(Hong Kong, 29 June 2013) Ocean Park and Green Council jointly held the first ever Green Hunt in celebration of Hong Kong Green Day (HKGD). Over one hundred university students, nearly one thousand Green Partners and tens of thousands of locals and tourists joined Mr. Shih Win-ching, Ms. Janet Ma and Ms. Candy Yuen in a series of finale events of Hong Kong Green Day, including the Hong Kong Green Day Closing Ceremony cum Green Hunt, and the award ceremony for the “Rethink” Green Life Photo Competition.
Dr. Allan Zeman, Chairman of Ocean Park, said, “Committed to connecting people with nature, Ocean Park further promoted nature conservation by joining Green Council in organising Hong Kong Green Day on 5 June as a uniquely local way of supporting World Environment Day, first initiated by the United Nations. Being Hong Kong People’s Park, we also took the opportunity to encourage our guests and our staff to join us in celebrating the month of June as Green Month. From June 5 to 30, Ocean Park has promoted Hong Kong Green Day through a number of initiatives, including park-wide display of HKGD posters, promotional videos and tip boards at locations such as retail shops and restaurants; announcements about HKGD during all animal narrations and entertainment shows; and presenting a souvenir to guests who supported not using plastic shopping bags and choosing low-carbon menu items. All these initiatives served to engage everyone in this meaningful event.”
Green Hunt – Orienteering for a Green Hong Kong
Ocean Park and Green Council hopes to take advantage of the Park’s verdant setting to remind the public of the importance of nature conservation through an orienteering competition entitled “Green Hunt”, which brought HKGD to a rousing conclusion. Over one hundred students from eight local higher educational institutions – all dressed in green with organic-cotton “We Love Green” Tees donated by Ocean Park and green caps – competed in the event. They had to race through seven attractions, including Polar Adventure, Emerald Trail, the Rainforest, Grand Aquarium, Old Hong Kong, Amazing Asian Animals and Whiskers Theatre, while completing three missions. Tens of thousands of guests witnessed this young generation of green supporters battle brains and brawn. After the competition, the participants all felt that the event was thoughtfully planned, giving them a better appreciation of how Ocean Park had designed all the attractions to convey to the public the importance of conservation and environmental protection. The winning team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology today got to enjoy “animal encounter” programmes sponsored by Ocean Park for an opportunity to meet with penguins and spotted seals up close.
Precious Species Animate Power to Rethink
Hong Kong Green Day aims to increase public awareness and interest regarding greater environmental responsibility and protection, as well as transforming Hong Kong into a greener community. Green Council organised the Rethink Green Life Photo Competition to inspire the public to reflect on “clothing”, “food”, “housing” and “transportation” and express a new vision of green life. Ocean Park was also invited to exhibit photographs of yellow seahorse, eyestripe surgeonfish, Hong Kong paradise fish, Hong Kong newt, green turtle, Eurasian eagle owl, red-whiskered bulbul, Monipora cup, horseshoe crab, and giant sea star. The photographs enabled the public to better understand how the survival of these precious local species is threatened by habitat degradation and over-catching.
With the conclusion of Hong Kong Green Day, Ocean Park and Green Council hopes the event helped the public understand the inextricable connection between conservation and everyday life, as well as inspired them to take action in their daily life to foster the development of Hong Kong as a green metropolis.
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