The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, a 5.6-hectare ‘green lung’ overlooking Central District, is a conservation centre for 12 species of endangered mammals, birds and reptiles. The zoo is home to some 280 birds, 70 mammals and 30 reptiles.
Guided school visits to the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens let students learn more about animals and enhance their awareness of environmental protection.
More than 900 species of trees, shrubs, creepers and foliage thrive in the gardens. A herb garden was established in 1986 and a greenhouse in 1993. They hold about 500 species of herbs, orchids, ferns, bromeliads, and carnivorous and indoor plants.
An education and exhibition centre, completed in 2008, displays botanical and zoological specimens, and offers teaching facilities and guided visits.
Hong Kong Park, Kowloon Park, Tuen Mun Park and Yuen Long Park also feature zoological specimens.
Themed around wild animal habitats, ‘Zoo Education Exhibition 2013’ aimed to enhance public interest in animal ecology and boost awareness of nature conservation.
Highlights of the year included a Meet the Zookeepers event, held in December 2013 for the first time, which was very well received by members of the public. Over 200 visitors joined the activity. In February 2014, two Red-handed Tamarins arrived from Rostock Zoo in Germany for education and conservation purposes.
Zookeepers share their experience in primate care and animal conservation with visitors during a ‘Meet-the-Zookeepers’ session.
We have introduced a number of zoological and horticultural education programmes to raise public interest in conservation and green issues. Around 20 300 people participated in 423 zoological programmes in 2013-14, and around 25 000 took part in 404 horticultural programmes. Some 649 education programmes were organised for around 22 000 students.
During the year, the zoological and horticultural education exhibitions at Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens and Kowloon Park attracted around 5 500 and 9 000 visitors respectively. Roving exhibitions were held at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Hong Kong Park, Kowloon Park, Tai Po Waterfront Park, Tuen Mun Park, Yuen Long Park, North District Park and Lai Chi Kok Park, while 12 courses were conducted to educate the public about conservation issues. The encouraging feedback received attest to the success of these programmes.
Students enjoying a plant-growing demonstration at Kowloon Park.
Conservation courses provided opportunities for girl guides to get more knowledge about the bird collection at Kowloon Park.
The department is responsible for the management and maintenance of around 500 000 trees, including 349 registered Old and Valuable Trees (OVTs). Some 143 OVTs were handed over to other departments in accordance with the integrated approach as promulgated by the Development Bureau.
Since May 2010 the department has had a new and improved tree management manpower structure in place, with six regional tree teams set up to carry out tree management work more systematically and effectively. In 2013-14 the department continued to conduct regular inspections of the trees under its care, and carried out tree maintenance/trimming work on some 78 500 trees.
Staff removing a potentially dangerous Old and Valuable Tree for public safety reasons.
Around 1 400 trees were planted under the department’s tree-planting programme in 2013-14, mostly during the rainy season (March to October) to ensure stable growth. Some 59 per cent of these were planted in the New Territories, with the remainder planted in urban areas, including 800 along roadsides and 600 in parks and gardens. Among the trees planted, some 940 were flowering trees, including Bauhinia variegata, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Spathodea campanulata and Tabebuia chrysantha, characterised by bright seasonal colours.
As the department is responsible for improving the urban environment and the landscape in general, we keep our policies and guidelines updated by conducting research into the latest horticultural and arboricultural practices. We also periodically review our practices in order to maintain high standards in terms of our management and maintenance of community amenities.
As part of the effort to make Hong Kong greener, we closely monitor planting programmes in all districts, with the emphasis on preserving existing trees and nurturing new ones, including those planted on development sites. During the year, we successfully preserved more than 1 200 trees.
The department assists in vetting the landscape designs of various open and roadside spaces under development, including designs for the planters along the Central Kowloon Route, the Kai Tak Development, Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macao Bridge and the Greening Master Plan for the New Territories. We are also responsible for upgrading the design of existing open spaces and roadside amenities. In 2013-14, we enhanced the landscape design of about 20 hectares of existing open spaces, vacant government land and roadside amenities.
