View of Lake Utonai

Lake Utonai is situated at the foot of Mt. Tarumae, where the slope of the mou ntain meets Yufutsu Plain in eastern Tomakomai, on the lower reaches of the Bi bi River, which originates in Chitose. The fresh-water lake covers 230 ha of the 510 ha wetland, and its average depth is only 0.5 to 0.6 meters.

　On December 12, 1991, Lake Utonai was designated as the third internationally protected wetland in Hokkaido and the fourth in Japan.

　Lake Utonai is adjacent to an urban area in central Hokkaido. It is also close to the Shikotsu-Tarumae volcanic foothills and the sea. It is extremely valuable as a freshwater lake with a diverse natural environment which includes dunes, volcanic ash wilderness, hilly forests and wetlands surrounding rivers, lakes and marshes. It also has great biodiversity and in 1981, in recognition of its role as a relay point for migratory birds, the lake was designa ted by the Wild Bird Society of Japan as the nation's first bird sanctuary.

　During the migratory seasons in spring and autumn, whooper swans, whistling swans, white-fronted geese, bean geese, pintails, mallards and other wild geese and ducks arrive at the lake. In summer, the lake becomes a major breeding place for wild birds such as yellow-breasted buntings, Siberian rubythroats, common cuckoos, Schrenck's reed warblers, black-faced buntings, long-tailed rose finches and grasshopper warblers. More than 250 species of wild birds , including land birds in the surrounding area, have been observed in the sanctuary.

　The Bibi, Tokisatamappu, Otarumappu and other rivers flow into Lake Utonai. While its surroundings consist mainly of low moors covered in reeds and sedges, it is also dotted with shrubs such as Spiraea salicifolia and Lonicera caerulea, as well as broad-leaved trees, including alders, Quercus mongolica and willows. In the southeastern area, where dunes are surrounded by trees, mountain plants such as Halenia corniculata and Euphrasia maximowiczii can be found. Beach plants such as sweet brier, Arabis stelleri, Linaria japonica and Carex caryophyllea, and alpine plants such as Pentstemon frutescens, Polygonum weyrichii, Cladonia stellaris and Polytrichum piliferum coexist here. Some 446 species of higher plants and over 60 species of bryophyte and lichens have been found in this area.

Lake Utonai in winter

　Such a diversified environment allows the existence of large numbers and many types of insects, particularly aquatic insects and ground beetles. Approximately 3,800 species of insects have been found in the area.

Tenth Anniversary of the Designation of Kushiro-shitsugen as a National Park

Awards ceremony for exhibition of paintings and essays on wetlands commemorati ng tenth anniversary of establishment of Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park

It has been 10 years since Kushiro-shitsugen was designated as the 28th national park in Japan on July 31, 1987. The Kushiro-shitsugen Liaison Association and the Environment Agency are thus conducting a project to commemorate the 10th anniversary, with the participation of local residents, to promote people's awareness of the need for the conservation of the environment, which was initially raised by the designation of the national park, and to promote wetland conservation and desired utilization in the future. 　This commemorative project, which includes many events such as nature observation and registration of child rangers, will last till the end of this year. On July 31, the day of designation exactly 10 years earlier, a symposium entitled "Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park in Its 10th Year and Its Future" was held at the Kushiro Tourism & International Relations Center. 　Following a commemorative ceremony at 4:30 p.m., singer-songwriter Rambo Minami gave a keynote speech at 6:00 p.m. Then a panel discussion featuring specialists on erosion-control engineering and economics, a travel agent, a volunteer ranger and an administrative officer was held at 7:00 p.m., with Dr. Tsujii, KIWC Technical Committee Chairman, serving as the coordinator. 　The hall was packed with approximately 300 local residents who listened enthusiastically to the presentations and suggestions of the panelists and discussed problems and future perspectives for wetland conservation. In the second hall, a wetland photo exhibition by professional photographers, an exhibition of paintings and essays by local elementary and junior high school students, and a poster session of nature conservation groups were held. The anniversary events were a great collective success.

Secretariat,

Kushiro-shitsugen Liaison Association