Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail is selected in the Charity Hike this year. It is not only an adventurous hiking trail but also an old trading route linking two settlements (Yuen Long & Tsuen Wan).  The journey is full of natural sceneries and historical features. Following the route with online supporting materials, participants would wander up and down along nature trail from Chai Wan Kok to Yuen Long. The hilltop Lookout at Shek Lung Kung will be soon approached. With 180 degree view of Hong Kong Island, Tsing Yi and Lantau, an unobstructed view of Tsing Ma Bridge and Victoria Harbour is unforgettable.

Due to the public gathering limit, we could not take part in the launching ceremony with hundreds of participants as in the previous years. Therefore the event period extends to 17 days, from 26 March to 11 April 2021.

Please support Green Sense Charity Hike 2021 by:

1. Join Green Sense Charity Hike 2021 (Chinese Event details can be viewed on http://greensense.org.hk/charityhike）【ENROLL NOW】

• Individual Participant: The minimum donation is $150 (Event Charm, TrailWatch Mobile 3 in 1 Lens and Gift Voucher pack)
• Individual donating $250 or more will be awarded Valued Gift Pack (Including Event Charm, Green Sense x Lockill Resuable Face Mask, TrailWatch Mobile 3 in 1 Lens and Gift Voucher pack)
• Company Team of 4 Participants: The minimum donation is HK$1000 (4 Valued Gift Packs and E-certificate will be issued for appreciation)

2. Make a donation 【Click here to make an online donation】

• If you cannot join the Charity Hike 2021, donations are also welcomed.

Route Preview:
Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail (Half): Tsuen Wan to Shum Tseng (~10km in 3 hours)
Chai Wan Kok at Allway Gardens → Shek Lung Kung Pavilion → Lin Fa Shan Public School Ruin → Ting Fu Tsai → Tsing Fai Tong → Sham Tsang
Reference: https://www.trailwatch.hk/?t=activities&rid=10212856

Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail (Full): Tsuen Wan to Tai Tong (~12.5km in 5.5 hours)
Chai Wan Kok at Allway Gardens → Shek Lung Kung Pavilion → Lin Fa Shan Public School Ruin →  Ting Fu Tsai → Tai Lam Country Park →  Tai Tong, Yuen Long
Reference: https://www.trailwatch.hk/?t=activities&rid=10212838

Please protect the countryside by “Leave No Trace” , hope we all can keep up with the green living and cherish the natural environment for our next generation.

Disclaimer, Terms and Conditions:

The organiser, its contractors and employees and representatives will not be responsible for any accidents or injuries to participants or spectators during the event.

Donation is non-refundable. The Organiser reserves the right to refuse entry to participants who declare false information on their application form, do not make the minimum donation, or fail to meet application requirements as stated.

The Seven Principles of “Leave No Trace” are as follow:

1. Plan ahead and be prepared

• Prior to hiking, conduct research concerning outdoor knowledge and skills needed

• Be well planned and ready for an offline map to reduce risks

• Protect nature to get back to its resilience state from not going to highly concentrated trails

• Prevent food waste and to bring sufficient food and water

2. Use the constructed trails only

• Do not create your own trail for excitement because this practice would destroy the vegetation cover and lead to surface runoff

• Use constructed hiking trails, try not to take shortcuts in order to minimize the distrubance to natural environments

• When there is no constructed trail, step on places that are more stable, such as rocks, hay, and stones

3. Picking up Trash

• Bring your own container for food and water. Do not bring food with excessive packaging just for your own convenience

• Take away your own trash and do not leave them in the wild

• Do not leave food waste in nature even they would be decomposed. Food exposed under the sun would result in hygienic concerns

• Bring a bag and a pair of gloves for picking up trash along the way under hygienic conditions

4. Leave the environment as the way it is

• Do not pick any flora in nature

• Do not create unnecessary marks in the environment

• Not to alter the habitat and cultural environment in a local context

• Do not take away anything

5. Avoid the use of fire

• Keep away from setting fire in places other than the suggested area, fire would leave permanent marks on the land

• Avoid smoking. Cigarette butts could potentially lead to forest fire that would harm plants and animals

• Prevent setting fire and use high efficient cookery and lighting tools, in order to lower the impacts to the environment

6. Respect Wildlife

• Starting off not to feed animals to leave their living habits unchanged

• Not to hurt, approach, or intervene with wildlife in nature

7. Be a considerate individual to other hikers

• Be polite to other hikers

• Avoid occupying a resting area for a long period of time

• Let hikers heading uphill go first if two individuals or groups are walking into one another from two directions

• Keep your voice low to ensure a quiet environment in the wild

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To receive more detailed and interesting  information regarding Hiking Etiquette, please follow our Facebook and Instagram page.

Green Sense also hosts shoreline cleaning and other outdoor activities occasionally.

The tour started at the Peak Galleria, we witnessed the problem of light pollution. After that, we walked along Harlech Road to Lung Fu Shan Country Park. Frogs, spiders, centipedes and other nocturnal animals were seen from time to time. We gained an insight on the characteristics of different amphibians, reptiles, various animals and plants.

Hong Kong is well known of its high density of skyscrapers, and is called “concrete jungle”. Yet, there are many natural creatures living right beside us, and all we have to do is to look around carefully. Green Sense hope that participants could understand the relationship of human and nature through this ecotour, as well as ponder on the balance and trade-off between urban development and natural environment.

There are about 40% of land area designated as country parks and special areas, which nurtured a vast diversity of flora and fauna. To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Country Parks,  all are welcome to join the celebration programmes, visiting by oneself is also not difficult.

Hiking Scheme (Leisure and Cultural Services Department): http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/healthy/hiking/index.html

Enjoy Hiking (Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department): http://hiking.gov.hk/eng/trail_list/type.htm

More photos of the events: https://flic.kr/s/aHskWUNMiY

Green Sense will be taking part in 1st July March this year again, like the previous 8 years, with our booths for promoting waste separation and recycling, as well as latest environmental news with green tips.

All are welcome to join us for:
1. Recycling plastic, paper and cans collected from the crowd
2. Promoting the message of “Save Our Country Parks”

The booths will be located at Causeway Bay and Wanchai (To be confirmed by the organizer)
We need dozens of volunteers to participate.
Here are the event details:

Date: 1st July 2017 (Saturday)
Time: 14:00-19:00
Dress code: outdoor sports wear (volunteer work vest will be provided)
Assembly: 14:00 Outside Exit B1 of Wan Chai MTR station
Online registration: goo.gl/wYX8y6
Please bring along:
1. Water bottle for drinking
2. Umbrella/raincoat and sunblock
3. Towel/handkerchief (use less tissue paper)
4. Adequate food

Note:
1. We welcome anyone over 15 years old who wish to participate.
2. Participants who are under 18 years old need to submit parents’ letter with signature. (The parents’ letter will be sent with confirmation email)

“Hands off our country parks!”

It’s time to show our determination in protecting Hong Kong country parks.

Let’s hike together this Sunday morning!

We hope that through this joint action, expressing a message to the Government and the public: “Losing One inch , Country Parks are lost”.

[Event Details]

Start Time: 9:00 am
Gathering point: Ma On Kong Warden Post
Itinerary: Ma On Kong Warden Post to the Lookout
(the Lookout to Kam Sheung Road Station~45 mins or back to the gathering point)
Difficulty: 3 Stars (5 is the hardest)
Endpoints: the Lookout
(the Lookout to Kam Sheung Road Station~45 mins or back to the gathering point)
Duration: 3 hours

[Note]

1).If the Hong Kong Observatory issues thunderstorm warning, typhoon signal No. 3 or above, Red or Black Rainstorm warning two hours before the start time, the event will be automatically cancelled.
2).Please bring your own drinks and adequate food, avoiding the use of disposable items.
3.) Please don’t leave any litter in country parks.
4). Bring umbrellas and natural insect repellent.
5). Activities do not include insurance, please beware your own personal safety.

More about the event: https://goo.gl/sYZ1Hn

Green Groups Joint Statement: in response to the Government’s invitation to Hong Kong Housing Society to study housing development in Country Parks
No progress on the broad consensus of “brownfield first”
Taking country parks is against public will
The study is not neutral but with assumptions
Stop the study immediately to avoid unnecessary conflict

(19 May 2017) There were great objections from green groups and the public back in January 2017 when the chief executive CY Leung said he already directed government departments to investigate the development of country parks. It is now even confirmed that the Hong Kong Housing Society will study two potential sites in the country park for public housing and elderly home development. Green groups criticise the government for ignoring opposition voices in society and other feasible counter proposals. This study is clearly against the public will.

A broad consensus was reached in using New Territories brownfields (estimated to be about 1,200 hectares in area), abandoned urban barracks and golf courses first for our developments, yet the Government has been reluctant to review and develop these lands. Obviously, there are areas more suitable for development, but elders and people queuing for public housings were instead “taken hostage” by the Government for the commission of the so-called feasibility study which in fact is the destruction of country parks. This is completely unacceptable.

Moreover, the two potential sites with exact locations (i.e. next to Tai Lam tunnel and Shui Chuen O Estate) and areas (each of around 20 hectares) indicate that in-depth discussions were already held within the Government, while this so-called “feasibility study” is just a cover up. The “study” is actually to promote the idea of development of country parks, thus it is not neutral but with assumptions and hidden agenda.

The purpose of country parks is to prevent over-urbanization of the city and to protect the natural environment. Large areas of country parks is an important highlight of Hong Kong. Every one of them has their own unique location, landscape, environment and ecology, and also has social functions in tourism, urban planning and well-being of society. “Low ecological value” is inadequate to determine if country parks can be developed or not, whereas “the development potential of land” should not be used as an excuse for the development of country parks.

The planning objective is wrong to propose country park development when existing formed land such as brownfields and barracks are not fully utilized. Land supply without limits to meet the never ending demand cannot solve our housing problem. There is a need for an appropriate and comprehensive population policy and housing demand management policy. Destroyed habitats cannot be restored and country parks, which Hong Kong people are proud of, should not be sacrificed in this way. We urge the Government to stop the study immediately to avoid further tearing of society.

 Co-signing organizations (In alphabetical order): 

Association for Geoconservation, Hong Kong,
Designing Hong Kong,
Environmental Life Science Society, SS, HKUSU
Friends of the Earth(HK)
Friends of Hoi Ha
Friends of Tai Long Wan
Green Lantau Association
Green Peace East Asia
Green Power
Green Sense
Greeners Action
HK350
hkwildlife.net
Lantau Buffalo Association
Living Islands Movement
Save Lantau Alliance
The Conservancy Association
The Green Earth
The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society
Trailwatch

Objection to Developing Country Parks and the Adjustment Mechanism

Make Use of Brownfield Sites, Military Camps and Spare Land

The Chief Executive Mr. CY Leung told the media that he has instructed relevant departments to conduct a study on developing country parks. Green Groups are furious and strongly opposed to this, as the public has already voiced opposition to the development of country parks.  However, the government still insists on doing so and, furthermore, devotes more resources to this, deliberately leading to conflict within our community.

In fact, there is still a lot of land available for development in Hong Kong. The housing shortage problem has originated from “Uneven Distribution”. Over the years, the government has avoided reviewing the “Small House Policy” (land designated for New Territories Exempted Houses), unused Military Camps and Brownfield sites. These are the main reasons for the present situation.   Moreover, the government has failed to address the problem of vacant housing units and private flats used for investment and speculation purposes, falsely presenting the situation as a “lack of land”. As there are other land resource options, it is totally unacceptable for the government to use the welfare of the elderly as an excuse for developing country parks.

Country Parks are important features and treasures in Hong Kong. Apart from the environmental value of preserving our precious ecology, they are also well-known for eco-tourism, community enjoyment (for public recreation) and even have a role to play in urban planning (for preventing over-expansion of the urban areas). Country parks are also important water catchment areas, which allow rainwater to flow into surrounding reservoirs. Furthermore, trees in country parks can absorb carbon dioxide and offset some of the greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, which relieves global warming.

Mr. CY Leung pointed out that low ecological parts of country parks can be developed. We totally disagree with his claims. All the plants, flowers and birds in the country parks have their own meaning and value to the natural environment. Ecological value cannot be measured in objective criteria. He further suggested the “Adjustment Mechanism” in Country Parks, which we consider to be “weasel words” designed to mislead the public about conservation. The geographical location, the terrain, environment and the ecology of each existing country park are unique and should not be replaced by any excuses. The exchange of another “new” country park area is totally a mistake.

Mr. CY Leung hasn’t made good use of brownfield sites, military campsites or spare land before advocating the development of country park borders. Hong Kong’s housing problem could also be solved not just by finding land but also by controlling housing demand through a population policy. Once the natural environment is destroyed, it cannot be restored to what it was before. Therefore, the government should not develop our country parks, which are the pride of Hong Kong people.

Co-sign Parties (Alphabetical Order)

Ark Eden

Association for Geoconservation, Hong Kong

Clean The Air

Designing Hong Kong

Environmental Life Science Society, SS, HKUSU

Friends of the Earth (HK)

Friends of Hoi Ha

Friends of Tai Long Wan

Greeners Action

Green Community

Green Lantau Association

Green Peace East Asia

Green Power

Green Sense

HKWildlife.net

Hong Kong Bird Watching Society

Living Islands Movement

Range Education Centre

The Conservancy Association

The Green Earth

Society of Hong Kong Nature Explorers Kong Nature Explorers