Mental Preparation.

Luigi and I are off to a great lecture by Billy Hau on HK's biodiversity put on by the Royal Geographic Society of Hong Kong.  Just the thing to rev us up and remind us what we are doing this for and why it matters, particularly after the live updates during the last race scared the pants off all of us, given our lack of mechnical or medical insights...

 

 

HK Biodiversity Lecture by: Billy Hau Location: Harcourt Suite, Hong Kong Club, 1 Jackson Road, Central 2011-11-14

 

**6.30 pm Drinks Reception; 7.30 pm Lecture****Members HK$100 Non members HK$150** (please note that the Hong Kong Club does not permit short trousers, denim or sports shoes) Dr. Billy Hau to speak on "Hong Kong's Biodiversity", the abundant and fascinating flora and fauna.  In this lecture, amply illustrated by pictures of this surprisingly beautiful and rich biosphere, Dr Hau introduces the biosphere and reflects on efforts to preserve this unique environment.  

When Hong Kong was ceded to the British Crown in 1842, the deforested island was soon dubbed the "Barren Rock".  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Although now famous for its Victoria Harbour skyline, within Hong Kong's thousands of square kilometres of rugged coastlines, mountain ranges and country parks lies one of the world's great biospheres.  

Straddling the transition zone between the tropics and the temperate region, Hong Kong is home to an impressive range of wildlife, with extrordinary biodiversity.  Hong Kong has more species of trees and birds than Western Europe.  It also has almost 3,000 varieties of flowering plants, including 120 species of orchid, over 300 native tree species, more than 2,000 moths, 110 dragonflies and 230 butterfly species.  Hong Kong also boasts one third of the total bird species in China, and a plethora of freshwater fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

He also discusses the threats to these species and the steps to protect them, including Hong Kong's twelve Sites of Special Scientific Interest.  But overall, progress has been slow, partly as a result of Government procrastination but also resistance from local populations in areas of the New Territories.  Dr Hau suggests solutions for the future for these problems.

Dr. Billy Hau read biology at Hong Kong University, where he also received a M.Sc. in Environmental Management and a doctorate for his work on biodiversity.  He is now an Assistant Professor at the University.  His primary research interest is forest restoration, in particular the restoration of the extensive degraded hillside habitats of Hong Kong and South China.  Dr. Hau has published more than 25 articles on Hong Kong's biodiversity, is a regular attendee at environmental meetings worldwide, lecturing widely on biodiversity.