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The three-month-long Hong Kong Biodiversity Festival 2015 concluded successfully today (November 15) with its key event, the Hong Kong Biodiversity Carnival 2015, held jointly by the Environment Bureau (ENB), the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and 20 organisations at Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The Government worked together with local universities, non-governmental organisations and green groups to promote local biodiversity through more than 120 activities during the Hong Kong Biodiversity Festival 2015, which was the first event of its type. The activities offered by co-organisers since late August included family days, exhibitions, seminars, workshops, nature tours and more, attracting some 160 000 participants in total. The overwhelming response from the public was encouraging.

Officiating at the opening ceremony of the carnival, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, said, "Nature generates life and supports life. Biodiversity is indeed closely related to us. Our basic necessities are provided by the ecosystem and therefore maintaining a healthy ecosystem to nurture a rich biodiversity is fundamental to the sustainable development of a society."

Noting that the ENB and the AFCD are preparing the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP) of Hong Kong, Mr Wong expressed the hope that the festival would raise public awareness related to biodiversity, and help build understanding and support for the BSAP.

Also officiating at the ceremony, the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Dr Leung Siu-fai, said, "With the theme of 'Cherish Nature', the festival this year aims to inspire understanding and appreciation of local biodiversity among the public through an array of activities, so that people would treasure the natural environment."

Dr Leung pointed out that the festival has served as a one-stop platform pooling together various activities related to biodiversity offered by different organisations, not only to achieve synergy but also to disseminate information on the activities to the public. As education in nature conservation is best started at an early age, the festival included many activities suitable for families.

The carnival featured booths offering activities such as green workshops, handicraft workshops and matching games for families. Participants could learn in an interesting way about local biodiversity, covering the relationship among plants, birds and insects; wetland and marine ecology; and the importance of the ecosystem. Other activities at the carnival included seminars, bird-watching guided tours, guided tree walks, a drama show and puppet theatre.

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