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▼ Yonago Waterbird Sanctuary: A Bird Watching Paradise
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Yonago, the largest city in western Tottori Prefecture, is a nature lover’s paradise with convenient access to Mount Daisen, the Sea of Japan and Nakaumi—the fifth-largest lake in the country.
Nakaumi’s brackish waters support a rich ecosystem that includes hundreds of species of birds. Encompassing about 28 hectares of lakeside wetlands, the Yonago Waterbird Sanctuary is the best place to observe the most famous of these birds in their natural habitat.
From Development Site to Sanctuary
In the 1960s, a plan was unveiled for reclaiming land around Nakaumi—developing lakeside areas into farmland and changing the lake’s composition from brackish to freshwater. Residents strongly opposed this plan, and their voices helped to put an end to the development and garner support for conservation.
The Yonago Waterbird Sanctuary, which opened in 1995, sits on a stretch of artificial land that was created when the reclamation project was in effect. Now, the sanctuary and Nakaumi as a whole are officially recognized as a vital wintering area for migratory birds.
The sanctuary maintains outdoor trails, a large pond and a nature center, which features floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the water.
The nature center also provides birdwatching telescopes and educational displays and occasionally hosts special events such as craft workshops and a “first sunrise” gathering for New Year’s Day.
The sanctuary’s walking trails, meanwhile, are quiet spaces where one can be immersed in Tottori’s nature, observing the seasonal birds and a prominent view of Mount Daisen.
Nakaumi’s brackish waters support a rich ecosystem that includes hundreds of species of birds. Encompassing about 28 hectares of lakeside wetlands, the Yonago Waterbird Sanctuary is the best place to observe the most famous of these birds in their natural habitat.
From Development Site to Sanctuary
In the 1960s, a plan was unveiled for reclaiming land around Nakaumi—developing lakeside areas into farmland and changing the lake’s composition from brackish to freshwater. Residents strongly opposed this plan, and their voices helped to put an end to the development and garner support for conservation.
The Yonago Waterbird Sanctuary, which opened in 1995, sits on a stretch of artificial land that was created when the reclamation project was in effect. Now, the sanctuary and Nakaumi as a whole are officially recognized as a vital wintering area for migratory birds.
The sanctuary maintains outdoor trails, a large pond and a nature center, which features floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the water.
The nature center also provides birdwatching telescopes and educational displays and occasionally hosts special events such as craft workshops and a “first sunrise” gathering for New Year’s Day.
The sanctuary’s walking trails, meanwhile, are quiet spaces where one can be immersed in Tottori’s nature, observing the seasonal birds and a prominent view of Mount Daisen.
- March 12, 2024
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