbo University said they
could well understand why the school is dispersing egrets using
noises, many others have expressed different opinions and even
strong opposition.
Teacher Wang from the Literature Institute has been studying and
teaching in Ningbo University for 10 years. He said, "I have
witnessed the boom in egrets on campus. They have become a symbol
and a unique sight of the university. Many students have a strong
affection for them. Although we all understand why the school has
opted for dispersal, we still feel it hard to accept."
Ye
Junhui, a student in the Life Science Department is one of those
who strongly oppose the action of dispersing the birds. He said,
"Egrets are migratory birds under state protection. Their numbers
are depleted after they return here after living through the winter
in the south. We are dispersing them at the time they are trying to
raise their young and threatening their survival. To the egrets
this is nothing short of a massacre. It may seem humane and
benevolent to use noise alone to disperse the birds but actually it
is very cruel to the egrets."
He
describes seeing egrets lingering and uttering sad calls above the
campus day and night since the school started to disperse them by
broadcasting noises and letting off fireworks and feels the tragedy
of their fate really moving.
As
to how to solve the problems of their impact on the campus
environment, Ye Junhui thought the school should consult more
experts. It should find a better way to tackle this problem
rationally by helping the egrets migrate rather than simply
dispersing them.
A New Paradise for the Birds
Lai Yanxue, an expert in the Forestry Bureau, the department in
charge of the bird protection, and senior engineer and second in
charge at the Ningbo Forest Diseases and Insect Pests Prevention
Station, gave his opinion on the controversy.
Lai Yanxue had been invited to participate in consultation on the
death of dawn redwoods in Ningbo University in July of last year.
In his view, the death of the dawn redwoods has been caused by
multiple factors. Close planting has affected their access to
light. There was heavier rainfall than usual during last year's
rainy season and the roots are rotting because water accumulated in
the low-lying parts of the woods. There was some damage due to
seepage of polluted water. Finally the effect of birds' droppings
cannot be excluded because the microbes and bacteria in birds'
droppings can also damage the growth of the trees.
Lai Yanxue concludes that many internal and external causes have
led to the death of dawn redwoods in Ningbo University, saying, "It
is quite unfair to lay the blame only on the egrets."
Experts have pointed to measures taken by Ningbo University
including disinfecting to kill the bacteria affecting dawn
redwoods, digging drainage ditches together with a thinning out of
the trees to improve ventilation and lighting. The situation in the
woods has now clearly improved.
Turning to the question of whether the egrets on campus should be
kept or dispersed, Lai Yanxue said, "First we should seek to
understand why there are so many egrets on campus. Ningbo
University is located by the banks of Yongjiang River with wide
expanses of farmland all around. The egrets find their main sources
of food like fish and shrimp in the river and farmland. However,
only the campus of Ningbo University can offer them a large stretch
of woodland in this area. Egrets are not solitary birds, they live
in flocks, so more and more egrets are gathering together
here."
"In fact, the woods are not the best habitat for egrets," said Lai
Yanxue. "There used to be a large stretch of reeds on both sides of
the Yongjiang River long ago. We call this wetland and it is
actually the best habitat for egrets. It is a pity that such large
stretches of reeds disappeared many years ago. If we really want to
resolve the egret problem, we should first create an ecological
environment suitable for their survival."
"It would not be at all difficult to plant some reeds and trees on
the wet and fertile land of
Ningbo. This could become a suitable wetland habitat in three
to five years. As long as the environment nearby is improved and
the egrets have a suitable place to live, they will not stay long
in the narrow confines of the campus," he said.
Yuan Jin is second in charge at the Ningbo Forestry Bureau where he
is responsible for wild animal protection. He says that they have
been promoting the concept of the modern garden city in recent
years. People living in harmony with nature is one of the important
tenets of the garden city movement. Egrets have come here and could
be good friends of humans.
"What should we do with them? Treat them well and try to live in
harmony with them or just disperse them in order to avoid
inconvenience? This is a new topic and challenge to be faced in the
construction and management of our cities."
(新華網[Xinhua News
Agency], translated by Wang Qian for china.org.cn, August 6,
2002)