Post Date: 19 January 2015

冬營遊2.0 - Winter Camp 2014-15

The highly anticipated annual event held by the Division of Environment, Winter Camp 2015, took place during the past winter break. The 3-day 2-night camp aimed to raise our students’ awareness about Hong Kong’s environmental issues through field trips, followed by activities that encouraged students to reflect on their learning from the field trips.

On the first day, students got to know one another after a series of ice-breaking games, then went on to visit the Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park. The protected area contains 60 types of hard coral and 120 species of coral fish. The most interesting part of the trip was the speedboat ride because students not only got a speedy ride, they also had a chance to look at marine creatures like corals, sea cucumbers and sea urchins through the crystal clear water. After that, the students set foot on land and walked to the rustic Hoi Ha Village, where villagers had once practiced making lime by burning corals and shells in a pit, and learned about mangroves. At nighttime, students made use of what they learned in Hoi Ha and participated in a role-play activity. The purpose of the role-play was to let students practice delivering the message of environmental conservation to different target audiences. Students had a lot of fun and demonstrated their unlimited creativity through the use of drama, advertisements and radio programs, etc to communicate their message.

On the second day, students went on another boat trip to visit various small islands east of Sai Kung. They got to see some wonderful geological features like sea caves, sea arch, and hexagonal stone pillars. The students also visited Pak Lap, a rural village where you can see cows and dogs roaming around. However, the place was also under pressure for property development, and so has been a source for controversy in the recent years. Students then went to the Geological Park, where they took in the beauty of a natural landscape that was formed millionsofyears ago. The magnificent view also inspired students to reflect on whether their metropolitan lifestyle is compatible with environmental conservation.

On the last day, students  participated in an in-depth discussion about an environmental problem in Hong Kong: land use planning in Pak Lap. Students combined their first-hand experience in Pak Lap together with the given information, and had a heated debate on the issue by representing different stakeholders. Through this activity, students learned that solving environmental problems does not only require care for the environment, but also negotiation and compromises among different stakeholders so as to maximize each party’s benefits and ensure a consensus can be reached.

All in all, the winter camp paved the way for students to engage in environmental protection not only by letting them gain a basic understanding about the environment and some of the related issues, but also to boost their interest in the field. 

Ice-breaking game

Pak Lap Field Trip

Geological Park

Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park

Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park

BBQ Dinner