The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (October 8) held the "Joy" Us Hiking launch ceremony at Tai Tam Country Park, unveiling a series of hiking activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the country parks and also get the public immersed in the beauty of the countryside in this autumn and winter. "Joy" Us Hiking is one of the celebration activities for the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
 
     To enhance the fun of hiking in country parks for the public, the AFCD has specially selected six hiking routes which are impressive in different ways in the country parks in Hong Kong. A total of six "Joy" Us Hiking activities will be held along these routes from October to December this year. In addition to admiring the fascinating natural scenery along the way, participants can learn more about the ecology, history and culture of country parks through programmes like on-site interpretation by eco-tour guides, game booths and photo exhibitions.
 
     Officiating at the launch ceremony, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, said that country parks are precious assets of Hong Kong for all to experience and enjoy. He advised the public to go hiking with companions and protect the environment. He also urged hikers to minimise the use of disposable items, be committed to reducing waste at source, and take their litter home.
 
     Apart from the hiking event held at Tai Tam Country Park today, the dates and locations of the coming "Joy" Us Hiking events are as follows:
 

Date	Location
October 22	Plover Cove Country Park
November 5	Tai Lam Country Park
November 19	Lantau South Country Park
December 3	Shing Mun Country Park
December 17	Sai Kung East Country Park

 
     Furthermore, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the country parks, the AFCD has invited representatives from different sectors of the community to share their personal stories on and genuine feelings towards country parks through 40 videos in the ''In the Country Parks" series. Some of the videos have been uploaded to the following website, which will be updated from time to time: www.facebook.com/pg/countryparkseducationprogammes.
 
     The AFCD has been organising a variety of interesting celebration events since April 2017. These include Excursion with Experts, Plantation Enrichment Project, Trail Maintenance Workshop, "Trees Are Good" Fun Day, Go Green Family Camping, Tai Tong Fun Carnival, roving exhibitions and seminars. These events provide opportunities for the public to learn more about and conserve the countryside by sharing the responsibility of protecting the country parks, with a view to passing the precious natural environment of Hong Kong on to future generations.
 
     For details of the events, please visit cp40.afcd.gov.hk.

Ends/Sunday, October 8, 2017
Issued at HKT 10:56

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