Students and Green Lamma Leaders taking  a group photo before tree caring. Measuring young trees and recording their growth status are (from left) Ms. Lister Cheung, Mr. Gary Chang, student volunteers and Green Lamma Leaders from Hongkong Electric. Borrowing wisdom from our predecessors: six teams competing hard for the awards. One of the teams ties bottles to a rope, hoping to transport more water in a single trip. Creativity pays: students from Po Leung Kuk Wu Chung College create a mini “reservoir” where team members then use plastic bottles to get water. Creativity pays: students from Po Leung Kuk Wu Chung College create a mini “reservoir” where team members then use plastic bottles to get water.

Students and Green Lamma Leaders taking   a group photo before tree caring. Measuring young trees and recording their growth status are (from left) Ms. Lister Cheung, Mr. Gary Chang, student volunteers and Green Lamma Leaders from Hongkong Electric. Borrowing wisdom from our predecessors: six teams competing hard for the awards. One of the teams ties bottles to a rope, hoping to transport more water in a single trip. Creativity pays: students from Po Leung Kuk Wu Chung College create a mini “reservoir” where team members then use plastic bottles  to get water. Creativity pays: students from Po Leung Kuk Wu Chung College create a mini “reservoir” where team members then use plastic bottles to get water.

Dozens of secondary school students donned gardening gear yesterday for a fun relay to transport water up a hillside on Lamma Island. Their task was to find water to irrigate over 1,000 tree saplings previously planted there under the “Green Lamma Green” programme jointly organized by Hongkong Electric and the Conservancy Association.

Led by Green Lamma Leaders from Hongkong Electric and staff from the Conservancy Association, the young gardeners took part in a tree caring activity and came up with creative ways to water the plants, preparing them for winter.

Divided into six teams, all participants were required to measure and record the growth status of trees and to carefully observe their health conditions. A highlight of the day was an irrigation competition where team members were asked to use innovative tools and methods to carry water to the planting sites. Two awards were given to recognize outstanding creativity and efficiency.

The students made do with whatever they could get hold of - environmental bags, plastic bottles and even cardboard egg trays. After a 30-minute heated contest, the “Most Creative Irrigation Award” went to Po Leung Kuk Wu Chung College, whose students created a mini reservoir out of a large environmental bag.

Mr. Gary Chang, Hongkong Electric's General Manager (Management Services) and an adjudicator of the competition praised the thoughtfulness of the winning team. “Their solution is environmentally-friendly, effective and creative, fully meeting the criteria of the award,” he said. The “Most Efficient Irrigation Award” was presented to S.K.H. St. Benedict's School, whose students managed to finish watering all their trees within 12 minutes.

Mr. Chang found the contest both fun and meaningful. “Not only did it let students exercise their creativity, but it also allowed them to experience the challenges of conservation work. We hope they will come to realize the importance of protecting and caring for the environment.”

The Chief Executive of Conservancy Association, Ms. Lister Cheung noted that it is not easy to plant trees near Kat Tsai Wan in Lamma. “Other than rainwater, the nearest water source is almost 200 metres away from the planting site and we must transport water manually for irrigation. The efforts of our volunteers today will help to ensure the healthy growth of the tree saplings there.”

Also on hand to assist at the event were more than 20 Green Lamma Leaders from Hongkong Electric. They led and assisted students in caring for the trees, while maintaining order during the competition.

After the contest, all participants were treated to an eco-tour from Hung Shing Yeh Beach to Sok Kwu Wan on Lamma, where they carried out a questionnaire survey enroute to collect opinions from local residents and visitors on how sustainable development could be fostered on the island. 

The 3-year “Green Lamma Green” project was kicked off in May this year with the planting of about 1,500 trees of local and foreign species along the northern section of the Lamma Family Trail. Through enriching the bio-diversity of Lamma Family Trail and strengthening environmental education, the project aims to conserve the ecological value of Lamma Island, promote tourism and help achieve sustainable development on the island.