Rerun at The University of Hong Kong Libraries

Date: 8/10 - 10/11/2021
Venue: HKU Main Library 2/F

Today, we know that Hong Kong boasts more than 5,940 marine species, 3,300 species of plants, 2,500 species of moths, 550 species of birds, 240 species of butterflies and 190 species of freshwater fishes. Today, we also know the specific characteristics of a valley where the city’s only native red camellia can be found; the breeding environment best suited for a thumb-sized tree frog. Where wild boars roam in a city that never sleeps; the species of birds perched on lamp posts, crooning before dusk…

 

It all began in 1816, when a naval surgeon named Clarke Abel set foot on Hong Kong Island. Starting from his first account of ferns and flowers, naturalists after him continued to discover, observe, document, classify, and name every natural object they found. Further, they delved into understanding the intricate network of the flora and fauna, the ecology of Hong Kong, and their relationship between us.

 

Behind every statistic and discovery of our knowledge today lies the tireless efforts of countless naturalists. While some take science as a profession, many take the study of nature as a life-long passion. The more we uncover, the more we realise the remarkable contributions by these "amateur naturalists", and their significant roles in forming Hong Kong’s natural history.

 

Curated by Lung Fu Shan Environmental Education Centre, this exhibition is the first extensive survey on the history of Hong Kong’s amateur naturalists, presenting to you a group of unsung heroes in natural history and their unique stories in Hong Kong. Through their stories, we are able to peer into a progression in the study of Hong Kong’s natural history, and glimpse into the beautiful mystery of Hong Kong's nature. At the end of the exhibition, we will introduce 21 contemporary amateur naturalists, each bearing the same curiosity and passion for nature. Whether following the footsteps of our predecessors, or charting their own imaginative paths, these individuals continue to discover, study, and conserve Hong Kong’s ecology.

 

From the past to the present, from them to us, our knowledge accumulated today is not through passive inheritance, but by active exchanges and bridging of connections. We are all connectors, intertwined in this wide network of the natural world.