Participants’ previous experience with AWC ranged from ‘hardened veteran’ to ‘complete novice’ category, but, by the end of the three days of classroom and field learning, everyone came away having learned something new, and, just as important, having met like-minded enthusiasts and strengthened their own vision of the importance of participating in the AWC.

Classroom sessions covered the basics of waterbird ecology, including the amazing life cycle of migratory waterbirds, many of which may clock up half a million air miles during their lifetimes; waterbird identification; and the practicalities of carrying out AWC counts.

Field trips gave participants plenty of opportunity to apply what they had been learning in the classroom, taking field notes and then identifying birds using field guides, becoming proficient at telling a sandpiper from a plover by watching feeding behaviour, and conducting accurate counts of all waterbird species at a site, as well as filling out AWC Site and Count forms. Field visits encompassed a variety of habitats, including coastal sandflats at Kuala Baram, freshwater lakes at Senadin, near Miri, and coastal lagoons at Seria in Brunei.

At the end of the course, participants received certificates of completion of the training, as well as a number of books and other resources supplied by Wetlands International and the Malaysian Nature Society. Many participants were making plans to be involved in the 2010 AWC, and registered their details with the relevant National Coordinator.