ENG-2008 — Page 479

Recreation, Sport and the Arts | 403

Green Promotion/Initiatives

Green Hong Kong Campaign

Various community and educational activities were organised in 2008 to enhance public awareness of the importance of 'greening' the environment. These activities were carried out under different programmes such as the Green Volunteer Scheme, Community Planting Day, Greening Hong Kong Activities Subsidy Scheme, Best Landscape Award and promotional talks.

More than 790 schools and kindergartens took part in a Greening School Subsidy Scheme formed to promote environmentally friendly initiatives. The scheme provided an opportunity for students to try their hand at gardening under the guidance of their teachers and LCSD staff. A total of 350 000 students from over 1 080 schools participated in a 'One Person, One Flower' programme. Pansy seedlings were given to students to plant at home or in their schools.

The LCSD's Community Garden Programme was carried out in all the scheme's 18 districts. The scheme provides for one community garden to be built in each district except Southern District, which has two. Forty-four gardening courses were conducted during the year, attended by 9 000 participants. A total of 29 tree planting activities were organised by the districts, attracting an attendance of over 12 000.

Hong Kong Flower Show

The Hong Kong Flower Show is a major event, organised by the LCSD to promote horticulture and an awareness of the need for a green environment. Every year, it provides an opportunity for hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong people and horticulture lovers from around the world to enjoy the beauty and diversity of flowers and to share their experiences in flower cultivation. Participants in the show are from Hong Kong, Mainland and overseas horticultural associations, floral art clubs, green groups, district councils, schools and the general public.

A range of educational and recreational activities was organised on the sidelines of the show. More than 200 horticultural organisations from 21 countries took part in the 2008 show in March at Victoria Park, attracting more than 548 000 visitors.

Horticulture and Landscape Services and Projects

The LCSD is responsible for the planting of ornamental trees and shrubs in public gardens and roadside amenity areas around Hong Kong, and for looking after the trees. It maintains the city's public parks, gardens, sports grounds, football pitches and children's playgrounds, amenity plots and the landscape plants on the sides of highways and public roads. During the year, the department planted 10 000 trees and 3.3 million shrubs and seasonal flowers and carried out landscape improvement projects for 36.5 hectares of park land and roadside amenity areas, including footbridges.

Beautification of Footbridges

To improve the greenery in the urban areas and the environment around footbridges, the LCSD has embarked on a Beautification of Footbridges programme