This beautiful scenery unfolding before your eyes is none other than the Upo wetland located in Changnyeong County, South Gyeongsang Province.
Measuring over 23-thousand square meters… the Upo wetland is the largest natural inland swamp in Korea and is home to over 1,200 species of plants and animal life.
[Reporter : Jang Jiyun jiyun.jang@arirang.co.kr] "This wetland became a designated nature preserve back in 1997 and was officially registered under the environmental Olympics, Ramsar, the year after."
According to environmental experts… footprints of dinosaurs that lived about 100 to 120 million years ago… as well as insect fossils were found in the sedimentary rock layers here… leading scientists to believe this swamp was first formed roughly 140 million years ago.
The chief director of this nature preserve says… now that Korea has succeeded in wetland conservation… the next course of action is raising public awareness.
[Interview : Roh Yongho, Director Upo Wetland Ecology Center] "As you know, the theme of this year's Ramsar convention is "Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People." And as such… here at the Upo wetland… we've built a special ecology center that focuses on bringing people and wetlands together. We educate children about the importance of conservation and we're also trying to promote this area as a popular tourism spot."
And their efforts seem to be paying off because this student says she now understands the important role wetlands play in controlling the ecosystem.
[Interview : Lee Haejin, 6th Grade student Myungdo Elementary School] "Before I was sad to learn about the negative effects global warming has on birds and the ecosystem. But coming here today, I was really happy to see all the diverse species of birds living here. And now I know that we must preserve nature because without it we wouldn't exist. We must treat nature as if it's a part of us."
Meanwhile the Ramsar Convention… a multilateral environmental treaty among 157 countries… which focuses on the conservation and wise use of wetlands opened in Changwon… a city just an hour drive away from the Upo wetland.
At the international conference, Korea's environment ministry, which oversees all of the country's major wetlands, promised to restore 100 urban streams, upgrade environmental conservation standards, and enhance inter-Korean environmental cooperation.
Wetlands are not only an essential breeding ground for all sorts of life but also play key roles in the provision of food and clean water for humans.
Now hopefully through such collective efforts future generations will be able to enjoy nature's beauty at places like Upo for another hundred million years to come.
Jang Jiyun, Arirang News, Changnyeong.
OCT 30, 2008
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Arirang Town
Wednesday, FEB 10, 2010, (KST) 
