Tens of thousands of white-fronted geese take wing into the sky at dawn
White-fronted geese fly to Miyajima-numa in spring from late April to early May. A lot of bird lovers and tourists visit Miyajima-numa to watch the geese.
Before dawn, the crystal-clear air starts to vibrate. As the eastern sky shines with the dawn's early light, tens of thousands of white-fronted geese take off as one. They appear as myriad spots in the sky, which looks like a shadow play. At that moment, the people watching the geese from the waterfront become speechless. This is the time when the migrating geese wake up and fly to nearby rice paddies to look for food. After satisfying their hunger with grains of rice left after the harvest, the geese return to the bog where they roost in the evening.
The home of such dynamic natural scenery that enchants many people is Miyajima-numa, an approximately 41-hectare bog located at the west end of Bibai City, Hokkaido. The white-fronted goose is a migratory bird species that migrates between Far East Russia and Miyagi prefecture in Japan in the spring and autumn. In the summer, they breed and raise chicks in bogs in Russia that provide a lot of food and have few natural enemies. In the autumn, when the chicks become strong enough to travel, they start to migrate to the south and spend the winter in Miyagi prefecture. Miyajima-numa is their sanctuary to take a short break on their long (as long as 4,000 km) journey from Far East Russia to Miyagi to be prepared for the breeding season and the harsh winter.
Seeking the coexistence of people and nature in Japan's largest and northernmost stopover for white-fronted geese
There are just a few places in the world that can provide both the damp ground and rice paddies that the white-fronted geese need,” says Mr. Katsumi Ushiyama (33 years old) of the Miyajima-numa Waterfowl and Bog Center.
Miyajima-numa is Japan's largest and northernmost stopover for white-fronted geese, with some 60,000 geese in the spring and 40,000 in the autumn passing through. “This is the best place in the world to watch such a huge number of white-fronted geese so closely,” said Ushiyama. He graduated from the faculty of agriculture at Hokkaido University and completed his study in the doctoral course of the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo. Ushiyama has been living in Bibai City since 2003 to carry on his research on Miyajima-numa and the white-fronted geese.
Ushiyama's workplace, the “Miyajima-numa Waterfowl and Bog Center,” promotes the attraction of Miyajima-numa through its activities such as awareness campaigns and the provision of information about the bog and the white-fronted geese, as well as conducting educational events for children. “My wish is to help many people obtain a correct understanding about Miyajima-numa and the white-fronted geese and come to aspire for the coexistence of people and nature.” These remarks by Ushiyama, who thinks about the environment based on his academic quest, are very impressive.
Why was Miyajima-numa chosen by the white-fronted geese?
White-fronted geese act in groups to travel for 4,000 km. In spring, they migrate from Miyajima-numa to Far East Russia at 100 km/h nonstop.
“Miyajima-numa is known as ‘the place chosen by the white-fronted geese,’ because it has many conditions to attract geese,” Ushiyama explains. The number of white-fronted geese flying to Japan started to increase in the late 1970s and is still increasing. The conditions to attract geese include a clear view to protect the flock from enemies, shallow water and most importantly, the provision of food nearby. For the white-fronted geese that migrate from Siberia to Miyagi before the breeding and overwintering seasons, the abundant supply of rice left behind in the rice paddies after the harvest is the staff of life. This rice is the product of farming, which supports people's lives.
This region used to be the home of the “Ishikari Wetlands,” Japan's largest wetlands, which have almost vanished because of agricultural development after World War II. Miyajima-numa is a precious survivor of these wetlands. In addition, the development of rice paddies around the bog met the requirements for attracting white-fronted geese and resulted in this world-class natural phenomenon. In other words, the agriculture in Bibai attracted the geese. “After I moved here, I noticed that there was nature fostered by agriculture and human activity,” Ushiyama said.
On the other hand, Miyajima-numa is faced with issues and difficulties that result from being chosen by the white-fronted geese: damage to agriculture, which is one of Ushiyama's research subjects. As the supply of rice left behind in the rice paddies runs short, the geese start to eat wheat shoots. Since Bibai City has the largest production of wheat within the Sorachi sub-prefecture, the damage to local farming households is a serious issue. Together with producers, Ushiyama is seeking ways for humans to coexist with the white-fronted geese.
Protecting Miyajima-numa and the white-fronted geese through “Fuyu-mizu Tambo,” an emerging farming method
The scenery of Miyajima-numa, waiting for the arrival of spring and white-fronted geese. Under the cover of snow, various living things are conducting vital activities.
The area of Miyajima-numa is decreasing. Its damp area is rapidly drying out because of conversion to drainable rice paddies, being driven by modern farmland improvement. Eutrophication of the water due to the chemical fertilizer and agrichemicals that flow into the bog is also progressing. If all of this continues, the white-fronted geese and other waterfowl will be affected. That's why Ushiyama is working on a farming method called “Fuyu-mizu Tambo (“winter-water rice field”),” in cooperation with nearby farms.
Unlike conventional rice fields that are drained from autumn to winter, Fuyu-mizu Tambo paddies are kept damp to gradually create good soil. “In this method, snow plays a role as blanket to provide an environment for many living things to live. We can improve the soil with the help of these creatures and produce high-quality rice, without relying on chemical fertilizer and agrichemicals. This also works as a countermeasure against the aridification and eutrophication of bogs. Fuyu-mizu Tambo is a farming method that is friendly to both people and the environment.”
More significantly, they started a project that provides the general public with opportunities to experience this farming method. People can own a piece of farmland (10 meters square) neighboring the bog and experience agricultural work from rice planting to harvest through monthly work and events. This project started in 2008 and has received applications from both inside and outside of Bibai City. This is a good opportunity ? not only for producers, but also for the general public ? to think about the environment through agricultural work. As an agricultural city, Bibai City has an advantage in driving such worthwhile efforts for environmental protection.
