Training Workshop for Young Crane Researchers in North-East Asia

Cranes are among the most iconic yet threatened bird species in East Asia. These species depend on increasingly vulnerable wetlands and grasslands, which are under growing pressure from development, climate change, and habitat loss and degradation. Ensuring the long-term survival of cranes requires not only urgent conservation measures today, but also the development of a new generation of skilled researchers and conservation professionals to lead sustained efforts into the future.
The Training Workshop for Young Crane Researchers in North-East Asia is designed to bring together emerging researchers and conservation practitioners from across the region to strengthen technical capacity in crane research and conservation. Through a structured combination of lectures, field-based exercises, and interactive discussions, participants will acquire practical skills in crane monitoring, habitat assessment, data analysis, and conservation planning.
In addition to technical training, the workshop aims to foster international collaboration and professional networking among early-career experts committed to protecting cranes and their habitats along the East Asian Flyway. This workshop offers a unique platform for regional exchange, peer learning, and the establishment of long-term partnerships – essential for enhancing coordinated conservation responses across countries.
By investing in the next generation of conservation professionals, the workshop contributes to the long-term protection of cranes and the ecosystems they present. It also lays the foundation for future leadership and science-based conservation across North-East Asia.
- Global and North-East Asia overview of crane research and conservation
- Introduction to population status and numbers of cranes in breeding areas (Mongolia, Russian Federation, China)
- Introduction to population status and numbers of cranes in wintering areas (China, Republic of Korea, Japan)
- Understanding climate change impact on cranes and wetlands – what crane projects can do to mitigate impacts
- Agriculture expansion in North-East Asia, potential effects and benefits to cranes and their habitats
- Assessing wetland habitat conditions and planning for long-term monitoring
- Improving crane habitat and wetland restoration techniques
- Quantifying diet and feeding habitat of cranes
- Using drones for crane population monitoring
- Crane capture, sampling, and marking techniques, safety considerations
- HPAI and disease surveillance in cranes and waterbirds
- Making effective environmental education programs
- Conducting questionnaire surveys and considerations
- Community based conservation, case studies
- Protected areas’ role in crane conservation
- Flyway level conservation work: needs and challenges
Capturing and color banding cranes
- Usage of remote sensing images in habitat assessment and mapping
- Application of Google Earth Engine
- Application of GIS and QGIS
- Data analysis in R
- Sampling diet and habitat data collection
- Visit to the Khurkh Bird Banding Station
- Joint crane and birdwatching
- Wrap-up, certification ceremony & closing remarks
- Farewell dinner