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The following is issued on behalf of the Islands District Council:
More than 300 residents, students, teachers and volunteers planted 6,000 native seedlings at a tree planting event on Nei Lak Shan in Ngong Ping today (April 25) to improve the ecological environment of Islands District.
The activity "Islands District Healthy City Tree Planting Festival -- Green Lantau" was organised by the Islands District Healthy City Working Group under the Tourism, Agriculture, Fisheries and Environmental Hygiene Committee of the Islands District Council, in support of the World Health Organisation's World Health Day 2010 and the United Nations' International Year of Biodiversity 2010. It aimed to improve the ecological environment, enhance plant diversity, increase public awareness of environmental protection and encourage residents to participate in greening work.
After a ceremony officiated by guests including the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, more than 200 volunteers from different organisations and nearly 100 secondary school students and teachers planted seedlings on a 7,800-square-metre plot of land on Nei Lak Shan. The officiating guests also visited the planting venue to support the participants.
Participants were offered a free ride on Ngong Ping 360 cable car from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping Village where they hiked to the planting venue on Nei Lak Shan. Apart from taking part in the greening activity, participants could also enjoy the picturesque scenery of Tung Chung and Ngong Ping.
The activity was co-organised by the Islands District Office, the Conservancy Association and Ngong Ping 360 Limited.
Other officiating guests included District Officer (Islands), Mr Byron Lam; Vice-chairman of Islands District Council, Ms Chau Chuen-heung; Managing Director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Mr Andrew Kam; General Manager of Sino Group Property Management, Mr Kwan Chi-wah; Manager (Projects) of Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation Limited, Mr Patrick Siu; Regional Relations Manager of CLP, Mr Steve Au; Managing Director of Ngong Ping 360 Limited, Mr Li Yun-tai; and Director of the Conservancy Association, Mr Hung Wing-tat.
Ends/Sunday, April 25, 2010
Issued at HKT 13:02
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