XN000022-1990-11-25 — Page 3

RESPECT FOR NATURE NEEDED: YEUNG

AGES IN OUR AWARENESS OF FOR EDUCATION AND

IT IS VITAL THAT STUDENTS AND PEOPLE OF ALL COMMUNITY DEVELOP A RESPECT FOR NATURE AND AN IMPROVED THE IMPORTANCE OF ITS CONSERVATION, THE SECRETARY MANPOWER, MR K.Y. YEUNG SAID.

HE SAID THIS WOULD ENSURE THE FUTURE WELL-BEING OF OUR COMMUNITY AND ITS QUALITY OF LIFE.

OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 'I LOVE GREEN HONG KONG' CONCERT IN TSUEN WAN TODAY (SUNDAY), MR YEUNG NOTED THAT NO COMMUNITY THAT BLATANTLY DISREGARDED ITS NATURAL HERITAGE COULD MAINTAIN ITSELF FOR LONG.

"WE WOULD BE DOING OURSELVES A DISSERVICE WERE WE NOT TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IN HONG KONG BECOMES FULLY AWARE OF THE PART HE MUST PLAY IN PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT, HE SAID.

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MR YEUNG ADDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN ACTIVELY PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVELS.

"FOR THE NEW ADVANCED SUPPLEMENTARY LEVEL COURSES, TO BE INTRODUCED FROM 1992, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION WILL BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE LIBERAL STUDIES COURSE. THESE ARE SUPPLEMENTED BY EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE INFORMAL CURRICULUM.

"TO COMPLEMENT THESE SCHOOL-BASED EFFORTS, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHED A FIELD STUDY CENTRE IN SAI KUNG IN 1979.

"WE HAVE PLANS FOR A FURTHER THREE FIELD STUDIES CENTRES,

ΤΟ BE LOCATED IN CHEUNG CHAU, TSUEN WAN AND TUNG CHUNG. THESE WILL BE ESTABLISHED OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS AS AND WHEN FUNDS PERMIT, THE SECRETARY SAID.

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SINCE THE SAI KUNG CENTRE HAS BEEN HEAVILY USED, MR YEUNG SAID HE WELCOMED THE INITIATIVE AND FORESIGHT OF THE LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 303 IN SETTING UP THE LIONS NATURE EDUCATION CENTRE IN SAI KUNG TO ADD TO THE PRESENT LIMITED PROVISION.

LOCATED IN A FORMER GOVERNMENT FARM IN SAI KUNG, THE CENTRE WILL CONTAIN AN ARBORETUM OF INDIGENOUS AND RARE TREES, AS WELL AS SPECIMENS OF MEDICINAL PLANTS, FRUIT TREES AND FIELD CROPS, AND AN EXHIBITION HALL WITH EDUCATIONAL DISPLAYS ON HONG KONG'S FLORA, FAUNA, COUNTRY PARKS, AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES.

ADDITIONAL ATTTRACTIONS WILL INCLUDE AN INSECT HOUSE AND AN ELEVATED WALKWAY THROUGH THE ORCHARD FOR CLOSE-UP INSPECTIONS OF FLOWERS AND FRUITS.

MR YEUNG HOPED THAT THE CONCERT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN RAISING FUNDS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CENTRE.

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