South Korea to train visually impaired natural heritage experts using birdsong

South Korea will launch its first natural heritage expert training program designed specifically for visually impaired participants.

The Cultural Heritage Administration is accepting applications from Monday through June 21 for the program, titled "Visually Impaired Natural Heritage Expert Training — I Can Be a Natural Heritage Expert Too." The program aims to expand visually impaired participation in the natural heritage field and develop specialized personnel.

The program is designed to enable visually impaired participants to take part directly in natural heritage investigation and conservation activities. Participants will learn about the value and significance of natural heritage, the ecology of natural monument bird species, the characteristics of birdsong, and how to identify species by their calls. The curriculum will draw on audio materials including voiced field guides from the "Natural Monument Bird Ecology Guide" produced for visually impaired users, recorded by volunteer contributors selected through a public competition last year.

After the program concludes, the Cultural Heritage Administration will evaluate graduates on their birdsong identification skills and comprehension of course content, then select top performers to participate in the "avian acoustic monitoring data analysis" component of the administration's 2026 regular survey project on natural monument animal species.

The four-session program will run from July through August in Seoul and Daejeon. Applications are open on a first-come, first-served basis — capped at 50 participants — through the Cultural Heritage Administration's website or Neolgeunmaeul, the information and communication platform of the Korea Blind Union, from Monday through June 21. Applicants may choose their preferred city and session schedule, and the administration will confirm final placements through individual phone consultations.

"We expect this program to provide visually impaired individuals with opportunities to participate in natural heritage conservation and to help realize the social value of fostering inclusive natural heritage talent," the Cultural Heritage Administration said, adding that it would continue to pursue heritage policies that bring everyone together.