MARCH 19,
1989
COMMUNITY GROUPS START OFF TREE PLANTING SCHEME
CLUB MEMBERS
MORE THAN 1,500 LIONS CLUBS AND COMMUNITY YOUTH FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF HONG KONG GOT TOGETHER AT PAK TAM AU, SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK THIS (SUNDAY) MORNING TO TURN A CHARRED HILL SLOPE INTO A PLANTATION AREA WELL COVERED WITH TREE SEEDLINGS.
THEY WERE THE TWO COMMUNITY GROUPS WHICH VOLUNTEERED THEIR SUPPORT AT THE LAUNCHING EVENT OF THE 1989 COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING SCHEME ORGANISED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT FOR THE 32ND CONSECUTIVE YEAR.
QUESTS
THEIR TURNOUT IN FORCE IMPRESSED THE MANY DISTINGUISHED PRESENT AT THE OCCASION INCLUDING THE SENIOR LEGCO MEMBER, MR ALLEN LEE, WHO DESCRIBED IT AS "A GOOD EXAMPLE OF GROUP PARTICIPATION".
PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE TWO GROUPS FOR THEIR VERY FINE EFFORTS, MR LEE SAID HE HOPED TO SEE MORE COMMUNITY GROUPS JOINING THIS YEAR'S TREE PLANTING SCHEME TO HELP SPREAD THE CONSERVATION MESSAGE.
ADDRESSING THE PARTICIPANTS AT A CEREMONY ΤΟ LAUNCH THE MONTH-LONG TREE PLANTING PROGRAMME, MR LEE SAID: "ALTHOUGH HONG KONG IS REGARDED AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S BUSIEST CITIES, FAMOUS FOR ITS BUSTLING COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CENTRES, ABOUT 40 PER CENT OF ITS LAND AREA HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS COUNTRY PARKS ΤΟ PROVIDE A SCENIC BACKDROP TO OUR HIGHLY CONGESTED URBAN AREAS.
"IT IS A GREAT PITY THAT THE BEAUTY OF OUR COUNTRY PARKS IS BEDEVILLED EACH YEAR BY HILL FIRES DURING THE DRY SEASON.'
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MR LEE POINTED OUT THAT ALL HILL FIRES WERE CAUSED BY HUMAN NEGLIGENCE AND THEY COULD BE PREVENTED IF EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY SHOWED MORE RESPECT TO THE COUNTRYSIDE ENVIRONMENT WITH CARE IN THE COUNTRY PARKS,
BY HANDLING FIRE
"MAY I THEREFORE REMIND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT THEY HAVE A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP IN KEEPING OUR COUNTRYSIDE GREEN AND FREE FROM ANY FIRE DAMAGE, HE SAID.
י
MR LEE NOTED THAT TREE PLANTING WAS ESSENTIAL IN STOPPING EROSION, IN BEAUTIFYING THE COUNTRYSIDE ENVIRONMENT AND REPLENISHING THE STOCK OF TREES DAMAGED BY HILL FIRES.
SOIL
IN
INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY
IN TREE PLANTING HELPS PEOPLE ΤΟ UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF COUNTRYSIDE CONSERVATION,
TAKING
PART 1N THIS
"I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UPON MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO SHOW THEIR CONCERN FOR OUR COUNTRYSIDE ENVIRONMENT BY MEANINGFUL PROJECT,' HE ADDED.
/ALSO OFFICIATING