A Visit to the Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden

It's a public holiday in HK today and I decided to pay a visit to the Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden, a place that promotes conservation and biodiversity. I haven't been to the Farm for maybe twenty years, since my primary school years. I was reminded again of the Farm in my Environmental Management program at the University of Hong Kong, because most of my Ecology instructors were affiliated with the Farm. This fact already explains the amount and extent of conservation work the Farm is involved in.

The visit to the Farm was very pleasant, and we had great weather. It was a wise way of spending our Labour Day because we've managed to avoid the crowds in practically everywhere else in HK. We also managed to incorporate some exercise into our excursion -- it was a 400m climb from the bottom to the top of the Farm.

My most interesting discovery at the Farm was the toilet! It's a very clever, environmentally friendly design. The top of the water tank of the toilet is basically the sink for you to wash your hands. After you're done with your business, you pull on the handle. While the flushing goes on on the bottom, the tank is supposedly being filled. That water, however, goes ON TOP of the tank which is the sink-like lid of the tank. You wash your hands over the sink-like lid while fresh water is being pumped down. That used water is then drained back INTO the tank and stored for the next flush. I think this is a very clever design. You're reusing the water you washed your hands with efficiently. I don't see why this design doesn't get any more popular than just inside the Farm. (Use your imagination! Don't just scream at me for not preparing for you a picture of the actual thing! :P)

I can't help but to compare the conservation, education, and scientific work done by the Kadoorie Farm and Ocean Park since it was my thesis topic to study Ocean Park's efforts in conservation. From my mere day trip to the Farm, I didn't see vast messages on conservation or education, but they were still present at certain attractions. I was not able to see the scientific work done by the Farm, but judging from the number of HKU academics involved in the Farm, there should be plenty of scientific studies going on.

I do have a feeling, however, that people visit these two places for different reasons. People go to the Farm for a tranquil day in touch with nature. They are ready to purchase organic products at the store and are more aware (at least on the superficial level) of ecological issues. Those who visit Ocean Park, on the other hand, often seek excitement and entertainment. They are more like a tourist than being a part of the Park. They tend to expect to gain something from the Park (e.g. entertainment), whereas visitors to the Farm tend to expect to contribute to the Farm (e.g. maintenance and donations to the Farm).