XN000022-1987-03-23 — Page 4

3

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1987

ALSO PRESENT AT THE CONFERENCE WERE MR ROBERT CHAN, GENERAL MANAGER OF TELEVISION BROADCASTS LIMITED, AND MR STEVE MASON, DIRECTOR OF SWIRE BOTTLERS LIMITED, WHO ARE RESPECTIVELY THE CO-ORGANISER AND SPONSOR OF THIS YEAR'S EVENT.

THE 1987 TREE PLANTING PROGRAMME WILL BE LAUNCHED BY A +CELEBRITY TREE PLANTING+ DAY TO BE HELD AT A SCENIC PLANTING SITE AT HOI HA, IN THE SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK ON SUNDAY (MARCH 29) AT 10.30 AM.

OFFICIATING WILL BE THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, WHO, JOINED BY SOME 100 WELL-KNOWN PUBLIC FIGURES AND 1 000 SCHOOL CHILDREN, WILL PLANT THE FIRST TREES TO START OFF THIS YEAR'S TREE PLANTING ACTIVITIES.

DR LEE POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS A NEW AND UNIQUE FEATURE IN THE 1987 SCHEME. +EACH PARTICIPANT, AFTER PLANTING A TREE, WILL BE GIVEN A SEED PACKET AND A COLOURFUL LEAFLET SO THAT HE OR SHE CAN RAISE A SEEDLING AT HOME FOR PLANTING IN THE COUNTRY PARKS IN THE 1988 PLANTING SEASON. A HANDSOME SOUVENIR WILL BE AWARDED TO THOSE WHO HAVE SUCCEEDED IN DOING SO, HE SAID.

TREE PLANTING DAYS FOR THE PUBLIC HAD BEEN SCHEDULED FOR ALL SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN APRIL.

TREE SEEDLINGS WOULD BE AVAILABLE FREE FOR PLANTING IN SEVEN DESIGNATED SITES IN COUNTRY PARKS AT TAI MO SHAN, BRIDE'S POOL, MUI WO, POKFULAM, QUARRY BAY, PAK TAM CHUNG AND CLEARWATER BAY BETWEEN 9 AM AND 4 PM.

DEPARTMENT STAFF WOULD BE ON DUTY TO PROVIDE TREE SEEDLINGS, TOOLS AND ANY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REQUIRED.

APART FROM INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, ARRANGEMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE FOR SOME 3 500 STUDENTS AND YOUTHS TO TAKE PART IN THE PROGRAMME IN GROUPS.

ANY ORGANISATIONS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE PROJECT ARE ADVISED TO CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT'S CONSERVATION TRAINING AND EDUCATION UNIT AT 3-7332121 FOR REGISTRATION.

IN VIEW OF GROWING POPULARITY, DR LEE SAID, THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IN THIS WIDELY-ACCEPTED ANNUAL COMMUNITY EVENT HAD INCREASED BY TENFOLD FROM 1 700 PEOPLE IN 1982 TO 17 000 PEOPLE IN 1986.

+ I HOPE THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL COME FORWARD TO PLANT TREES IN THE COMING TREE PLANTING DAYS, SETTING A RECORD HONG KONG CAN BE PROUD OF. I AM SURE THAT THEY WILL FIND THE EXPERIENCE INTERESTING AND MEANINGFUL, HE ADDED.

44