Hong Kong – As part of their efforts to promote biodiversity and wildlife conservation, Ocean Park and Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong (OPCFHK) are holding their annual event, Ocean Park Conservation Day on May 20th-21st, 2017. The day promises to offer a diverse range of engaging and interactive experiences. This year’s campaign will echo OPCFHK’s theme of the year to encourage cut in the use of disposable plastics in our daily life, illustrating how little steps every day can help protect the precious biodiversity of the planet.
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New “Nature Tracking Mission” Orienteering Game
The new orienteering programme “Nature Tracking Mission” covers 6 in-park checkpoints including Fun Animal House, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures and Shark Mystique, where guests can embark on conservation-themed missions to collect stickers. Upon completion, participants will be invited to sign a pledge to show their month-long commitment to ‘no straws’ – one of the key contributors to marine debris – at the redemption counter, and can even take home an “iCan No Plastic” mug made from corn starch extract.
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Complementary Emerald Discovery Tour - Appreciate Wild Birds and Trees
There will also be a complimentary Emerald Discovery Tour for guests to trek along the Emerald Trail to appreciate the beauty of trees and wild birds, including the blue-crowned laughingthrush under the care of Ocean Park., which is critically endangered in the wild. Besides the blue-crowned laughingthrush, guests joining the tour are also able to see about 15 species of birds, including the beautiful red-billed blue magpie.
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Horseshoe Crab Workshop
OPCFHK has been leading efforts to conserve horseshoe crabs through initiatives such as the Juvenile Horseshoe Crab Rearing Programme, where local students help rear juvenile horseshoe crabs at their schools for eventual release into the natural habitats of horseshoe crabs. At the Meeting the Living Fossils workshop, local students who took part in the programme, will host games and explain horseshoe crab’s biology and conservation status. Horseshoe crab fossils dating back to over 400 million years will be also on display along with horseshoe crab models and juvenile horseshoe crabs.
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Educational Game Booths
Through a series of game booths, advice on the important steps to take for a plastic-free, waste-free lifestyle will be introduced to the guests. Conservation tips to help save the ocean and marine wildlife include: choose eco-friendly sunscreens, natural facial scrubs, and biodegradable shampoos to help minimise marine pollution; use less plastic products such as drinking straws, and say no to disposable utensils to help reduce marine debris.
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