XN000022-1978-05-05 — Page 5

FRIDAY, MAY 5, 1978

COUNTRY PARKS CONCEPT EXTENDED

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MORE THAN 40 AREAS IN HONG KONG WILL BE EARMARKED AS SPECIAL SITES OF BOTANICAL AND ORNITHOLOGICAL INTEREST, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (COUNTRY PARKS) OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, MR. MARTIN LEWIS, SAID TODAY.

SPEAKING AT THE LIONS CLUB (HOSTS) LUNCHEON AT THE HILTON HOTEL, HE SAID THESE AREAS WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO THE DESIGNATION OF 19 COUNTRY PARKS BY APRIL 1, 1981.

MR. LEWIS ADDED THAT CONSIDERATION WAS ALSO BEING GIVEN TO EXTENDING THE COUNTRY PARKS CONCEPT TO INCLUDE SITES OF CULTURAL HISTORICAL AND GEOLOGICAL INTEREST WITH THE ADVICE OF THE ANTIQUITIES SECTION OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

+THESE ARE ALL CHALLENGING TASKS, BUT NONE MORE SO THAN THE COUNTRYSIDE EDUCATION PROGRAMME.

+WE ARE DISCUSSING HOW THE CONSERVATION MESSAGE CAN BEST BE PUT ACROSS TO SCHOOLS WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. BUT FOR OUR PART, WE WILL BE ACTIVELY PROMOTING THE USE OF THE COUNTRYSIDE BY:

* ESTABLISHING A COUNTRYSIDE ACTIVITIES PROGRAMME, GEARED

TO SELF-STARTING GROUPS WHICH WISH TO UNDERTAKE PROJECTS IN THE COUNTRY PARKS=

* ESTABLISHING VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRES AT ENTRANCES TO

THE MAIN COUNTRY PARK AREAS=

* RUNNING 80 WEEK-LONG FORESTRY CAMPS IN THE COUNTRY PARKS

FOR VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AND SCHOOLS= AND

* ORGANISING A PILOT 'SCHOOL FORESTER' PROJECT TO ENABLE

SPECIFIC GROUPS TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES WITH A PARTICULAR PIECE OF FOREST AND TAKE A CONTINUING INTEREST IN IT.*

MR. LEWIS SAID THE FIRST TWO PROJECTS WERE IN THE FORMULATIVE STAGE AND WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED ONCE RESOURCES -- PRINCIPALLY STAFF WERE AVAILABLE. THE OTHER TWO PROJECTS WOULD BE UNDER WAY IN JULY.

THE COUNTRY PARKS, HE ADDED, CONTAINED A GREAT DEAL MORE THAN JUST AREAS OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY.

WITHIN THEIR BOUNDARIES, THERE ARE MORE THAN 2,400 SPECIES OF VASCULAR PLANTS, ABOUT 343 SPECIES OF BIRDS, ABOUT 118 SPECIES OF NATIVE ORCHIDS, MORE THAN 200 SPECIES OF BUTTERFLIES, A SMALL NUMBER OF WILD ANIMALS AND A VARIETY OF SNAKES.

MR. LEWIS SAID THERE WERE MANY HISTORICAL SITES WHICH WOULD SERVE AS INTERESTING EDUCATIONAL FEATURES TO THE PRESENT GENERATION +WHO MAY NOT EASILY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES WITH HONG KONG'S PAST... NOT TO MENTION TOURISTS, FOR WHOM, I AM SURE, WE WILL FIND MANY MORE AREAS OF INTEREST TO VISIT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.+