UNDER a green canopy in Qingpu’s “Little Amazon of Shanghai,” a kayaker glides through quiet, reed-lined waterways. In the morning mist on Chongming Island, walkers view the once nearly extinct Père David’s deer. In Pudong, birdwatchers photograph winged migrators on a stopover.

Nature reserves like these are part of Shanghai’s growing effort to blend city life with abundant wetland resources shaped by millennia of river silt and human adaptation.

“Wetlands are Shanghai’s ecological backbone,” said Chen Lin, director of the Urban Planning and Design Institute’s rural branch, who led a recent survey of citywide wetlands. “They’re natural sponges, outdoor classrooms and sanctuaries for both wildlife and people.”

The city, according to the latest recent survey, has more than 6,300 square kilometers devoted to wetlands — 65 percent of them coastal, 32 percent rural and 3 percent urban ecosystems.

The reserves include marshes, paddy fields, tidal flats, lakes, rivers and city ponds. Many are areas once overlooked or exploited, but now celebrated as vital organs in the city’s ecological body.

Shanghai’s planning authority has pledged strict protection of nearly a third of critical wetland areas, while opening about 40 percent for controlled recreation, eco-tourism and sustainable agriculture.

Chen said the idea is not to fence nature off, but rather to weave it into everyday life.

One of the most striking features of wetlands is their appeal to migratory birds. Every winter, tens of thousands of them land in the tidal marshes of Chongming’s Dongtan National Nature Reserve, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site last year.

Species like hooded cranes and spoonbills use the wetlands as a crucial stopover on the East Asian-Australasian flyway. More than 300 bird species have been recorded at the Dongtan reserve, including 19 under first-tier national protected status and 59 under second-class protection.

Among those captivated by the reserve’s biodiversity is Liam John Davey, a British teacher with a bilingual school on the island.

“I feel like a gardener here,” Davey said, noting that the quiet, green environment reminds him of his childhood days by Britain’s coastline. “There are birds everywhere and it’s amazing.”

In Xincun Township of Chongming, Shanghai has created its first habitat for wild Père David’s deer in a wetland area designed for species recovery and biodiversity enhancement. The deer, named after a French missionary and indigenous to China, were once hunted to the verge of extinction. Their return marks a milestone in rewilding efforts and genetic conservation.

“The deer need very specific wetland conditions to survive,” said Qiu Jixin, deputy director of the township’s Urban Operations Center. “The fact that we see strong, healthy adults and newborns every year shows that this environment suits them well.”

The deer are monitored by GPS as they roam reed marshes, mudflats and seasonal fields planted with rice and forage crops. The presence has attracted various other wildlife, including egrets, frogs, snakes and small mammals.

In Qingpu District, the waterways in Dianhu Village — called the “Little Amazon of Shanghai” — are magnets for young urbanites seeking a tranquil respite from city bustle.

Xu Han, a local resident, discovered the area while paddle boarding in 2019. He later opened a kayak club beside the village river, then a Thai restaurant near the dock.

“We wanted people to paddle, relax and enjoy a meal in a natural wetland,” said Xu.

In the nearby town of Fengjing, British landscape architect Lee Parks helped revive an ancient dike-and-pond system known as weitian (圩田) in Xinyuan Village and even wrote a song for the restoration project.

“I love Xinyuan Village,” he said. “It is my Shanghai-style fantasy of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.”

Families there still keep boats by their homes, echoing decades-old traditions of paddling through the waterways. The village’s water-bound layout remains consistent with Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) schematics, showcasing centuries of hydraulic engineering.

The area also cultivates traditional aquatic crops like water caltrop, arrowhead and water shield.

Even closer to downtown Shanghai, the Expo Riverside Wetland in Pudong is home to herons in a green corridor along the Huangpu River.

In Changning District, a 15-square-meter micro-wetland sits in the middle of a dense residential zone. Part of an UN-recognized biodiversity project, the Habitat Garden supports frogs, hedgehogs and even shy raccoon dogs. It shows how even pocket-sized nature can thrive in the city.

Wetlands are vital to Shanghai’s survival and sustainability, said Professor Wang Xiangrong, director of the Urban Ecological Planning and Design Research Center at Fudan University.

“Coastal wetlands act as natural buffers,” Wang explained. “They help protect the city from typhoons, storm surges and saltwater intrusion.”

Wetlands also provide critical habitat for migratory birds, which are “indicators of environmental quality,” he said. “Even micro-wetlands in the city play a big role. They act like sponges and stabilize the ecosystem.”

Despite all the progress of nature reserves, pollution, invasive species and illegal dumping remain threats. Still, Shanghai is undeterred in its plans to establish a citywide wetland system that balances ecological protection with urban recreation by 2030.

Sun Shan, deputy director of Shanghai’s Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, said the city’s wetlands strategy must balance protection with development.

“We need to respect natural systems and apply precise, zone-based strategies,” she said, adding that coastal wetlands act as climate buffers while urban micro-wetlands boost biodiversity and water absorption.

Sun called for minimal intervention in river wetlands to preserve the natural purification and low-impact recreation, and the deputy director highlighted the importance of wetlands on the edge of rural fields to reduce agricultural pollution and offer leisure areas to local residents.