Hong Kong 2006 - Recreation, Sport and the Arts

Various community and educational activities were organised in 2006 to enhance public awareness of the importance of 'greening' the environment. These activities were carried out under different names such as Green Volunteer Scheme, Community Planting Day, Greening Hong Kong Activities Subsidy Scheme, theme flower shows, Best Landscape Award for Private Property Development and promotional talks. More than 750 schools and kindergartens took part in the Greening School Subsidy Scheme formed to promote environmentally friendly initiatives. The scheme provided an opportunity for students to try their hand at gardening under the guidance of their teachers and LCSD staff. A total of 350 000 students from over 1 000 schools participated in the 'One Person, One Flower' programme. Marigold seedlings were given to students to plant at home or in their schools. The LCSD's Community Garden Programme was carried out in all of the scheme's 18 districts, The scheme provides for one community garden to be built in each district. Forty gardening courses were conducted during the year attended by 7 000 participants.

The Hong Kong Flower Show is a major event, organised by the LCSD to promote horticulture and an awareness of the need for a green environment. Every year, it provides an opportunity for hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong people and horticulture lovers from around the world to enjoy the beauty and diversity of flowers and to share their experiences in flower cultivation. Participants in the show are from Hong Kong, Mainland and overseas horticultural associations, floral art clubs, green groups, district councils, schools and the general public.

A range of educational and recreational activities were also organised on the sidelines of the show. More than 180 horticultural organisations from 19 countries, including Hong Kong and the Mainland, took part in the 2006 show held in March at the Victoria Park which attracted more than 510 000 visitors to the fair ground.

The LCSD is responsible for the planting of ornamental trees and shrubs in public gardens and roadside amenity areas around Hong Kong, and for looking after the trees. It also looks after the city's public parks, gardens, sports grounds, football pitches and children's playgrounds, amenity plots and the landscape plants on the sides of highways and public roads. During the year, the department planted 10 000 trees and 3.3 million shrubs and seasonal flowers and carried out landscape improvement projects for 45 hectares of park land and roadside amenity areas, including footbridges.

To improve the greenery in urban areas and the environment around footbridges, the LCSD has a programme for growing flowering plants in pots placed on the sides of footbridges.