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More than 2,000 students and members of the public gathered at the Hong Kong Wetland Park today (October 17) to create a 1,000-metre-long painting with the theme of birds and wetlands in a bid to break a Guinness World Record. The event also marked the start of the World Wetlands Day 2010 - "Bird Watching Festival".
The theme of the World Wetlands Day 2010 is "Wetlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change". Next to the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site, the park is one of the important stop-over points for migratory birds. Every year, many migratory birds winter in Hong Kong from mid October to the following February, making it the best time for bird watching.
To date, the park has recorded over 230 bird species, which accounts for about 50% of Hong Kong bird species recorded. Sixty per cent are migratory birds with 11 endangered species including the Black-faced Spoonbill and Baikal Teal as well as Greater Painted Snipe and Pheasant-tailed Jacana which favour freshwater swamps.
Birds are regarded as a bio-indicator of the environment, and bird records have been used to show the effect of climate change. To encourage people to observe and learn more about these beautiful birds, the park will jointly hold the "Bird Watching Festival" with different government departments and professional organisations. From October 2009 to February 2010, a series of events will be rolled out to raise public awareness of wetland ecology and the effects of climate change on the biodiversity of wetlands with highlights as follows:
* Bird Watching Guided Tour - Interpreters or volunteers will show visitors different kinds of wetland environments, including freshwater marshes, streams and mudflats to search for traces of birds. They will also introduce living habits of birds and their close relationship with wetlands. In addition, the park has installed telescopes at three bird hides for visitors to observe various kinds of wetland birds.
* "Know More About Birds" Thematic Exhibition - The star of the Bird Watching Festival, "Pei Pei", will reveal the secrets of how birds survive in the wild and adapt to the environment.
* "A Glimpse of the Breeding Black-faced Spoonbill" Film Premiere - The Black-faced Spoonbill is a precious endangered species with a population of around 2,000. They visit Hong Kong every year. The park has specially produced a short film for visitors to witness some of the precious moments in the mating, incubation and feeding process of the birds in Liaoning province.
Other activities include the launch of a new book, "A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Hong Kong", an inter-school bird race, public lectures and drama.
For more information about the World Wetlands Day 2010, please visit www.wetlandpark.com/wwd2010 .
Ends/Saturday, October 17, 2009
Issued at HKT 14:00
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