The butterfly effect: one man’s mission to help nature and communities coexist
Hong Kong’s next phase of development should make room for both butterflies and buildings, conservationist Dr Yau Wing-kwong has said, arguing that biodiversity can be incorporated into parks, schools and neighbourhoods without holding back the city’s growth. Yau, founder of Environmental Association Limited, has spent nearly three decades promoting community-based conservation. He is a finalist…
Conservationist Dr Yau Wing-kwong has argued that Hong Kong's future development should integrate biodiversity into schools, parks, and neighborhoods without hindering urban growth. As the founder of Environmental Association Limited, Yau has spent nearly 30 years promoting community-based conservation and is a finalist for the Spirit of Community Award at this year's Spirit of Hong Kong Awards.
Yau’s most prominent project is the Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve in Tai Po, which originated as an initiative to protect butterfly habitats from disturbances and collectors. According to the South China Morning Post, the reserve served as an early example of managing ecologically valuable private land. Following the announcement of Hong Kong’s New Nature Conservation Policy in 2004, Fung Yuen was one of the first sites chosen for a pilot management agreement scheme in 2005.
This arrangement enabled a non-profit organization to manage land for conservation using government funding and volunteer assistance.
Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong, South China Morning Post — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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