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Ocean Park Corporation announces the inauguration of Seahorse Rangers, empowering over 2,500 students and teachers from 178 local schools to become conservation ambassadors. The event, held on Ocean Park’s 47th anniversary day and officiated by esteemed guests including Jeff Sze, Acting Secretary for Education, celebrates the formation of Seahorse Rangers and their role in the community.
Largest student conservation group in Hong Kong
Seahorse Rangers, an affiliate of the Ocean Park Conservation Alliance, aims to nurture students' passion for conservation from a young age, emphasising experiential learning beyond the classroom. The programme encourages independent exploration of species and environmental changes, providing hands-on experience in animal science and research methods through Ocean Park's unique offerings. Seahorse Rangers is also a key part of Ocean Park Corporation's new conservation advocacy initiative – Mission R.
The Rangers, comprising students from kindergartens as well as primary and secondary schools all over Hong Kong, will take a deep dive into conservation issues, engage peers in innovative solutions and drive conservation efforts on campuses and in their communities. In addition to complimentary admission to Ocean Park with the 2023/24 School Year Ocean Park Learning Pass, access to valuable resources, such as the Seahorse Rangers Collection Booklet, enables year-round exploration and self-learning to complete various Rangers tasks and achieve their self-set conservation goals.
“The inauguration of Seahorse Rangers holds special significance as it coincides with Ocean Park's 47th anniversary. It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to education and conservation," said Paulo Pong, Chairman of Ocean Park Corporation. "Under our newly launched Mission R initiative, we will empower students to become conservation advocates. We envision the Ocean Park Conservation Alliance and Seahorse Rangers expanding to become the largest student-oriented conservation group in Hong Kong, joining the Park on our conservation journey.’’
Jeff Sze, Acting Secretary for Education said, “The Education Bureau endeavours to strengthen students’ awareness of environmental protection. Apart from incorporating relevant learning elements into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, we encourage schools to promote education on sustainable development through a cross-curricular and whole-school approach. We have also co-organised a number of teacher training workshops and field trips with Ocean Park, covering topics such as animal conservation, natural ecosystem and environment education, in a bid to enhance teachers’ understanding of sustainable development.”
Over a thousand Seahorse Rangers attended the inauguration ceremony today, kicking off their adventure with a remarkable workshop. The event involved the creation of recycled paper made from giant panda faeces, setting a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the “largest animal faeces paper making lesson” with 369 students participating simultaneously. By turning an unconventional resource into a daily essential, the students showcased their dedication to environmental stewardship in a creative way.
Rangers at the ceremony also participated in a seminar on Eat Local, a Mission R advocacy campaign promoting the consumption of local produce to reduce carbon footprints.
Driving conservation through flagship activities
Seahorse Rangers will take the lead in three flagship activities of the Ocean Park Conservation Alliance to be rolled out territory-wide in the 2023/24 academic year, including SGREEN and Low Carbon PLS Day. SGREEN focuses on waste reduction, recycling and upcycling while Low Carbon PLS Day encourages consumers to select package-free, locally sourced, and seasonal food items to promote environmental awareness and reduce the carbon footprint associated with food production and transportation.
Besides, Rangers will also join forces at the third flagship activity, the City Nature Challenge 2024, a three-day event where they document local wildlife using the iNaturalist platform. By contributing data to a global biodiversity database, students facilitate ecological research and help promote Hong Kong’s ecosystems to the world.
The Rangers are also set to compete for their school spot at the Ocean Park Conservation Carnival scheduled for July 2024. As the finale event of the 2023/24 School Year programme, the carnival will see 30 to 50 Ocean Park Conservation Alliance schools gather at the Park to present their ideas for addressing various environmental challenges, and showcase their conservation projects and community engagement efforts throughout the academic year to local visitors and tourists.
For more information, please visit https://oceanparkacademy.ievent.hk/p/43408.
