Suwon's Sukji Park Revived as Eco-Friendly Ecological Forest

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Sukji Park in Suwon, which had been severely degraded by illegal dumping and other issues and failed to serve its purpose as a park, has been revived as an eco-friendly ecological forest.

As a result, various birds are now nesting in Sukji Park and various small organisms are visiting, allowing nearby residents to enjoy the park in a more environmentally friendly manner.

Suwon City announced on the 21st that it was selected as a target site for the ecosystem conservation deposit return project implemented by the Ministry of Environment in January and invested 430 million won in state funds to create an ecological forest covering 9,380 square meters in Sukji Park in the Hwaseong-dong, Paldal-gu area (Lot 336), which had been damaged by illegal farming and dumping following land compensation due to budget shortages and project delays.

The city has pursued work to improve soil environment and create habitats for diverse organisms to make Sukji Park's ecological forest a healing space where people and nature coexist.

To this end, the ecological forest was planted with 229 specimens of 11 species of large trees including sawtooth oak and cork oak, and 7,922 specimens of 10 species of shrubs including multi-flower cotoneaster and smallleaf daphne, creating a nature-friendly space.

Additionally, a 'bird-attraction forest' where birds can inhabit, a 'carbon-reduction forest' that practices carbon neutrality, and a 'rainwater wetland' that provides ecological water to wildlife and plants were installed to allow diverse fauna and flora to thrive naturally.

At the same time, 6,400 specimens of 6 species including iris laevigata, lythrum salicaria, and miscanthus were planted to create a 'wild flower garden' and 'azalea rest area', and convenience was enhanced with trails and rest areas that local residents can use as recreational spaces.

The ecosystem conservation deposit return project is an environmental ministry open call project that, in accordance with the Natural Environment Conservation Act, charges developers fees equal to the area of natural environment damaged by development projects, and supports those who have paid such fees or their project operators to restore natural ecosystems.

A city official said, "We will continue to pursue such ecological restoration projects in the future and do our best to make Suwon an ecological city."