The 26th Caretakers of
the Environment
International Conference
1–7 July 2012
Masstricht, The Netherlands
Theme: Sustainability in Cross-border Partnership
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Contents
About the Organizations
UNESCO Hong Kong Association p.3
Caretakers of the Environment International and Hong Kong Branch p.4
The 26th
Caretakers of the Environment International Conference
Learning Programmes & Past CEI Conferences p.5
Keynote Speech p.6
Participation Schools
Baptist Wing Lung Secondary School p.7-p.10
Ching Chung Hau Po Woon Secondary School p.11-p.15
Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College p.16-p.20
Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association Secondary School p.21-p.25
Highlights p.26
Acknowledgement p.27
2013 Caretakers of the Environment International Conference p.28
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UNESCO HK is dedicated to facilitating and achieving UNESCO's mission, creating
dialogues among civilizations, cultures and peoples based upon respect for commonly
shared values for sustainable development.
UNESCO HK Mission:
“Promoting sustainable development and international exchanges through education,
sciences and culture”
UNESCO HK objectives:
Upholding the mission and objectives of UNESCO
Launching programmes and activities in accordance with UNESCO objectives
Leveraging Hong Kong's technology and talents to best support its long-term
development as well as that in Mainland China
Strengthening Hong Kong's role in international affairs and activities
UNESCO Hong Kong Association
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An international organization which aims to promote sustainable development
education for youth
A global network of secondary school teachers and students active in environmental
education
To develop a worldwide network of secondary school students and teachers who
share environmental concerns and who are proactive in environmental challenges.
To develop strategies which enable delegates to act as ambassadors for CEI in their
own countries.
CEI (Hong Kong) is a fully recognized regional branch of CEI. It is affiliated to
UNESCO Hong Kong Association.
It aims:
To promote sustainable development education for youth
To facilitate joint educational projects that encourage international exchange and
interdisciplinary activities
To promote environmental awareness and stimulate environmental education in
schools
To share successful and innovative environmental educational education
programmes
To develop local, regional, national and international environmental education
networks of teachers and pupils who share environmental concerns and who face
environmental challenges
Caretakers of the Environment International (CEI)
CEI Hong Kong Branch
Committee Members
Chairman Professor T. S. Chan BBS Vice President UNESCO Hong Kong Association
Vice Chairman Dr. H. S. Tsoi MH
Vice Chairman & Hon Treasurer
Ms. Karen Zhang Vice President & Secretary General
UNESCO Hong Kong Association
Mrs. Mitzi Leung Vice President UNESCO Hong Kong Association
Hon Secretary Mr. Leo CF Wong
Member Mr. Chan Wing Kwong, Daniel
Member Ms. Lau Sau Yin
Member Mr. Tam Yat Yuk
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Year Country2000 Sweden2001 South Africa2002 Italy2003 Kenya2004 Greece2005 United States2006 Poland2007 Hong Kong, China2008 Denmark2009 Scotland2010 Indonesia2011 Hungary2012 Holland
Year Country1987 Holland1988 Spain1989 United States1990 England1991 Peru1992 Portugal1993 Canada1994 Scotland1995 Russia1996 Holland1997 Israel1998 Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland1999 Costa Rica
Ceremonies
Workshops
Learning Programmes
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Keynote Speech
Ignace Schops
The Goldman Environmental Prize
Grassroot Environmentalists
Countdown 2010 Ambassador
ASHOKA fellow
Think Globally, Act Locally, Change Personally
Think Globally
Young environmental leaders should
prepare themselves for a future world
with a forecasted population of about 9
billion by 2050
Every 13 minutes we are losing a specie
Human beings are responsible for
climate changes
Global awareness as this havoc cannot
go on forever
Sustainable development strategies to
revive the planet with healthy
ecosystems and enriched biodiversity
Act Locally
Projects can solve global
problems, for example, the
establishment of a large
local cycling network can
cut out expensive airfares
and less carbon emissions
Strategy—L.A.T.T.E.
L---LOCAL
A—AUTHENTIC
T—TRUSTWORTHY
T—TRACEABLE
E--ETHICAL
Change Personally
Our attitude towards nature protection and biodiversity should change from 'NIMBY'
which means' not in my backyard, please' to 'PIMBY', which means, 'please come to my
backyard', ie. from aloofness to participation and cooperation
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Group Presentation
Our Promotional Banner (simulation)
Our Promotional Banner (in real form)
Topic: The Use of leftover
What is zero waste?
Eliminate all the waste coming from the consumption of resources and manage resources
so they do not end up in the garbage.
In order to achieve zero waste, we have to Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.
Sustainability of leadership
Develop and install a system of teaching students in leadership
Teach students positive leadership habits
Baptist Wing Lung Secondary School
Reduce
Encourage students to
choose the suitable
quantity of food to
cut down on kitchen
waste
Cut down on buffet
Re-cook leftover food
for consumption
Reduce the wastage
of food
Recycle
Turn leftover into
organic fertilizer by
using the Food Waste
Decomposer
Farming in our school
organic farmland
Reuse
Reuse used
cooking oil to
make organic
soap
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Group project summary
Our project is “The use of leftovers”. This project is to introduce the use of
leftovers. Nowadays, many restaurants and companies and even households leave
behind a large amount of kitchen waste in their everyday meal. We produced tons of
food waste in such a small place every day. Do you have any idea where the leftovers
will eventually end up? Landfills? The ocean? Yes, mostly. We saw on the news that the
landfills in Hong Kong are almost full. In a few more years, there will be no land to
hold our waste. That is actually terrifying news for us. This is a serious problem for all
Hong Kong people, and we have to find a solution. We can put that waste to good use.
We can turn our leftover food waste into products such as organic soap and organic
fertilizer. Organic soap cleans as well as most detergents. And for the organic fertilizer,
it is good news to the farmer because the leftover can actually be turned into
high-quality fertilizer. Organic fertilizer is used to improve soil quality, and helps to
grow organic fruit and vegetables. This can benefit everyone because we can have fresh
organic food. It also suits the principle of sustainable development. Reusing food waste
will relieve space in the landfills and release more land for environmentally friendly
projects. To cater the theme of the conference, we invited the delegation from USA to
work with us as a project partner. Their project is “ Is zero waste possible?”. They are
researching the reduction of waste and we are looking into the use of waste. Therefore,
our projects have a lot in common.
We followed the principle of the 3R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. First, let's start
with Reduce. We know we can reduce and manage the amount of waste resulting from
the consumption of resources so that they do not end up in the garbage. That is why
we encourage students in our school to choose the quantity of food most suited to their
requirement so as to reduce the amount of kitchen waste. For the same reason we should
reduce having buffet and recook leftover food. We had produced a logo and related
slogan to promote this. We have also promoted the “Reduce” part of the programme and
the production of organic fertilizer in our school.
Eat less is safe,
use less is great
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Secondly, Reuse. We have turned used oil (especially cooked and fried) into organic
soap.
The following ingredients are necessary for the making of organic soap.
Ingredients:
145g sodium hydroxide
390ml water
1000ml used oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vinegar
Steps:
1. Filter the oil
2. Mix well together the water, sugar, salt and vinegar
3. Dissolve sodium hydroxide in water
!! CAUTION !!
During this process, chemical reaction will release severe heat(about 90℃) so we
need to be very careful
4. Mix the solution with the oil, stirring constantly for 12 minutes
5. Products should be kept for 2 months to ensure the soap is stiff enough and pH
value is appropriate for use
There are a lot of advantages of using organic soap. It cleans as well as any
detergent. It can also reduce the amount of rubbish, ease the water pollution problem
and cut down on environmental destruction because organic soap does not contain any
harmful chemical substance.
Thirdly, Recycle. We turned the leftover into organic fertilizer in the Food Waste
Decomposer and then used it on our school's farmland. On April 26, we collected
food waste from the students at lunch time. We put the leftover into the Food Waste
Decomposer for 24 hours and turned it into organic fertilizer. There are many
advantages to using organic fertilizer which can diminish the number of destructors
and cut down on the amount of rubbish.
We promoted organic soap in the Hong Kong
Baptist Convention Primary School. We held a
workshop there, introducing and teaching their
students and parents on the making of organic soap.
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Selected Individual Reflection
Lam Lai Ho, Andy
Actually, this trip is the first time that I travelled outside Hong Kong and I felt
anxious. Luckily, my friends kept me company, and I enjoyed the trip.
On the first day, when I arrived at Stayokay Hostel, I did not feel very
comfortable, as this is an unfamiliar place to me. I missed my home so much. Another
thing that shocked me shocked was that there was no meat for our meals. This was so
sudden for me.
We had two rounds of presentations and a
Cultural Night on the third day. I felt uneasy with
the audience when I was giving my presentation
because I have never met so many foreigners at the
same time. Fortunately, the whole process went very
smoothly. Cultural night was another highlight of the
trip. All the countries showed their talents during the
events, including singing, dancing and other special
performances. The atmosphere was electric!
The activity that impressed me most was the field trip. I went to St. Peter’s Hill.
Our group first went up hill. Along the path, I saw such beautiful views of the
countryside. Then, we went to an underground cave, which was used during the
Second World War. Inside, there were 6000 passageways! What a big cave! As the
structure was so complicated one could easily get lost if he did not follow the tour
guide. Therefore, everyone followed the guide carefully. Also, it was extremely cold
there. I felt like I was the North Pole! At dinner time, all the participants went to
three-country’s point—Vaals, to have dinner together. I still remember the food was a
bit spicy.
In this trip, the most important lesson was not how many friends you made or
how much you learned. It was the process of discovering and experiencing. You have
to enjoy the whole event to gain new knowledge, not on the materialistic level but on
the spiritual level. Your attitude determines your altitude.
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Group presentation
Hong Kong is situated on the southeast coast of China at the mouth of the Pearl
River facing the South China Sea. Covering an area of 1,104 square kilometers, Hong
Kong is just a tiny city next to Mainland China. In this project, we introduce the
treasure at the border of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong National Geo Park.
Hong Kong Geopark is a unique natural areas with special geological
significance, natural and cultural landscapes. It was officially nominated as the
member of the National Geopark of China in November 2009. Then, it was accepted
as a member of the Global Geopark Network , which is supported by the UNESCO,
and renamed as Hong Kong Global Geopark of China in September 2011.
As we needed to find out more information about the Hong Kong National
Geopark, we joined a local field trip to Tung Ping Chau and Kat O in May, 2012.
Tung Ping Chau and Kat O are two distinctive places among the eight areas of the
Hong Kong Geopark. They are close to the border of Hong Kong, so we can find
many economic, social and environmental issues taking place between Hong Kong
and the Mainland.
Tung Ping Chau is famous for its’ youngest rock sedimentary strata. There are a
lot of unique coastal landscapes formed by wave abrasion. Kat O used to be a
crowded fishing village in the past, but many people had left the island already.
However, the quiet fishermen village turns into a popular tourist spot. Every weekend
many visitors will visit the place and enjoy the natural environment there. There are
restaurants, shops and teahouses along the Kat O Main Street. There is also a
Geoheritage Centre, where different rock specimens are displayed together with the
information about the history and culture of Kat O.
Kat O is a unique island as it is at the border of
Hong Kong, so we can see the Yantian International
Container Terminals in China clearly. The island is so
close to Shenzhen of China and there are many cargo
ships passing through the sea between Hong Kong and
the Mainland China every day.
Ching Chung Hau Po Woon Secondary School
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Although we have such beautiful islands in the
Geopark at the border of Hong Kong, people are not
cherishing these precious treasures on our earth. Our
national Geopark is facing threats from various kinds of
pollution created by human activities.
As mentioned earlier, both Tung Ping Chau and Kat O island attracted
numerous tourists to visit the island every weekend. Increased visitation to the
geological sites could pose potential threats on significant geological features. It
creates a large amount of solid waste both in the sea and along the trail. The
accumulation of waste not only spoils the beautiful environment, it also threatens the
health of people living in nearby village. The pollution may even kill off the habitats
of land animals as well as aquatic life. Apart from the land and water pollution, the
huge cargo ships from Yantian International Container Terminal have produced a lot
of exhausted gas which accounts for serious air pollution. This also affects the air
quality in the northern district of Hong Kong border. Last but not least, the Daya Bay
Nuclear Plant just opposite Tung Ping Chau may even cause potential nuclear
pollution. The nuclear waste will cause one of the most dangerous and harmful effects
on both the human beings and the environment.
During our field trip, we invited about forty eco-tourists to fill in a questionnaire
about the threats that our Geopark is facing. We received a great deal of suggestions
from them. The majority of the respondents felt that the most important issue was
good public education. Thus, we deeply believe that public education is the most
important way to raise public awareness in protecting our nature. By setting up more
signs or putting up more posters, we can help to remind visitors to conserve our
Geopark. We can also hold regular seminars and workshops, or even setting up
information counters in public areas to educate our citizens to protect our precious
treasure.
The project has provided us with a valuable and
unforgettable experience to explore two incredible
islands in Hong Kong. As caretakers, we hope our
study can give inspirations to all nature lovers to put
more effort into protecting all our natural beauties.
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Group Summary
CEI 2012 was certainly a joyful and meaningful trip, leaving us with many
wonderful memories. We, the caretakers, learned how to conserve our beautiful planet, of
different ways of protecting the eco-system and most importantly, we made lots of friends
from all around the world and learned more about each country's culture. Let us take a
glimpse at what we did in the days during the conference.
On the first day of our trip, apart from registration, we had many things to do. First
of all, we had to prepare our poster exhibition. We went to an old factory and set up our
poster so that everybody could read about our project. Not only our school, but all the
participation schools from different countries were hanging up their posters. Most of
them were very interesting and had many things we could learn from. I was looking
forward to their presentations! After setting up our posters, we had our first lunch in
Maastricht. Although I was not used to the Dutch food, I thought it was a chance for me
to learn about the food culture in the Netherlands. The first day was a busy day. Along
with the registration and setting up of posters, we had a few icebreaking activities. One
of the activities was forming a circle and then asking each other about their names,
where they were from and their hobbies as well as about their personalities. I could not
have imagined that I could have made so many new friends on the very first day! After
that, we had a football match. Some of the students played extremely well. Although we
were from different countries, we all enjoyed the football games as buddies! It was so
much fun that we were still playing after the official icebreaking time. Since some people,
including me, were football fans, we stayed for a few more hours and kept on playing!
The first day was a wonderful day.
On Wednesday, we had our presentation sharing and
cultural night. We gained a valuable lesson during our trip as we
learned a lot from our personal experience. First, we had to
present our project to all our fellow caretakers. Our preparations
for this included a field trip to the Hong Kong Geopark. We were
well aware that our environment is being damaged by human
activities, and that we were losing our beautiful nature. Some
creatures are disappearing and their habitats are vanishing. We
hoped that people all over the world will take action to protect
our earth and help with sustainable development. Meanwhile, we learned a great deal
from the other presentations and I learned that in this instance “one small step for man
would mean one giant leap for the earth”. Actually, we can do so many things to help the
environment, depending on whether you are willing to take action or not.
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Secondly, we prepared a performance for the cultural night. Since the caretakers
came from different countries, this was an opportunity to learn more about their
cultures. We got along with the other caretakers easily although we were of different
nationalities. No matter where we came from, we need to take responsibility to protect
and love our earth! All in all, we had a great time and we want to participate again
next year!!!
On the fourth day, there was a field trip day. We needed
to join the field trip “River Muse”. Unfortunately, we got on
the wrong bus and went on a field trip to Belgium instead.
First, we played a game that taught us about the plants and
animals which had lived in the past. Nowadays, while the
cities are developing, many species of animals are disappearing. It led me to think
about the importance of protecting the natural environment. We cannot focus on
developing the cities only. The lives of animals and plants are getting much harder,
and we must protect them from danger and damage. Then we went into a forest to
pick up fallen branches and tie them up. It was the first time I had been in a forest to
pick up branches. In Hong Kong, we will never get a chance such as that. After that,
we went to an art museum which used to be a factory. It is good to reuse old buildings
as it can reduce building materials and other resources. I realized that everything is
usable. Next, we went to an area where the borders of three countries, Germany, the
Netherlands and Belgium come together. According to the objective of our conference,
it showed us that countries should work together to protect the environment!
During the exhibition, I had an opportunity to take photos with other caretakers.
I made a lot of friends from other countries. After that, the closing ceremony started
with the alumni at the conference. Finally, next year’s location of the conference was
revealed: Chicago. I hope I will be chosen again next year. After the exhibition and
the closing ceremony ended, there was a relaxing party for all the caretakers. On this
joyful note the conference ended.
Taking part in the conference, we not only
learned about sustainable development and culture
in the Netherlands, but also how to give a hand to
interact with other people. Unity is strength; only
through our combined efforts can we provide the
next generation with the same habitat!
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Reflections
We had so many events to take part in, such as the opening and closing ceremonies,
presenting our project, and a flash mob dance performance and also a farewell party.
They all impressed me, especially the cultural night performance. Since all the
caretakers came from different countries, we learned about different cultures through
this event. Moreover, it was the first time I joined a flash mob! We danced together on
the street. We had fun doing it and I met a lot of new friends!
Zoey So
During the conference, I learned a lot of things which I could not learn from books. I
am glad that I was a caretaker and met so many caretakers from different countries. I
hope I can keep in touch with them and we can become good friends. I also wish I
could have a chance to join the conference next year and meet them again.
Carol Lei
Sustainability is the oil lubricating the wheels of society development. If we want to
conserve our earth, we must reflect on our behaviour. Are we doing things that are
harmful to the world? Will this action affect future society? Can I do this in a more
eco-friendly way? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves repeatedly. CEI
2012 is unquestionably a happy and meaningful opportunity to learn more about
sustainable development.
Mark Tse
Finally, the conference was over. At the end of the conference, I saw some caretakers
hugging and crying. At the same time, they exchanged their Facebook or Twitter
accounts. The emotional reaction of the caretakers touched my heart. When the bus
arrived at Amsterdam Airport, the sunny blue sky suddenly became brighter. Maybe it
signaled that our journey eventually ended with a bright future. Goodbye, our fellow
caretakers. Goodbye, Maastricht. Goodbye, the Netherlands …….
Kevin Sin
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Projects
Effectiveness of Greening on Urban Heat Island Effect
Jason LAM, Matthew SHIU
Urban heat island refers to the phenomenon that
urban temperatures are higher than the surrounding
countryside. According to a research conducted by
the Hong Kong Observatory (2008), during the
period 1989 – 2006, there was an average of 0.8oC
divergence between urban and rural air temperatures
in Hong Kong, with an absolute maximum daily
temperature difference of 11.5oC.
Urban heat island does not only upset the ecology, but also creates other
environmental problems in urban areas. Some studies have shown that urban greening
can help lower the temperature and reduce the heat-island effect. The effect of large
urban parks is particularly effective and significant. However, with limited land in
urban areas, roof-top greening would be a feasible way to green urban areas in Hong
Kong.
The present study aims to investigate the effect of
materials on air temperature. The air temperatures of sites in
the campus with the following different environment in the
campus are compared: (1) green-shaded area; (2) green-roof;
and (3) un-shaded concrete areas. Through comparing the
air temperatures at different sites, the effectiveness and
significance of the green-roof can be seen.
Urban heat island is not a local problem. We are determined to join hands with the
Cita Hati Christian School in Jakarta, Indonesia to rise to this challenge. With
different modes of urban development, we can learn how foreign countries combat
urban heat island, and finally suggest the most effective way to solve this problem
locally in Hong Kong.
Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College
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Cooperation between School and NGOs - Plastic Bottles Recycling Program
Sing Yung CHU, Sam Yin WONG, Tin Long YU
In Hong Kong, plastic products accounted for 21% of the
domestic waste sent to landfills. Plastic products are not
biodegradable and therefore take up a great deal of valuable
landfill capacity.
Every day, a lot of bottled water is consumed by students
in our school. Most students dispose the empty plastic bottles
into trash bins and add pressure to the trash-treatment system.
Plastic bottles can be recycled into other products which are
full of economic and environmental values.
In this project, we have cooperated with two organizations: (1) EcoPark, a
government-run waste treatment facility; and
(2) the Plastic Resources Recycling Centre operated by a
local non-governmental charitable group named Yan Oi
Tong. With the help of these two bodies, a small scale
campaign was carried out in the school to educate
students of the importance of recycling plastic bottles.
Students were encouraged to recycle plastic bottles and
Yan Oi Tong was responsible for collecting the bottles
regularly from the campus for recycling purposes.
Recycling helps reduce energy consumption and waste. This assists us in becoming
a sustainable campus. Recycling can also promote green economy through offering
job and business opportunities in the recycling industry.
Apart from the school-based campaign, we have visited the recycling facilities and
education centres in the EcoPark and the Plastic Resources Recycling Centre. We
hope to raise the awareness of students on environmental protection and also to
cultivate their habit of recycling.
Urban Renewal in Hong Kong:
Cooperation Between Local Community, Social Workers and the Government
Christopher LUEY, King-hang MAN, Vincent TSE
More than 110,000 families in Hong Kong live in
substandard housing environment. Life in these
inner city areas (districts with long history of
development) is made miserable by the dirt, decay
and deprivation of amenities. Indeed, urban decay is
a root cause of the most critical problems of city life
in Hong Kong. Urban renewal is undeniably one of
the core tasks of the Government.
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In February 2011, a new Urban Renewal Strategy was suggested by the
Government. The new strategy placed greater emphasis on community involvement,
adopting the ‘People First, District-Based and Public Participatory’ approach in its
work.
Recently, urban renewal projects were initially carried out in Hong Kong in two
inner city areas, Kwun Tong and Wan Chai. These two sites were replanned and
rebuilt to achieve greater environmental and social benefits, such as the provision of
more open space and community facilities.
The present study aims to investigate how
urban renewal can help the sustainability in
the city environment, which in turn can
improve the living standard of the community.
Urban renewal often results in disapproval
from local residents due to the need of home
relocation. This study also aims to investigate
the role of social workers in acting as the
middlemen between the Government and
local residents. Through the efforts of social workers, local residents are more willing
to accept relocation and facilitate the overall development of urban sustainability in
Hong Kong.
Students Reflections
Day 1 (1st July)
國際環境守護者青年會議中,有來自不同國家的同學進
行匯報,我希望能夠增進自己一些關於可持續發展的知
識。因為每一個地區也會有它獨特的地理位置和文化背
景,所以也會有很多不同的發展模式。藉著國際環境守
護者青年會議,我可以了解不同國家對可持續發展的看
法,無疑是一個不可錯失的良機。在這一次的旅程,我
會保持我的自信和熱誠,來達成我對自己的期望。
(Shiu Hin Sing—Matthew)
Day 2 (2nd
July)
We cooperated with the groups from Turkey and America in the
presentation. Instead of presenting one by one, we tried to mix our
presentations together. This was something new that we have not
tried before. We spent an evening after the dinner to discuss our
approach and the atmosphere was great. Tonight, eventually I can
see the night of the Netherlands.(**Kathleen’s note: not sure aboiut
the meaning and relativity of this sentence.) Hope we have a good
presentation tomorrow.
(Chu Sing Yung—Nath)
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Day 3 (3rd
July)
今天起來,我的身沉重到不行,眼睛也差點睜不開。但是
只要聽到外面的吵鬧聲,我又自然興奮起來。我是多麼期
望和一群新朋友交流、談天。今天我和我的組員很成功地
報告了我們的研究成果。我們組的報告也算是很順利,只
有一些技術問題。我也從各國學生的表現當中發現了一些
特色。西方人通常喜歡「兩袖清風」地報告,東方人則很
習慣直唸預備好的稿子。
(Vincent Tse)
我們在一個充滿藝術品的舊工廠裏進行今年度的文化表
演,我覺得有一點緊張,因為我是第一次參加文化表演。
我很高興可以看到不同國家的文化表演,每個表演都包含
著那個國家的一些獨特的風土人情。我也覺得我們這次表
演很成功,因為我們在跳舞的時候,得到了很多觀眾的掌
聲和尖叫。
(Yu Tin Long—Sunny)
Day 4 (4th
July)
After the presentation and cultural
performance yesterday, we went on
different field trips. I visited St.
Petersburg Hill. During the trip, we
went to a cave in St. Petersburg Hill.
This caves was not formed naturally but
was created by human hand during the
Second World War as a hideout. The
limestone in the area made the creation
of the cave easy: limestone is soft and easy to excavate. This underground safe-house
had 20,000 passageways but currently only 6,000 passageways are left. From the
caves, I can imagine how the people lived in the cave and how they designed and built
the caves carefully.
(Wong Sum Yin—Sammi)
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Day 5 (5th
July)
In the morning, we were divided into different
groups and held a discussion on the field trips and
other arrangements. Each group also wrote a letter
to Joshua and Samuel from South Africa. They were
supposed to join us in the Netherlands but
unfortunately they were badly hurt in a car accident
while traveling to the airport. I was touched by how
CEI gathered as a family, caring for each of the
members.
In the evening, we had a karaoke party. The room was filled with excitement. I sang
along with them and I would never forget the joy I felt. I was surprised that even some
of the teachers joined us!
(Lam Yik Hang—Jason)
Day 6 (6th
July)
Today is the very last day of the conference, I went to the
park and did some morning exercises. It was a very
interesting yet bizarre experience because I learned some
Chinese traditional Kung Fu in a foreign country so far
away from home. But still I found a partner to exercise with
me and I took some hilarious photos with different poses. It
was a memorable morning where I experienced how
cultures can spread and comes back to us.
(Luey Kwan Ho—Christopher)
Today is last day of CEI, I took the final opportunity to
meet friends, get their Facebook and take pictures with
them because there isn’t much time left. I wanted to keep in
touch with everybody.
I know I would be constantly asked on what have I learned.
What did I gain? Besides the obvious presentation skills,
social skills and being a leader, I think the skills of
self-management. We are caretakers of the environment,
and we are also a caretaker of ourselves. When a person
can manage himself well, he can definitely succeed in
facing many challenges. Problem solving and being
sociable are both very important things we need in our life.
At the end of the day, if you asked me how I felt, I would
say: ‘I am a caretaker, and I am proud of it’.
(Man King Hang—Man)
21
Conservation of Flying Butter (Butterfly)
Members: Stephanie POON, Tiffany POON, Jessie YEUNG, Nick CHOI
Objective
Nowadays, the idea of environment protection has spread around the world and
seems to have gained more significance. However, the conservation of the butterfly
has not gained sufficient recognition. Thus, our project goal is to draw the public
attention to the importance of butterflies and to promote
their conservation.
Introduction
To start with, we will briefly introduce what is a
butterfly, for example its life cycle, living habitat,
distribution in the world and their classification.
Hong Kong, a bustling built-up international city, may not appear to be a haven
for butterflies. But the surprising truth is that we have a rich diversity and distribution
of butterflies rarely seen elsewhere. For instance, more than 10% (over 250 species)
of the entire butterfly species recorded in China can be found in Hong Kong.
Reasons of conservation
Butterflies play an important role in nature
1. Butterflies are an important media for
pollination. If there are no butterfies, some
flower species will not be able to effloresce and bear fruit.
2. They serve as important biological indicators.
3. With their colorful bodies, they have ornamental and recreational value.
4. Butterflies have pharmaceutical applications. For example, the caterpillar of the
Swallowtail can be used to produce a medicine to cure stomach disorder.
The Butterflies’ life in Hong Kong is becoming harder and harder
1. The threat of global warming has caused the flowering plants to bloom earlier
and earlier. Butterflies feed on nectar, thus they need to change their feeding
habits.
2. Some of the butterfly hotspots in Hong Kong are located outside country parks
and they are not adequately protected.
3. With its beauty, butterflies are often turned into various forms of fine
craftsmanship and decorations for profit making.
Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association Secondary School
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Conservation Work
The following are the four phases of how our school initiated conservation activities:
1. Recruitment:
A butterfly watching team was set up and students were recruited to the team.
2. Training
To equip and train students with the
knowledge of butterflies, we took part in
different workshops and lectures held by
different organizations. We also
connected with a Japanese butterfly
specialist and started our cross country
butterfly conservation sharing.
3. Enhancement
To consolidate what we have learned, we
took part in BEST, a monthly butterfly survey so as to enhance our enthusiasm
and devotion to butterfly conservation.
have joined the Butterfly Watching Contest since 2008 to practise and share our
observations with other butterfly lovers.
joined the UNDESD & HK Award Scheme held by UNESCO Hong Kong
Association with the theme “Butterfly Garden’ to promote butterfly
conservation in schools.
4. Promotion
After training up and enhancing our knowledge, skills and enthusiasm, we started
to promote the importance of butterflies and butterfly conservation by:
organizing talks to senior citizens of the Elderly Academy, students of primary
schools and our fellow students,
organizing butterfly question-and-answer competitions in our school,
organizing butterfly watching tours for senior citizens of the Elderly Academy,
and students of nearby primary schools and their parents,
designing display boards to introduce butterflies,
setting up a butterfly garden on our school campus to attract butterflies,
giving feedback to various consultations concerned with butterfly conservation,
Conclusion
We believe that butterflies contributed a great deal to our environment and it is
important for us to contribute to protect their habitat and their right to live.
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Group Summary and Reflection
Nick Choi
The 26th
of CEI conference was held in
Maastricht, a small town in the southern part of
the Netherlands. During the conference, I found
that the life styles of Maastricht citizens are quite
different from that of Hong Kong citizens. For
examples, Maastricht citizens’ enjoy the nature in
a relaxed and leisurely manner. But in Hong Kong,
most people are more concerned with efficiency
and getting things done quickly.
Just in front of the conference hostel, there
is a large lawn and many local people will go to
the lawn to sun bath and relax. Although there
are many people, the lawn remains intact. What I
found is whenever the local people need to pass
through the lawn, they walk on the path next to
the lawn instead of the lawn itself. They will
avoid any unnecessary damage to the lawn. In
Hong Kong, it is difficult to see a large and intact lawn anywhere in the public area.
Lawns become a part of the walking area and people will simply step on the lawns
when they want to. The lawns will be damage and finally we will have lost a chance
to enjoy nature. This reminds me of the necessity to conserve the nature of Hong
Kong.
Tiffany Poon
After the conference, the most unforgettable experience is
learning about the different characteristics between Hong Kong
people and Europeans, two of which impressed me most.
First and foremost, the way we work is tremendously
different. To my point of view, Hong Kong people placed
emphasis on preciseness. We needed to prepare a consummate
schedule for the, and after I took part in the event I realized that
the Europeans worked in a more flexible way. For instance, after
they performed their traditional dance during the cultural night
they invited other delegates on stage and danced together. If I performed like them,
24
I would be worried that no one would dance with me and I would be embarrassed.
Therefore, in our team performance, we only performed by ourselves instead of
inviting anyone to perform with us.
Besides, the personality between us and other delegates are different too. The
Europeans are more active and talkative than Hong Kong delegates, and they were
eager to make friends with others. I think we are not active enough as we always
played among ourselves.
During the conference, I experienced the diversified cultures of various
countries and gained more understanding of their traditional food, dance, dress and
teaching system which had broadened my horizon. All in all, I learned a lot and it is a
fabulous experience for me!
Stephanie Poon
During CEI conference, I was most
impressed with the vegetarian meals. On the
first day, I could remember distinctly what
we ate at the dinner, a rice which I did not
like.
The style of cooking rice differs from Hong
Kong, and it was damp and served with some minced
vegetables. The core of the rice is still hard which it
seemed it was not properly cooked. At that moment, I
hoped that the meals in the following days would be
thoroughly different.
On the other hand, eating vegetarian was not
only beneficial to our health, but also the environment
because the meat production industry is one of the
largest producers of greenhouse gases which
contributed to global warming.
25
Before this trip, I believed that being a
vegetarian was difficult. After this CEI
conference, I not only understood more
knowledge related to different cultures, but also
learnt the attitude towards new things. For
example, we need to have an appreciated attitude
to adopt it so that we can learn more and have a
nice trip!
Jessie Yeung
During this conference, there
were two main activities, group
activities and field trip.
The topic of the group activities
is to develop a new “kingdom”. In the
“kingdom”, everybody had a specific
role, for example the king, the
committees etc.
First, I was very shy and did not express my ideas, as I thought other
committees could finish all the discussion and requirements without me. However, no
matter which roles you acted in, they were all very important. If we lost one character,
the kingdom could not function effectively. Say, if we do not have researchers, how
can new technology be invented? Besides, I realized that an intelligent and serious
leader was essential. If a king did not work hard, his kingdom could not become
strong.
I participated in a debate during the field trip. We argued about the needs and
the possibility of cross-border partnership. This raised my awareness to reflect the
situation of international cooperation. It could bring benefits and also disadvantages,
e.g. Maastricht got help from Belgium to solve the flood problem of the river as the
Maastricht government could not tackle it by herself. However, the conflicts of the
members in EU reflected international partnership would not easily gain consensus. It
was a controversial issue and needed to be solved as soon as possible since more
global problems are aggravating.
26
Cultural Night
Workshop
Opening Ceremony
Project Presentation
Kick Off Ceremony
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Special thanks to
Mr David Harilela, District Governor (2011-2012)
Rotary International District 3450
Guest of Honour at Kick Off
Mr Peter Wong, Past District Governor
Rotary International District 3450
for sponsorship
Consulate General of Kingdom of Netherlands;
Rotary International District 3450
for supporting the event
Mr David Man
Workshop speaker
Faculty of Education
The University of Hong Kong
Mr Eugene Fong, District Governor-Elect (2012-2013)
Rotary International District 3450
Guest of Honour at Closing Ceremony
香港可持續發展教育學院
Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development
Acknowledgement
秘書處 Secretariat
香港九龍塘達之路 77 號賽馬會環保樓 1 樓 109 室
Rm109, 1/F, Jockey Club Environmental Bldg.
77 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
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Copyright © 201208 UNESCO Hong Kong AssociationAll rights reserved.
香港聯合國教科文組織協會: 註冊慈善機構 [IRD Ref:91/10053]
UNESCO HK: Charitable Institution of a Public Character
28
The 2013 CEI youth conference will be held in July in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The topic of the 2013 conference is “Design for the Environment; Nature within the
Sustainable City”.
Chicago