XN000022-1991-11-23 — Page 8

7

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1991

CYC MEMBERS HELP CONSERVE COUNTRY PARKS

*

THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, DR LAWRENCE LEE, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S EFFORT IN MANAGING COUNTRY PARKS COULD ONLY BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THE BACKING OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

SPEAKING TO SOME 500 COMMUNITY YOUTH CLUB (CYC) MEMBERS AT THE LAUNCHING CEREMONY OF THE 1991/92 COUNTRY PARKS ADOPTION SCHEME AT THE LIONS NATURE EDUCATION CENTRE, DR LEE SAID BY HELPING TO LOOK AFTER THE COUNTRY PARKS, THE CYC MEMBERS ATTEMPT TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY PARKS CLEANER AND GREENER.

HE SAID: "THEIR ENTHUSIASM AND CONCERN OVER THE COUNTRY PARKS WILL ALSO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF THESE BEAUTIFUL PLACES AND TO HELP CONSERVE THE COUNTRY PARKS.

FISHERIES : PROMOTING PARTICIPATING STUDENTS

THE SCHEME, JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND DEPARTMENT (AFD) AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT (ED), AIMS AT THE SENSE OF COUNTRYSIDE CONSERVATION AMONG THROUGH VOLUNTARY WORK IN COUNTRY PARKS.

JUNE, STUDENTS FROM INVOLVED IN VOLUNTARY

DR LEE SAID: "BETWEEN NOW AND PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS WILL BE PHYSICALLY COUNTRY PARK MANAGEMENT WORK SUCH AS TREE PLANTING AND TENDING, APPLYING FERTILISER, WEEDING, PATH MAINTENANCE AND LITTER COLLECTION IN 10 COUNTRY PARKS AND ONE SPECIAL AREA IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE TERRITORY.

"TO ENABLE THE STUDENTS TO CARRY OUT THEIR WORK PROPERLY AND SMOOTHLY, WE HAVE PROVIDED BASIC TRAINING ON PRACTICAL COUNTRYSIDE CONSERVATION TO SOME OF THEM AND APPOINTED THEM AS JUNIOR PARK WARDENS. ON-SITE GUIDANCE WILL ALSO BE GIVEN BY OUR PARK WARDENS."

DR LEE POINTED OUT THAT THE SCHEME WAS FIRST INTRODUCED IN 1989 AND IT HAD SINCE THEN PROVEN TO BE VERY POPULAR WITH THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS INCREASED FROM 10 IN 1989 TO 50 THIS YEAR.

HE COMMENDED PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS OF PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS FOR THEIR FULL SUPPORT IN MOBILISING STUDENTS TO TAKE PART IN THIS SCHEME.

"I TRUST THAT PARTICIPANTS WILL BOTH LEARN AND ENJOY THROUGH THEIR VOLUNTARY SERVICE, HE SAID.

DR LEE ALSO EXPRESSED HIS APPRECIATION TO THE LIONS CLUBS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS YEAR'S SCHEME.

HE SAID: "THE LIONS CLUBS HAVE BEEN GREAT SUPPORTERS OF MANY WORTHY PROJECTS. THEY HAVE SPONSORED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LIONS NATURE EDUCATION CENTRE WHICH WAS OPENED IN JUNE THIS YEAR AS WELL THE COMMUNITY YOUTH CLUB WHEN IT WAS FIRST SET UP 14 YEARS AGO."

AS

/ALSO OFFICIATING