Events: Walk For Nature organized by WWF (HK) on 9, 10 Nov 2013

Walk For Nature 2013

“Walk For Nature” is an annual fundraising event held in Hong Kong’s iconic Mai Po Nature Reserve. Participants gather sponsorship and walk a set route around the Reserve, which is located in the Inner Deep Bay wetlands. In 1995, Mai Po was declared a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. The Reserve provides habitat for many species of both flora and fauna, and has a worldwide reputation as being a “paradise for birds”.

Event date:	9 November – 10 November 2013 (Saturday and Sunday) (Participants can choose to attend one of the two days)
Time:	9:00AM – 6:00PM
Location:	Mai Po Nature Reserve

Mai Po, a story 30 years in the making

2013 marks the 30th anniversary of WWF-Hong Kong’s management of Mai Po Nature Reserve. Marked by decades of hard work and dedication, our conservation efforts have helped conserve the unique ecology of this exceptionally important wetland. This year’s Walk For Nature will celebrate and mark this special occasion with the public and capture important milestones in the history of the Reserve’s conservation.

Conservation

In 1983, WWF-Hong Kong began managing Mai Po Nature Reserve, implementing a number of conservation projects designed to protect the Reserve’s many fish ponds, gei wai, intertidal mudflats, mangroves, reed beds and freshwater ponds. In 2001, the conservation work took on a new dimension, as the conservation work began to focus on conserving Hong Kong’s section of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), a vital flight route for migratory waterbirds. The EAAF begins at the Arctic Circle and runs through Southeast Asia all the way to Australia and New Zealand. Mai Po is situated roughly in the centre of the flyway. Every year, migratory birds conduct their long journeys south and stop at Mai Po to rest and recharge before they continue their voyage.

Education and Interaction

In 1986, WWF established the Wildlife Education Centre at Mai Po Nature Reserve. Later, in 1991, the addition of the Peter Scott Field Studies Centre allowed us to provide a complete facility offering guided tour services to students and the general public. These improved facilities also benefit scientists and professionals, allowing them to conduct more efficient and effective research and related studies.

In 2011, the State Forestry Administration of the People’s Republic of China invited WWF staff to interact with wetland management personnel in Mainland China in order to improve their conservation work. Thanks to 30 years of determination and hard work, Mai Po has now become one of the world’s leading wetland conservation and education centres.

For more information: http://www.wwf.org.hk/en/getinvolved/walkfornature/