Dr. Xoni Ma, our Founder & Education Director, was invited by RTHK 31 to host a programme exploring Hong Kong biodiversity with local experts. The show airs at 8pm every Saturdays starting from Dec 2021.

Our Founder and Education Director Dr. Xoni Ma shared his journey of contributing to environmental education. He studied Ecology & Biodiversity at university, then participated in tree measuring and research for plantations in Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve. Subsequently, he established Outdoor Wildlife Learning Hong Kong, promoting environmental education development in Hong Kong. On the other hand, he expressed his vision for Hong Kong 2050. He anticipated the Hong Kong government to carry out a concrete action plan for environmental education. He also aimed to attain the mainstreaming of environmental education under the Hong Kong education system. Besides, he wished to accelerate the collaboration in the environmental education industry and its talent nurturing.

Apart from providing people places for rest, urban greenery gardens could regulate temperature, and enhance urban biodiversity. In this programme, our Founder and Education Director Dr. Xoni Ma introduced Taikoo Square, a greenery landscape area located at Quarry Bay. He pointed out that the planted native trees, such as the Incense Tree, could facilitate insects to help spread the seeds and benefit urban ecology development.

We collaborated with Swire Properties, launching different types of public educational activities. Learn more

It is likely that everyone has encountered local streams while visiting the countryside. But have you ever noticed the aquatic beetles who hid secretly under the rocks? Our Project Officer Mr. Vito Tam, and Mr. Long Chan, who was one of the “Tertiary Student Ecological Investigators” under the “Lantau Conservation Fund Lantau Wetland Ecological Education and Outreach Programme”, shared about the taxonomy and ecological roles of aquatic beetles. They also introduced the Citizen Science concept of the program, training tertiary students to guide people from diverse backgrounds to record the aquatic beetles in rivers and marshes, in order to facilitate related research development. Let's explore the unknown world of aquatic insects (Interview excerpt: 0:00-35:05)!

In RTHK Radio 1 program “Climate Watcher”, our Founder and Education Director Dr. Xoni Ma, and Senior Education Officer Carrie Cheung, introduced the educational activities and projects we organized. They explained how these activities could integrate various elements like “Citizen Science”, “Nature Connectedness”, board games and orienteering games, as well connecting the public, families, adolescents and the elderly. Through our activities, participants could learn more about Hong Kong biodiversity, and experience the interesting facets of our nature (Interview excerpt: 0:00-32:06).

Through different outdoor courses with diversified themes, how could OWLHK make up for the lack of environmental education in Hong Kong? Our Founder and Education Director Dr. Xoni Ma was interviewed by Hong Kong Economic Journal, and talked about the founding of OWLHK, as well as his interaction with activity participants. Additionally, he shared his vision for Hong Kong environmental education.

Our Founder and Education Director Dr. Xoni Ma was invited by Diocesan Working Committee for “Following Thy Way” to share his experience in outdoor environment education through a talk about “Countryside Conservation Education Program in Sai Kung”. He emphasized the interconnection between the environment and human, and shared different pedagogy to integrate environmental education in classes.

Do you know? Butterflies, a creature that can be found frequently in our daily life, in fact have lots of interesting habits! In this episode of 《Hong Kong’s Greenery and Biodiversity》, our Founder and Conservation Director Mr. Bond Shum led the viewers to explore Shing Mun Country Park and Grassy Hill, and peep into butterflies’ survival tactics, “weird” dietary preferences and the habit of climbing the hills for romantic courtship. Viewers could also learn more about different types of local butterflies, and skills for observing butterflies (Interview excerpt: 12:01-23:07).

Our Founder and Education Director Dr. Xoni Ma is a nature lover. He has travelled to places like Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. Despite seeing various breathtaking scenery and species, he still has decided to have a deep-rooted foundation in Hong Kong and established Outdoor Wildlife Learning Hong Kong, in order to promote Hong Kong outdoor environmental education. In this interview, Dr. Ma shared his journey of engaging in environmental education. He also pointed out how our activities could influence youngsters who are initially affected by "Nature-deficit Disorder”, and lead them to again step into the world of nature, and feel the charm of our Mother Nature.

Why the amount of bees has been decreasing recently? How could the general public and students conserve solitary wasps and insect pollinators through “Citizen Scientist Program” and “Insect Hotel’? Our Founder and Conservation Director Mr. Bond Shum and Education and Research Manager Dr. Ken So were honoured to be invited by RTHK Radio 5, and in consecutive two episodes of 《Green Road》, shared how citizen scientists could contribute to the insect pollinator baseline research, and how secondary school students designed environmental-friendly and useful “insect hotels” for solitary wasps.

In the RTHK 31 program “Hong Kong’s Greenery and Biodiversity| Splendid Changes in Lai Chi Wo”, our Education and Research Manager Dr. Ken So introduced how he nurtured the nearly-disappeared Rice Fish (Oryzias curvinotus) in Lai Chi Wo through the “Rice Fish Reintroduction Program” under the “Sustainable Lai Chi Wo” program. Viewers could understand the way of conducting a Rice Fish survey and the importance of Rice Fish to local ecology (Interview excerpt: 15:45-22:07).

Have you ever heard of a creature named “Hydroscapha shuihau”? In 2013, it was discovered by an amateur entomologist. It was identified as a new species exclusively found in Shui Hau, but sadly it was nowhere to be found ever since. In this article, our Education and Research Manager Dr. Ken So introduced the characteristics and behaviours of Hydroscapha shuihau. He also discussed the status quo of Hong Kong aquatic insect research. Let’s learn about this mysterious creature!

Started in December 2021, “Environment and Conservation Fund Insect Pollination Ecology Education Programme” has concluded successfully in November 2023! The “Insect Hotel Design Competition for Secondary Schools” attracted 39 students, from 10 schools, to participate, and a total of 10 insect hotels were created. Within 2 months, they observed their insect hotels in school. Apart from realizing the importance of insect pollinators, the students could also provide shelters for solitary wasps whom had limited survival areas due to urban development. Hence, the program definitely provided environmental protection values.

Besides, the program also includes the “Citizen Science – Hong Kong Insect Pollinator Survey. A total of 105 participants had collected Hong Kong insect pollinator data from 508 observatory spots. This survey has provided important affirmation to the importance about local insect pollinators and their surrounding environments towards local ecology.

Our Founder and Education Director Dr. Xoni Ma was invited by We Toast HK and was honoured to be the guest of the 35th Podcast episode. He shared the history of vegetation in Hong Kong, and explained the importance of Fung Shui trees to Hong Kong ecology. He also shared his experience of forest surveying. Additionally, he pointed out the biodiversity in Hong Kong by citing Hong Kong Tree Gecko, one of the newly discovered species in recent years. Besides, he described how OWLHK has utilized affective learning and interactive games, such as forest bathing and boardgame "Law of the Forest", to enable students to rediscover the joy of approaching the nature.

Our Founder and Conservation Director, Mr. Bond Shum, was honored to be interviewed by Youth SPOT Magazine. He shared the reason for engaging in the environmental education industry. In addition, he explained how OWLHK utilizes unconventional ways, such as board games and activities that combine affective and cognitive learning, to encourage city dwellers to step out of their comfort zones. In the outdoor environment, people can listen to the sound of rivers, appreciate the appealing smell of flowers, and feel the texture of leaves. By doing so, they could again catch up with the nature, an old friend that has not been seen in a long time.

Through nearby city parks, how can we enable the public to appreciate the adorable and interesting animals around us? How can the general public participate in Hong Kong’s environmental conservation work? Besides, how can we help activity participants to acquire ecological knowledge via games? Dr. Xoni Ma, our Founder and Education Director, was honored to be a guest on the 21st episode of "Sustainable Cycles". He shared OWLHK’s diversified ecological activities, including citizen scientist programs, orienteering games and five-senses exploration activities. He demonstrated the public about the infinite possibility of environmental education.

Ms. Janice Lo, our Founder and Creative Director, was invited to be a guest on RTHK 3 radio’s program "#Hashtag Hong Kong". She shared with the audience the results of the City Nature Challenge 2023 (Hong Kong) and how OWLHK played a key role as one of the main coordinators on the voluntary basis of the competition. She also discussed how to promote the event and raise public awareness about Hong Kong's biodiversity, as well as encourage participation in citizen science activities and contribute to the biodiversity database.

How to develop the "Law of the Forest" from scratch into a board game that combines entertainment and education together? How effective are utilizing board games as teaching materials? What are the challenges of promoting environmental education in Hong Kong? Dr. Xoni Ma, our Founder and Education Director, was honored to be a guest on the first episode of "Sustainable Cycles" and shared how to use board games for environmental education. Let's watch the episode together and learn more!

Ms. Maggie Mang, our Senior Education Officer, was invited to be a guest in the RTHK 5 radio program “Good Kids Sunday”. The program shares ecological knowledge with children via radio broadcasting and leads them to learn about some common flora and fauna in urban areas.

(Every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. “Good Kids．Little Hands Save the Earth" broadcast)

The documentary "Along with the Rivers" invited Dr. Ken So, our Education and Research Manager, to share how to utilize citizen scientist activities to help scientists collect long-term monitoring data, thereby assisting in river restoration. Dr. Ken So hopes that, through education, the public can establish the correct relationship between rivers. (Interview excerpt 5:50-7:22)

There are numerous spider species in Hong Kong with extrasensory perception and different body structures. Let’s get to know these amazing superpowers together. Through organizing the ‘ECF Spider Survey Ecological Education Programme’, we aim to eradicate public fear and misunderstanding toward spiders and understand the importance of spiders in the native ecology.

Are bryophytes the same as moss? General public may take it as moss growing on tree trunks, rocks, or soil, but how do we identify them? Our Founder and Conservation Director Mr. Bond Shum introduces some basic knowledge and skills of planting bryophytes. So you may also know more about these tiny little plants.

The freshwater marsh nurtures various aquatic insects. Although they might appear unremarkable, these creatures exhibit a wide range of interesting behaviour awaiting us to discover. In this episode of "Biodiversity in Magazine", Dr. Ken So, our Education and Research Manager, introduces these mysteries and rarely known aquatic insects’ ecology. Let’s find out how they adapt to the underwater environment.

We tremble with fear when hearing of Red Imported Fire Ants, as being one of the intense invasive species. What are their impact on Hong Kong’s ecology? What environment do they prefer? In this episode of "Biodiversity in Magazine", Mr. Roy Cheung, our Senior Education and Research Officer, introduces the impacts of invasive ant species on native ecology and the ways to prevent the invasion.

How many species of ants in Hong Kong? How can queen ants build its army? In this episode of "Biodiversity in Magazine", Mr. Roy Cheung, our Senior Education and Research Officer will introduce ant species in Hong Kong, their various behaviour, and the social class in their society. Let’s get into the world of ants now.

What is the difference between bees? How about the relationship between Green-winged Bamboo-Carpenter? In this episode of "Biodiversity in Magazine", Mr. Bond Shum, our Founder and Conservation director will introduce more about bees’ behaviour. Also introduces the difference between royal jelly and honey. Let’s get into the world of bees now.

Insect repellent and antiperspirant with fragrance attract bees easily. What should I do if I meet wasps in the wild? In the episode of “Biodiversity in Magazine”, Mr. Bond Shum, the Founder and Conservation Director of OWLHK will introduce the basic knowledge of wasps and bees and ways that we can contribute to conservation of these species. Let’s figure them out in this episode!

We are honoured to collaborate with HKSocialTV and our Founder and Conservation Director Mr. Bond Shum will share how he became committed to set his career path in the environmental education industry in Hong Kong. He also introduces a self-motivated and sensation-driven ‘Forest Exploration Logbook’ published by OWLHK, encouraging self-learning in the wild. Let’s listen to Bond and learn more!

Started in 2020, the “Spider Survey Ecological Education Programme” has found two spider species belonging to the Anyphaenidae and Trachelidae families, which had not been scientifically logged as living in Hong Kong. The survey might have also obtained the first local record of the spider of the Qianlingula genus.

We are honoured to be invited by PMQ Seed to collaborate with other parties and hold sessions for the “GREEN & ME Train the Trainer Workshop” series. The workshop offers training in equipping knowledge and techniques in environmental education, as well as boosting the empathy towards our environment. Tap on the video to learn more.

Not being able to travel abroad to immerse yourself in the cherry blossom due to travel restrictions? No worries! Our Founder and Conservation Director, Mr. Bond Shum, is here to walk you through different flower viewing hotspots in Hong Kong. He also introduced some of the most attractive local flowering plants that you should never miss!

Are you interested in being an environmental educator? Our Senior Education Officer, Ms. Maggie Mang, is honoured to be invited to share her journey working in OWLHK with members of Network of Environmental Student Societies (NESS). In this session, she would inspire you with the ways to arouse public awareness of the environment, and the difficulties she has faced in the meantime.

Probably many of you have the experience of “staycation” during the pandemic, but do you know there are hotels for insects as well? Due to urban development, solitary bees face the challenge of having fewer habitats. Insect hotels provide areas for them to breed. By organizing various activities, including the ongoing Insect Hotel Design Competition for Secondary Schools, we hope to promote the concept of insect hotel to help the solitary bees.

I believe many of you know that bumblebees are social animals, but do you know there are “lone wolves” in bees too? Our Founder and Conservation Director, Mr. Bond Shum, will introduce two solitary bees you can find in Hong Kong, and how they can take on the responsibility in solitary life.

How do exotic species affect ecosystems? Do you know they may threaten agriculture, fishery, or even cause species extinction? Our Education and Research Manager, Dr. Ken So, will discuss where the invasive species come from, the consequences and the resolutions.

Any special in plants in Hong Kong? Plants in Hong Kong are so diverse that more people are interested in them nowadays, and become eager to identify different species. Plants, however, vary a lot which confuses beginners. Do not worry! Our Founder and Conservation Director Mr. Bond Shum will share his tips on learning plant identification!

The LCF has approved a total of 18 education, research and conservation projects involving a total grand of around $5.5 million in the first round of application (2020-2021). Our programme “Lantau Countryside Ecological and Cultural Education Programme” was one of them! We will explore Lantau and visit various ecological hotspots through innovative environmental education activities. Local residents in Lantau will co-create together to share their stories!

Our founder and conservation director Mr. Bond Shum shares how bird-watching inspired him and started caring more about the nature! Let us follow him to the forest with our interns, learn more about ecology and the magic in it!

Do spiders bite? Are they toxic? Are they scary?

Our Education Officer, Ms. Silvy Chan will tell us the behaviours, habitats and trivia of spiders. Let us clear the misunderstandings about them, and bring down the fears towards spiders. Silvy even raises a challenge for us: to find 2 different species of spiders in the countryside, on railing, and in the forest!

Urban forestry contributes to the sustainable development of a city. Recent change in Kai Tak is one example. Mr. Kayson Lo, our Senior Project and Conservation Officer shared his thoughts on the Kai Tak River improvement works, and the ecological transformation before and after the project. He also mentioned the benefits that blue-green infrastructures could bring to a community.

Even though ants are tiny in size, they can lift 400 times their own weight! There are thousands of ants on the planet, and they all work together perfectly. Follow Roy, the Association's Senior Education and Research Officer, as he explores their ethnic groupings through the lens.

How much do you know about our marine environment? Our Senior Project and Conservation Officer, Mr. Kayson Lo, tested your knowledge about the marine ecosystem. He also shared the impact of urban development and extreme weathers on marine organisms, information regarding ocean conservation, as well as some of his remarkable experiences exploring marine ecology.

Environmental education has never been easy. Dr. Ma and his team expanded to a group of more than a dozen people from only three people with zero funding. What kind of beliefs do they hold for their persistence? At the same time, let's find out what books Dr. Ma has read that gave him extraordinary values.

Our Founder and Education Director, Dr. Xoni Ma always conveys an essential principle to the participants when he carries out environmental education activities, “Everything is connected”. Dr. Ma shared his experiences and ideas on environmental education, and how to apply them on combating climate change.

Follow the native environmental educator – Dr. Xoni Ma, to be touched by our mother nature. Hong Kong is a tiny place yet rich in biodiversity. Dr. Ma would like to reconnect the public through environmental education in the coming days.

In "ECF Discovering South Lantau Invertebrates", there were new local discoveries such as Anthidiellum carinatum in Mui Wo and Pycnoscelus nigra in Tung Chung. Moreover, a gray-white moth first appeared in Tung Chung, showing that it is a new species. Environmental groups suggest that future development should be carefully planned to achieve ecological balance.

In 2020, a rare moth appeared in Lantau Island which is the world's first case. It indicates that Hong Kong has a high level of biodiversity. However, many environmental groups worry that reclamation projects will cause irreversible ecological damages, change the habitat of species, or even kill the local rare insect species. They urge the development of brownfields instead.

The general ecological survey records are dominated by butterflies and dragonflies. However, many grasshoppers and flies were found in Lantau Island in 2020, which is up to 20% to 30% of the numbers found in the past ten years. It is hoped that the survey encourages the public to pay more attention to the high-value biodiversity and ecology of the surrounding environment.

The records of insects and invertebrates collected in "ECF Discovering South Lantau Invertebrates" in 2020 exceeded expectations. They were even similar to the records collected by iNaturalist which is a network built for collecting observations of biodiversity so far. More than 100 species were recorded for the first time in iNaturalist Hong Kong’s record. In response to this discovery, Bond Shum, the founder and Director of OWLHK, suggested that the government should strengthen rural protection work.

In last year's "ECF Discovering South Lantau Invertebrates" public participation survey, the public team has identified the first new species of moth in the world. In addition, Anthidiellum carinatum and Pycnoscelus nigra were discovered for the first time in Hong Kong. The number of species recorded in this survey is great which implies Hong Kong’s biodiversity should be properly conserved.

Hibernation, as a common strategy for many creatures to survive, mostly occurs in winter. Not all the cold-blooded animals in Hong Kong are strict “sleepers” during this period, let’s see how they survive winters!

Hong Kong’s First Freshwater Wildlife Mobile Guide is out now! OWLHK, as sponsor and supporting organization, would provide a dynamic educational resource of freshwater habitat and organisms in Hong Kong the for the public.

Through ECF Discovering South Lantau Invertebrates – Search in Lantau, OWLHK encourages the public to actively explore freshwater habitat and local ecology. Mr. Liu and students from HKFEW Wong Cho Bau Secondary School joined the contest and was carrying out their insect & invertebrates survey in Tung Chung. We hope to arouse public awareness and encourage community participation in exploring nature.

Many people would go for a walk in the countryside during the pandemic. This time, our Founder and Conservation Director Mr. Bond Shum took us to Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve to appreciate the local biodiversity. He also introduced the possible ecological and environmental impact brought by visitors and shared some ways to carry out environmental education as well.

Through ECF Exploring Wild Lantau – Impression of Natural Lantau Video Competition, OWLHK encourages the public to actively explore the natural environment of Lantau. Each team shows appreciation towards Lantau in their entries, and hopes to raise more awareness on Lantau natural conservation.

We may visit the stream to cool down by playing in the water, but dragonflies reproduce by touching the water's surface! Bond, one of the Association's founders and directors, will take you on a tour of the dragonfly's routines and the ideal times to observe them!

Ms. Lantana is a renowned for its outstanding beauty, but she keeps a low profile and always sits aside… You probably saw her before, let’s get to know her!

Spring is stirred with lives which goes well with your hikes. Hikers, however, found that there are quite a number of dead bodies of Hong Kong Newt along the road… What are the Newt facing in Chuen Lung?

ViuTV programme host met the tertiary tutor trained in “ECF Joyful Learning in Forest Ecology-Board Game‧Outdoor‧Environmental Education”. They learnt the forest ecology by playing the board game “Law of the Forest” together.

Let’s have a tree survey! Measure the diameter at breast height of trunks with special tools to estimate the carbon flux and stock of trees.

Dr Xoni Ma, Founder and Education Director of OWLHK, leads you at MacLehose Trail (Section 9) - Route Twisk to Tin Fu Tsai. Let’s immerse in the atmosphere and enjoy the forest bath.

Living in Hong Kong, forests are within easy reach. Let’s explore the largest secondary-forest in Hong Kong, and consider the interdependence of nature vis-à-vis humanity.

Ms Janice Lo, Founder and Creative Director of OWLHK, shared her experience and story of starting environmental education, as well as the vision and values of this industry.

The Vox Amica Press introduced the board game “Law of The Forest” design by us, which is the first board game in Hong Kong with the theme of local forest ecology and biodiversity. It displayed the basic gameplay, accessories and booklet of “Law of The Forest”.

Guided by OWLHK tutor, we launched a parent-child activity at Pok Fu Lam Reservoir. The activity led the children proactively explore the mather nature by minigames and creative learning materials. We hoped the children might establish a bonding between their life and mother nature since childhood.

The Pallas’s Squirrels are adorable and nimble. They unconsciously help the tree to breed as well. Let Bond Shum, Founder and Conservation Director of OWLHK, explain the interesting facts the Pallas’s Squirrel.

The board game “Law of the Forest” leads students to learn beyond the books. Playing the board game with enjoyment, students can acknowledge the forest succession and the ecological relation between the environment and creatures.

Under the natural selection, do you think you can survive in the forest in Hong Kong? Playing the first board game with the theme of Hong Kong forest ecology and biodiversity, let’s consider the creatures in the wild and how they adapt and survive!

When was your last time you set foot in a forest? If you cannot recall, you may be experiencing Nature Deficit Disorder! Let’s learn about local forest and species by playing Hong Kong ecology-themed board game “Law of the Forest”, go for a field trip in forest and embrace nature!

Throw away your textbook, Learn while you play! Experts of local ecology developed a board game called “Law of the Forest”. Complicated concepts are simplified by the game design. From now on, let’s learn about local forest ecology in a fun way!

Dr. Xoni Ma and friends sharing the same vision with him together founded “Outdoor Wildlife Learning Hong Kong”. They hope to give some new energy to environmental education in Hong Kong, and bring people outside to learn in nature.

Humanities, landscapes and plants are all closely related. Xoni and Bond, two of the founders and directors of OWLHK, lead us to village in Lantau, to explore life hacks in the old days through plants.

Being the backyard of Hong Kong, Lantau is a treasure vault full of plants. Xoni and Bond, two of the founders and directors of OWLHK, lead us to Fa Mun Traditional Path in Ngong Ping to explore the plant diversity of Lantau.

During scorching summer, you might as well look for animals active in “morning/night shift”! This course “Day and Night in Lantau” was divided into day course and night course, visiting different sites in Lantau to learn about Lantau’s biodiversity and behaviours of different species.

Being a member of the global village, environmental education should be integrated into daily life. However, like what Hong Kong environmental education expert Dr. Xoni Ma has said, environmental education does not receive much attention in Hong Kong. Comparing to Taiwan, we can definitely do more and better.

‘Nature is the best classroom.’ Dr Xoni Ma, founder and education director of Outdoor Wildlife Learning Hong Kong co-founded OWLHK with experts in local ecology. They dedicate to promote outdoor environmental education, and encourage the use of five senses to interact with nature.

Different vegetation are having distinctive environment. Whether it has canopy or not is a major difference between forest and shrubland, and for shrubland it has its own special values in Hong Kong environment……

Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve is one of the best forests in Hong Kong. It has various hiking trails that allow you to explore the forest comprehensively and appreciate its beauty.

Fung Shui Woods situate at the back hill of Hakka villages. Villagers protect the forest very well for their livelihood, so Feng Shui Woods are having long history and they are important references for local forest conservation.

Dr. Xoni Ma understands the importance of education from his great teachers in secondary schools. His passion in environmental protection guides him to a direction for studying ecology and biodiversity as his major, and lastly obtained a PhD in environmental education, and pushing EE development in Hong Kong.