SEN officiates at opening ceremony of Youth Internship Programme at Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan (with photos)
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     The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, today (July 18) officiated at the opening ceremony of the Youth Internship Programme at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan.

     The Youth Internship Programme at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan was funded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and co-organised by the Ocean Park Corporation. It recruited youths from Hong Kong and Guangdong Province to participate in a six-week internship programme, during which the young people will be provided with professional training to enhance their understanding of nature conservation and ecotourism development. The programme is one of the major celebration programmes of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Wong welcomed the youths to participate in the programme. He expressed the hope that they could equip themselves with knowledge and apply what they learn from the programme by joining efforts to conserve the natural environment.

     In the afternoon, Mr Wong visited the Museum of Nature and Earthquake in Wolong and was briefed by museum staff on the reconstruction work of Wolong after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake as well as the natural resources and biodiversity of the Qionglai Mountains region to understand more about the conservation of various precious and endangered species in the region.

     Mr Wong later visited the China Giant Panda Garden. The Garden is the base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in the Wolong National Nature Reserve. As the flagship project among the HKSAR-funded reconstruction projects in Wolong, the Garden is the world's largest panda rearing, breeding and research centre, as well as the world's first transitional wilderness training centre for giant pandas. It was also awarded a 3-Star Rating, the highest rating, under the Chinese Green Building Evaluation Label.

     Mr Wong will visit Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu tomorrow morning (July 19) to view its unique design in blending conserved historical buildings and commercial facilities. The project received a Gold rating for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Neighborhood Development and achieved a Chinese Green Building Evaluation Label 2-Star Rating. He will conclude his visit and return to Hong Kong on the same day.

Ends/Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:49

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