World-Renowned Scholars Captivated by Sihwa Lake

World-renowned scholars in the field of ecology and environment, who visited Korea to attend the 17th GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) International Congress, visited the Dinosaur Egg Fossil Site in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province (located in Songsanmyeon, Gojeong-ri, Hwaseong) on the 13th.

The world-renowned scholars who visited the fossil site that day heard an explanation about the ecological environment of Sihwa Lake, a treasure trove of biodiversity, from Lee Si-wan, Director of the Korea Environmental Ecology Research Institute.

Director Lee said, "Sihwa Lake is a place that maintains a unique ecological environment where birds, mammals, and halophytic plants coexist, including endangered bird species," and added, "In particular, it is an area where various educational programs can be operated, such as animal and plant observation, wetland experiences, and fossil site exploration, and requires continuous preservation and management."

He continued, "The dinosaur egg fossil site, with its geological formations boasting an age of over 2 billion years, dinosaur egg fossils, and as an ecological treasure where 100,000 birds arrive annually, is the ideal location for establishing a National Natural History Museum."

The world-renowned scholars who visited that day praised the ecological environment of Sihwa Lake, noting that the wetland has sufficient ecological value to be designated as a Ramsar wetland.

GBIF officials including Joan Dalli, Executive Chairperson, and Nicholas King, Secretary General, after touring Sihwa Lake and the dinosaur egg fossil site, said in unison, "This ecologically important area of Sihwa Lake and the dinosaur egg fossil site is a precious resource that must be protected and fostered."

They stated, "In line with the trend of museums transitioning away from being located in urban centers and moving toward on-site, hands-on experience centers adjacent to cities, it is evaluated as an ideal location for the establishment of a Natural History Museum."

Gyeonggi Province and Hwaseong City, which concluded business agreements in July with the three world's leading national natural history museums—the Smithsonian Institution in the United States, the Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom, and the National Museum of Natural History in France—for the establishment of a National Natural History Museum, are making all-out efforts to attract the museum to the dinosaur egg fossil site.