Closer to the earth

from Youth Hong Kong | Our Environment Our Future

Annual Plan

going green at HKFYG camps

Restrictions have touched all of us in one way or another this year. What can be done to release free spirits? Campers at the Federation’s outdoor centres discover places to roam and new ways to appreciate them.

Outdoors on Lamma Island, a new kind of staycation has been created. Called a “tentcation” at the HKFYG Lamma camp up in the hills between Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan these short holidays involve learning how to pitch a tent, playing traditional Chinese pitch-pot games and using fallen leaves for a practical purpose.

Making plates and dessert

Fallen leaves? Yes, to make plates for the dinner. The campers coat the leaves with a mixture of materials such as limestone, shells and chalk and then let them air-dry naturally. The result is a leaf-plate that almost looks like a fossil and which can be taken home as a souvenir. Making dessert is next on the agenda so campers collect kindling and then learn how to make a fire so that red bean pudding can be served.

“My children could connect with nature for the first time. They really only knew the city before this.”

Finding wildlife and freedom

Another wildlife experience starts after dark: a night safari search for frogs. Lamma Island is home to an indigenous species called Romer’s Tree Frog, the smallest amphibian recorded in Hong Kong. Now an endangered species. It was first discovered by John Romer on Lamma in 1952 but then thought to be extinct. Happily, it was rediscovered in 1984.

The Lamma “tentcation” experience teaches campers how to observe their living environment, to respect wild things and to enjoy the freedom of nature. Suitable for children and adults alike, the family-oriented programme is ongoing from Easter onwards and throughout the summer months.