XN000022-1990-03-04 — Page 2

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 1990

1.

PUBLIC URGED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING SCHEME

* * * * *

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WERE TODAY (SUNDAY) URGED TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT FOR COUNTRYSIDE CONSERVATION THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN THE 1990 COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING SCHEME.

OMELCO MEMBER DR DANIEL TSE MADE THE PLEA WHILE HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE LAUNCHING CEREMONY OF THE SCHEME AT HOI HA AU OF SAI KUNG WEST COUNTRY PARK THIS MORNING.

ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE, INCLUDING HIKERS, COMMUNITY YOUTH CLUB MEMBERS, JUNIOR POLICE CALL MEMBERS AND BOY SCOUTS TURNED UP FOR THE CEREMONY.

77

"IT IS THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERYONE IN HONG KONG TO CONSERVE OUR COUNTRYSIDE, DR TSE STRESSED, ADDING THAT COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN TREE PLANTING WOULD HELP PEOPLE LEARN AND UNDERSTAND OUR DELICATE COUNTRYSIDE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS REMIND THEM OF THEIR OBLIGATION TO KEEP IT CLEAN, GREEN AND HEALTHY,

"TREES ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY. THEY BEAUTIFY OUR COUNTRYSIDE AND PROVIDE A SCENIC ENVIRONMENT FOR THOUSANDS OF HIKERS, PICNICKERS, MORNING WALKERS AND NATURALISTS TO BNJOY DURING THEIR WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS,' DR TSE NOTED.

||

"TREES ARE ALSO ESSENTIAL IN STOPPING PROVIDING THE NATURAL HABITATS FOR A VARIETY OF CONTINUED.

SOIL EROSION AND OUR WILDLIFE, HE

++

TREE

PLANTING HAD

DR TSE WAS PLEASED TO LEARN THAT COMMUNITY NOW BECOME AN ANNUAL EVENT WITH SOME 20,000 PEOPLE PLANTING TREES IN VARIOUS COUNTRY PARKS EVERY YEAR.

HE BELIEVED THAT WITH THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG HIKING AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES GROUPS (FHKHOAG) FULLY BACKING THE SCHEME AND CO-ORGANISING THIS YEAR'S EVENT WITH THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT (AFD), THE CONSERVATION MESSAGE WOULD BE DRIVEN HOME

AMONGST THE MOST FREQUENT USERS OF OUR COUNTRYSIDE.

AND

EARLIER IN HIS WELCOME SPEECH, THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE FISHERIES, DR LAWRENCE LEE, POINTED OUT THAT 1990 MARKED THE 33RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE SCHEME.

"STARTING AS A MODEST EVENT IN THE GROWING WITH TIME AND HAS ATTRACTED PLANTING SOME 26,000 TREES LAST YEAR.

1950'S, THE SCHEME HAS BEEN ABOUT 20,000 PARTICIPANTS

CONFIDENT THAT THIS SCHEME

DR LEE SAID.

"AS WE GO INTO THE 1990'S, I AM WILL CONTINUE TO BE POPULAR AND SUCCESSFUL,

THE

OBSERVE

HE THANKED THE CO-ORGANISER EFFORTS IN ASKING ITS MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN VOLUNTARY SERVICES AIMED AT GREEN AND CLEAN.

ог

FHKHOAG

w

PAST

TO

FOR ITS THE COUNTRY CODE AND

KEEPING OUR COUNTRYSIDE

/HE ALSO