Hong Kong’s Ocean Park made history on Wednesday by hosting the world’s largest animal faeces papermaking lesson, part of the inauguration ceremony of the city’s largest student-oriented conservation group.
Working under the bright sun, 369 students, ranging in age from kindergarten to secondary school, carefully placed a mixture of giant panda faeces and pulp on a wire screen. With the help of a hammer, they flattened the mix before letting it dry in the sunlight.
The workshop set a new Guinness World Record for the “largest animal faeces papermaking lesson”.
The lesson kicked off the official launch of the Seahorse Rangers, an affiliate of the Ocean Park Conservation Alliance, which was introduced last September. The programme comprises more than 2,500 pupils from 178 local schools and aims to nurture pupils’ passion for conservation through experiential learning beyond the classroom.
Joining the workshop was Trista Wing Tung-chung from Sau Mau Ping Catholic Primary School. The 11-year-old said she was sceptical about the lesson at first, but that it turned out to be a lot of fun.
“I have never seen panda faeces before, and I thought it would be smelly. But surprisingly, it has a unique bamboo fragrance,” said the Primary Six student, adding that it was her first attempt at making recycled paper. “The workshop has raised my environmental awareness by showing me how to transform trash into treasure.”
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Trista added that she and her peers have decided to use their recycled paper to make thank-you cards for their favourite teacher and give them to her on graduation day.
Kadence Kam Yee-ching, 9, said she learned about the many kinds of fibres present in panda faeces.
“It taught me how to make recycled paper, and I believe that the workshop can encourage more people to use recycled paper,” said the Primary Four pupil from Diocesan Girls’ Junior School, adding that she planned to keep her project as a memento.
She noted, “I look forward to future events [organised by the Seahorse Rangers] ... I have a keen interest in environmental issues as our world is facing increased global warming; I hope to contribute more and take action [for the environment].”
Promoting positive change
Paulo Pong, the chairman of Ocean Park, expressed the park’s vision to empower students to become conservation advocates.
“We hope to drive changes with creativity by gathering ideas and strengths from different parties. By engaging in small acts in our daily lives, we can work towards reversing the loss of biodiversity,” he said to the more than 1,000 teachers and students at the launch ceremony.
“I hope the Seahorse Rangers can lead students to delve deeply into the threats faced by species and biodiversity, as well as promote a low-carbon lifestyle.”
To achieve this vision, the programme provides students with hands-on experience in animal science and research methods through Ocean Park’s unique offerings, including a free pass to the park for the school year and various self-learning materials.
It also rolled out three flagship activities: SGREEN Recycle at schools, Low Carbon PLS Day and City Nature Challenge 2024.
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The first two events promote environmental awareness by encouraging waste reduction and choosing package-free, locally sourced food. Since September last year, participating schools have collectively recycled 216kg of plastic, 6,870kg of paper, and 421kg of cans.
Additionally, the three-day City Nature Challenge will allow students to engage in ecological research by documenting local wildlife online.
Liu Tsz-kei, 15, from Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Kwok Yat Wai College, said joining the Seahorse Rangers has helped her transform her lifestyle, adding that her school now holds a low-carbon fruit day, providing locally farmed and seasonal fruits and encouraging students to bring their own tableware.
“As a Hongkonger, I am willing to support local products; not only [can I] support local farmers, but I can also enjoy healthier fruits,” said the Form Four student, adding that her school offers a snack voucher from the tuck shop as an incentive for students to adopt a low-carbon lifestyle.
Participating in the programme also allowed Tsz-kei to recognise some of her own environmentally unfriendly practices, such as using plastic takeaway containers and single-use tableware.
“Plastic takes years to decompose, and I realised that if we try to cook more meals at home, it could help reduce waste,” she said. “It’s not difficult to practice a low-carbon lifestyle; it simply depends on one’s willingness to do so.”
