Dr. Ma is one of the few local environmental education and ecology scholar, with his research focuses on the utilization of outdoor education for school environmental education, and also terrestrial forest ecology.

As an outdoor environmental educator, Dr. Ma proposed an “Effective Field-based Environmental Education Model” in his PhD thesis, which the combination of both affective and cognitive teaching and learning approaches being his core principle in outdoor environmental education. In order to push the development of Hong Kong environmental education, he focuses his work in four main aspects, including 1. Mainstreaming EE in formal curriculum, 2. Professional development of EE 3. Strengthening EE research and 4. Enhancing interflow in EE and unite the strength of local EE.

Dr. Ma has involved in the field of environmental education for many years, with various roles for pushing the development of Hong Kong environmental education from different perspectives. In the policy level, as a local environmental education scholar, Dr. Ma wrote the <Proposal for Hong Kong environmental education> and the <Joint Statement - Mainstream and Strengthen Environmental Education in Hong Kong School Curriculum>, as recommendations for Hong Kong long-term environmental education development. In teacher education level, Dr. Ma serves as a Part-time Lecturer in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, teaching course of environmental education in the Postgraduate Diploma in Education Programme. And as the Founder and Education Director of OWLHK, Dr. Ma coordinates, designs and leads different kinds of environmental education programmes, with targets such as kids, students, corporates, elders, teachers, EE practitioners and other public.

His vast knowledge and experiences, together with his significant effort for pushing the development of environmental education in Hong Kong, Dr. Ma has received awards and recognitions for his achievements. In 2015, with the success of founding the “Take Action! Youth Biodiversity Conservation Leadership Training Scheme”, Dr. Ma received the <HKU Faculty Knowledge Exchange Award> from the University of Hong Kong. And in 2017, Dr. Ma became the first person in Hong Kong, to receive the <EE 30 Under 30 Award> from the global leading EE organization - North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).

Dr. Ma is keen on applying his professional knowledge and experiences in community services. He has been invited to being a Board Member of the Ocean Park Corporation, and being a member in several advisory committees in government and various authorities to provide suggestions for local environmental conservation and education. That includes the <Advisory Council on the Environment>, which is the government's principal advisory body on matters relating to environmental protection and conservation, and also the <Endangered Species Advisory Committee> and the <Education Working Group of the Environmental Campaign Committee>. Apart from local conservation and environmental education, Dr. Ma has involved in international level, including invited by the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership Secretariat, being the International Expert for reviewing the draft resolution on Wetland Education for the <Ramsar Convention>.

Dr. Ma is also an ISA Certified Arborist. He has participated in many vegetation, trees, forest survey and research. He loves nature and also keen on outdoor sports, visited places such as Mt. Kinabalu in Malaysia, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar for sports, wildlife appreciation and education. Dr. Ma is eager to share his love of nature and views of environmental issues. He has been interviewed by many social media, and he is also an online blogger.

Selected Publications

1. 李芝瑩、馬昀祺、孟曉瑩. (2021). COVID-19 疫情對戶外環境學習的影響. 臺灣林 業雙月刊, 47(6), 71-76.
2. Ma, K. K. (2019). Proposal for Hong Kong Environmental Education. Hong Kong: Outdoor Wildlife Learning Hong Kong. Available at: https://bit.ly/2lOp95e
3. Pang, C.C, Ma, X.K.K, Lo, J.P.L., Hung, T.T.H. & Hau, B.C.H. (2018) Vegetation succession on landslides in Hong Kong: Plant regeneration, survivorship and constraints to restoration, Global Ecology and Conservation, 15 (2018) e00428, DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00428
4. Pang, C.C, Ma, X.K.K, Hung, T.T.H. & Hau, B.C.H. (2018) Early ecological succession on landslide trails, Hong Kong, China, Écoscience, 25:2, 153-161, DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2018.1431377
5. Ma, K.K., Hills, P.R. and Hau, B.C.H. (2013) Environmental Education in Hong Kong: The Role of Field-based Environmental Education Programmes - A Case Study. The 19th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference, July 2013, pp. 47 - 64 (Publication No. : 230786)

Professional Trainings and Qualifications

Awards

Professional Services

Teaching Experiences