Terrestrial Ecology

Introduction to the Programme

The “Environment and Conservation Fund Insect Pollination Ecology Education Programme” is an environmental education and community engagement programme funded by the Environment and Conservation Fund. With the theme of common insect pollinators in Hong Kong, the programme aims to educate and promote insect ecology to the public, to eliminate the public’s inexplicable fear of insects through diversified educational activities, outdoor field trips and “Insect Hotel”.

By popularizing the “Insect Hotel”, we could provide more nursery places for insect pollinators. Also, promote the importance of insect pollinators ecosystem services in Hong Kong. The programme is community-based, encourages the public to conduct long-term observation and surveys, collects ecological baseline data of insect pollinators in Hong Kong. As a result, the programme enriches the local ecology research with comprehensive data.

Thanks to everyone’s support, the programme was completed in November 2023. If you are interested in applying for kindergarten, primary and secondary school activities, such as the school educational programme “Insect Hotel and Pollinating Insects” and school educational programme “Butterfly Ecology Course”, you are welcome to contact our staff through email education@owlhk.org or school@owlhk.org.

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Programme Features

• Insect pollinators become a new entry point for the public to re-recognize the importance of insect pollinators in Hong Kong, and introducing the concept of ecosystem services
• In form of competitions, secondary school students will be trained to conduct “Insect Hotel” experiments, cultivates self-directed learning skills to learn about insect ecology proactively
• Program is composed of comprehensive and diversified learning activities. In addition to indoor theory and outdoor learning, students are required to build their own "Insect Hotels". Providing more habitats for insect pollinators, enriching urban biodiversity
• Tertiary students are trained up to become tutors so as to lead the public for citizen science surveys and assist in early childhood eco-education activities. Thus, students can apply the theories while consolidating knowledge, learning through teaching others
• Promote effective environmental education to early childhood education, to cultivate the mindset of coexisting with insects from an early age through on-site early childhood educational activities
• Conducting on community-basis, insect pollinators surveys and public tours assist in enhancing the common understanding of insect pollinators, eliminating the fear of insects. The survey will collect mass ecological baseline information of Hong Kong insect pollinators, contributing to biodiversity research in Hong Kong directly
• Publish reference book to encourage Hong Kong primary and secondary schools to apply conservation concepts of “Insect Hotel” in teaching and daily life, to popularizing ecological conservation and environmental education

Insect Pollination Ecology Education Exhibition

To share the programme results with the public, as well as to promote related ecology knowledge about insect pollinators, a 2-day free public exhibition during 25-26 November 2023 was held. In the exhibition, the public could learn about the contribution of solitary wasps’ to ecology through specimens and models of insect pollinators. Besides, excellent works from the “Insect Hotel Design Competition for Secondary Schools” were showcased. Visitors voted for the most popular insect hotel. Visitors could also take a close look at secondary school students’ efforts in conserving insect pollinators, and enable the public to understand the mechanism of insect hotels. In addition, the public could create “mini-insect hotel” crafts, and join the league of insect conservation.

Activity recap

Programme Achievements Release cum Awards’ Ceremony of Insect Hotel Design Competition for Secondary Schools

On 26 November 2023, we had the Programme Achievements Release to demonstrate the programme results to the public, participants and the media, including the analysed results from the “Hong Kong Insect Pollinator Survey” and publication of the “Hong Kong Insect Hotel Manual”. In addition, prize-winners of “Insect Hotel Design Competition for Secondary Schools” were awarded in recognition of their creative ideas and efforts.

Activity recap

Tutor Training for Tertiary Students

Environmental Education X Early Childhood Education - Comprehensive College Students Training

There are two rounds of tutor training for tertiary students. Each round of training consists of two training days and an overnight training camp. The training will be led by local experts, teaching the ecological knowledge and investigation skills of pollinators in person. Also, a current and experienced kindergarten teacher will explain the basics of early childhood education. Through a variety of interactive activities and outdoor field trips, participants will be well equipped as tutors!

After receiving a series of ecological and educational trainings, tertiary students will personally lead the citizen science of insect pollinators survey, and take parts in kindergartens workshop. Tertiary students will apply what they have learned in the training to achieve teaching-and-learning, consolidate the knowledge, as well as impart relevant skills and knowledge to the public, gain first-hand experience of conservation work.

The tutors will undergo four days of training, content includes:

• Basics of Environmental Education and Early Childhood Education
• Observation and identification skills of common insect pollinators
• Citizen Science Survey
• Creation and conservation application of “Insect Hotel”
• Basic ecology and diversity of insect pollinators in Hong Kong

The last round of “Tutor Training for Tertiary Students” has ended, thank you for your support!

Activity recap

Citizen Science – Hong Kong Insect Pollinator Survey

Citizen science refers to scientific research which is conducted by the public. Regardless of the background of investigators, they can assist in the collection and analysis of scientific data and the exploration of scientific hypothesis, allowing citizen scientists to experience scientific research and learn relevant knowledge. Concurrently, scientists can collect wider and larger amounts of scientific data with the help of citizens. In this activity, there were three rounds of Hong Kong Insect Pollinator Surveys. Each round had a specified research direction, which enriched the research project and comprehended the ecological information about insect pollinators. Each round included a 1-day training day, in which local experts taught about basic ecological knowledge and survey skills of pollinators.

Activity recap

The survey analytical results were released on 26 November 2023 during the Programme Achievements Release. We discovered interesting flower-visiting habits of bees and reassured the importance of solitary wasps for pollination. Besides, based on the survey results, our experts suggested using more native plants in urban planning to enhance urban biodiversity.

Survey result