Dr. W.K. Chu (middle) and         Dr. Alvin Kwok (left) lead a         team of “tree doctors” to         perform health checks on         seedlings in Lamma. “Tree doctors” from Hongkong Electric and the Conservancy Association water, measure and prune the young trees.                 Hongkong Electric’s “tree         doctor” measures a seedling,         while a “tree nurse” from CA         records the measurement for         future check-ups. Tree doctors” from Hongkong Electric perform health check on seedlings and use a tree assessment card to look for any disorder. Dr. W.K. Chu (right) shows students how to remove Mikania. “Tree doctors” from Hongkong Electric and the Conservancy Association perform health checks on seedlings planted on Lamma Island in the past two years.

Dr. W.K. Chu (middle) and        Dr. Alvin Kwok (left) lead a         team of “tree doctors” to        perform health checks on        seedlings in Lamma. “Tree doctors” from Hongkong Electric and the Conservancy Association water, measure and prune the young trees.                 Hongkong Electric’s “tree         doctor” measures a seedling,         while a “tree nurse” from CA         records the measurement for         future check-ups. “Tree doctors” from Hongkong Electric perform health check on seedlings and use a tree assessment card to look for any disorder. Dr. W.K. Chu (right) shows students how to remove Mikania. “Tree doctors” from Hongkong Electric and the Conservancy Association perform health checks on seedlings planted on Lamma Island in the past two years.

Annual check-ups are not exclusive to man. A team of more than 50 “Tree Doctors” from Hongkong Electric and The Conservancy Association (CA) called at Lamma Island recently to perform “check-ups” on seedlings planted there in the past two years under the “Green Lamma Green” project.

Led by Dr. Chu Wing-kin, General Manager (Group Commercial) of Hongkong Electric, and Dr. Alvin Kwok Ngai-kuen, one of CA’s directors, the tree doctors measured, watered and pruned the young trees. They also used tree assessment cards to help look for any disorders in the seedlings caused by pest, disease or fungal infection.

The tree doctors also carried out a close search for a foreign species called Mikania which preys on other plants making them weak and causing them to die. Dr. Kwok said, “We must eliminate these plant killers to protect our ecology.”

Dr. Chu from Hongkong Electric also explained and showed students how to remove Mikania. “If we do not get rid of them in time, these seedlings will die before long,” he said.

Ms. Choi, one of the teachers involved in the project, has been encouraging her students to participate. “We are so happy and excited to see how much our ‘babies’ have grown. This is just the best way of teaching students how to care for and respect the environment.”

The tree caring day is part of the 3-year “Green Lamma Green” project organised jointly by Hongkong Electric and the CA. It aims to enhance Lamma Island’s ecological and educational value; to promote eco-tourism and to achieve sustainable development on the island. Since its launch in 2005, more than 2,000 seedlings have been planted along the Family Trail on Lamma.