Eddie Provencher wasn’t always interested in bird watching. It took an eco-tour of the demilitarized zone along Koreas’ border in 2009 to make him realize that not only were there many interesting birds to see in nature, but that the urban areas of Korea were also alive with birds.

“Birds are everywhere, so you don’t need to go anywhere to observe them,” says Provencher. “You just need to look around yourself and listen.”

Although Seoul is a sprawl of urban mass, there is still wildlife and many natural areas in and surrounding the city that are easy to observe or visit and a good way to escape the concrete jungle.

Many enjoy hiking the nearby mountains or bird watching around the Han River. 

The Seoul City government has planned to complete the building of eight eco-parks around the river incorporating the natural wetlands by 2014. Three of these (Amsa, Gangseo and Godeok) are already great draws for bird watchers and nature lovers. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, several of these spots have specially built bird-watching observation platforms that are good for seeing many of the avian varieties throughout the year.

There are around 250 bird species recorded in Seoul, according to professor Choi Chang-yong of Jeju National University’s Wildlife Rescue Center and contributor to “A Field Guide to the Birds of Korea.” He adds that more could be added to the list as surveys in the forested environments of the city are counted. Of these, 150 are around the Han River area and its tributaries.

“There are always more bird species around you than the number that you expect,” says Choi. “Varied Tits (Parus varius), Yellow-throated Buntings (Elegant Bunting, Emberiza elegans), Black-naped Orioles (Oriolus chinensis), Vinous-throated Parrotbills (Paradoxornis webbiana), Blue-and-white Flycatchers (Cyanoptila cyanomelana) and Black-capped Kingfishers (Halcyon pileata) are common and attractive species for domestic and foreign people to watch in and around Seoul.”

The best time for beginning bird-watchers is the winter, according to professor Choi, because that’s the migration season and many large waterfowl are easily spotted then. But he adds that small migratory birds can be seen in the spring and autumn months.

“Bird watching or other field activities for learning about nature and living things also give broad perspectives on environments,” says Choi. “The ‘environment’ for urban people usually means traffic jams, noise, smell, trash and so on. I hope that people in urban areas would recognize that there are living wild birds and animals even around them in cities as well as in rural areas and that much of the wildlife in Korea continues their lives in spite of many anthropogenic threats and disturbances.”

Hiking around the city’s surrounding mountains is also a popular activity to get back to nature from the urban environment.

There are numerous hiking clubs to join and more intrepid hikers can easily go it alone.

Kim Chang-ae founded the Seoul Hiking Club in 1998 with three other Korean friends. “I think that hiking in the mountains is one of the best sports to keep healthy and also one of the best ways to relax after heavy office work,” says Kim. “Seoul is a huge metropolis and offers only limited green parks, hence the citizens need to have access to breathe some fresh air in nature and enjoy the beautiful view of the mountains with friends and family.” The club hikes every Saturday and has now grown to over 300 members.

Provencher, an American English teacher who lived in Daegu prior to moving to Seoul, thinks the natural areas in and around Seoul are very easily accessible. “Mount Bukhan National Park is a gem and is located on the edge of the city. Mount Surak is another good one. As far as the country is concerned, mountains are everywhere and provide people with a place to escape the city. The national, provincial and county parks that I’ve visited have been, for the most part, really well managed,” he says.

Many of the mountains surrounding the city of 11 million, however, are too close by and are often crowded on the weekends.

“Korea may need some degree of limitation in order to protect and preserve its nature. The parks are quite cultivated and unnatural, less cultivation would be more attractive,” says Kim.

Professor Choi agrees that human intervention in natural environments more than often leads to more detrimental and damaging effects.

“Most eco-parks built recently are in fact human-friendly. The access to some natural areas has been increased through the construction and establishment of facilities, and people may have more chance to meet some wild animals and birds,” says Choi.

“However, most of those facilities are not for wild animals, and the habitat loss and degradation in Korea is notoriously and terribly threatening the birds’ survival worldwide.” Choi cites the Saemangeum Reclamation and Four River Restoration Projects as man-made changes to natural areas that have alienated migrating and nesting bird species locations.

But Choi is hopeful that the more access to natural environments people have, the more aware they’ll be about the importance of its protection.

“By watching birds in the field, people can realize what is happening in nature, how people destroy lives of wild animals, why we should coexist with wildlife and why we conserve habitats.” (Yonhap News)