A weekend outing to Baguang wetland park (I)

Some 15 expats, including myself, recently participated in a guided tour to Baguang Heritiera Wetland Park in Dapeng New Area.

Upon our arrival, Vivian Ou, the vice principal of Baguang Nature School, provided a brief overview of the park and its prominent plant species, popularly known as the silver-foliage tree (Heritiera littoralis).

Salindra Kasun Dayananda poses for a photo at Baguang Heritiera Wetland Park in Dapeng New Area. An ecologist from Sri Lanka, he is currently conducting postdoctoral research on bird and butterfly communities in Shenzhen.

Coastal wetlands, such as the one we explored in Baguang, are essential ecosystems that significantly contribute to environmental health and biodiversity. These habitats, consisting of salt marshes, mangroves, and estuaries, serve as natural defenses against storms and coastal erosion, shielding inland regions from floods and wave impacts.

They enhance water quality by filtering pollutants and excess nutrients. They serve as vital breeding and feeding grounds for various fish, birds, and wildlife species. They also play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, helping to mitigate climate change by storing carbon in their intricate root systems.

A scene at Baguang Heritiera Wetland Park in Dapeng New Area.

I was thrilled by the biodiversity we observed. The park exemplified how even a small habitat can play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity within densely urbanized regions like Shenzhen.

We explored the sandy and rocky parts of the coastline and spotted living sea anemone attached to the rocks in the intertidal zone.

The park is ideal for studying mangroves and other plants in a wetland habitat, as wooden deck trails allow us to walk amidst the trees and observe the ecological nuances up close.