19 November 2021 - The Pak Nai “Ridge to Reef” Field Trip

The HKUGA College Geography Department, co-organising with The Nature Conservancy, led the S5 and S6 geography students on a field trip to Pak Nai on the 19th of November. The aim of the trip was to enable students to learn more about the biodiversity and the drainage system in the area. Mr. Tom Chan, a representative from The Nature Conservancy and also our guide, led us to our main location for nature education, which was at the lower course and river mouth of Ap Tsai Hang. 

At the river mouth, we learnt about the mangroves located on mudflats normally flooded during high tide. We were told the characteristics and the importance of the mangroves, and how they reproduce and show the propagules that first grow on the trees before falling back down into the soil to start growing rapidly. After the introduction of the mangroves, we were brought further along the mudflat towards the former oyster farms. The oyster farms in this part of the bay were abandoned, yet there were still living oysters so the farms still provide habitats for other animals and creatures. One of such creatures, the mangrove horseshoe crab, is an endangered species whose population data is insufficient for us to tell what its conservation status is.

Afterwards, Mr. Chan brought us to mudflat with little discharge and then to its upstream, where we tested multiple items, including water salinity, sediment coarseness, wind speed. and how they differed between locations. 

All in all, this trip was very engaging and fun, with everyone at the site being very interested in experimental learning. The field trip was highly informative too, and it provided us with a great opportunity to learn more about Hong Kong’s biodiversity and natural landscape.

Dexter Hilton S5CC