The relationship between trees and cities is inseparable. As a part of the city, how can the public participate in the maintenance of trees?
The Greening, Landscape and Tree Management Section (Management Section) of the Development Bureau is responsible for coordinating urban forestry strategies, including promoting quality planting and biodiversity through the promotion of quality greening and blue-green construction, and preparing for climate change; Implement tree life cycle management and conserve landscape resources and trees, effectively manage and maintain trees, ensure public safety, and achieve harmony between people and trees.
In order to continue to promote the development of urban forestry in Hong Kong, the management team is committed to nurturing professionals and training professionals for the tree management industry. Through community engagement and public education activities, the public is encouraged to actively participate in greening and tree conservation to increase their knowledge of tree management.
The following sections will focus on two urban forestry strategies, nurturing professionals and public participation.
Introduce study grants and trainee programmes to nurture talents and encourage young people to join the industry
In order to enhance the professional standards of practitioners in arboriculture and horticulture, and to strengthen public education and promotion on proper tree maintenance, the Government will set up a $200 million Urban Forestry Development Fund (the Fund) in 2020 to support the Development Bureau in implementing various projects. Measures, including study funding scheme, trainee scheme, holding international urban forestry seminars and implementing public education and outreach activities.
The maximum subsidy amount for subsidizing arboriculture courses is HK$20,000
The arboriculture and horticulture industry in Hong Kong has always been in high demand for talents. Arborists and front-line arboriculture technicians are important talents in the local industry, but manpower is in short supply.
The Fund’s Study Subsidy Scheme encourages eligible students and practitioners to enroll in accredited arboriculture and Tree management and arboriculture courses.
The subsidy for arboriculture and tree management courses is half of the tuition fee or HKD 20,000, and the subsidy for arboriculture courses is 70% of the tuition fee or HKD 6,000, whichever is lower.
The courses currently funded by the fund each year include the Associate of Science (Tree Management) degree from the International College of Hong Kong Baptist University. A first-year student of this course, Zhong Ziyan, said that the tuition fee subsidy scheme has helped ease his tuition burden.
Zhong Ziyan originally studied Nursing, but later found that he prefers outdoor work, and was influenced by friends who studied tree management, so he changed to tree management.
He pointed out that he has benefited a lot from outdoor practice: "Under different environmental factors, plants will respond differently. There are many old trees in the two parks I visited today, and I learned the knowledge of maintaining old trees."
Hu Shuxun, a second-year student studying the course, said, "I have been fond of nature since I was a child. I saw the tree management course offered by HKBU, and I was very interested and enrolled. I hope to become a registered arborist in the future, because I have used arboriculture in the past year. I think arboriculture work is very challenging and very suitable for me. This time I mainly learned the knowledge of tree identification, such as identifying tree species and characteristics. In addition, I also learned how to care for trees. First of all, I will observe the existing problems of trees. , such as observing wounds and cracks, etc.”
Set up scholarships up to HK$50,000 per academic year
Apart from the above-mentioned study funding scheme, the Fund also has a scholarship scheme to provide financial incentives to encourage eligible students who aspire to enter the industry to enrol in a recognised programme, namely a full-time programme in arboriculture and tree management at level 5 of the Qualifications Framework.
Eligible students will be awarded a scholarship amounting to the total tuition fee payable for each academic year of the accredited programme or HK$50,000, whichever is lower.
Currently, the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Horticulture and Landscape Management at the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) of the Vocational Training Council is a programme available for eligible students to apply for scholarships.
Trainee program allows graduates to gain work experience
Graduates need training opportunities and accumulated work experience before becoming qualified arborists and tree climbers.
In view of this, the Fund has launched a trainee programme to assist graduates of arboriculture, tree management and arboriculture courses to receive on-the-job training and gain experience.
The Government entrusts the Construction Industry Council to manage the trainee scheme, providing trainees with a training subsidy equivalent to about 30% of the agreed monthly salary level through employers. The training periods for arborist and tree climber trainee are 3 years and 18 respectively. moon.
Trainees must complete the training and obtain the professional qualifications of accredited arborists or tree climbers during the training or within one year after completing the training.
Various government tree management departments also employ arborists and tree climber trainees to assist in tree maintenance and management.
Liu Xiaoqing, an arborist trainee of the Development Bureau, pointed out that her daily work includes conducting inspections of tree risk assessment management in various districts, checking the tree assessment reports submitted by the departments, comparing the actual conditions of the trees with the contents of the reports, and re-evaluating the potential dangers of the trees.
She said that she plans to provide different courses for interns to practice, such as soft power courses and arboriculture knowledge consolidation courses: "On the one hand, it helps new workers like me to improve their interpersonal skills and teamwork skills, and on the other hand, it provides a lot of practical arboriculture-related skills. Content, such as chainsaw applications, pests and tree care, etc.”
After participating in the program, Liu Xiaoqing pointed out that she has more opportunities to experience arboriculture up close and apply the knowledge she has learned.
Field trips to different places in Hong Kong allowed her to appreciate the delicate relationship between the environment and trees, which greatly enhanced her confidence in her future arboriculture work.
"The plan will ensure that I will be employed three years after graduation, allowing me to work and study at the same time, and to gain knowledge beyond books, which makes me more confident to become an accredited arborist."
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department's Climbing Trainee Trainee Chen Shuchuzhi Programme provides basic tree climbing training and knowledge, such as various knots, tree climbing skills, the use of chainsaw techniques, methods of identifying tree health and safety awareness training.
Among them, what most affected Chen Shuchu was that the plan made him realize the importance of safety awareness: "Once I was going to train to work on a tree, but I forgot to bring a safety lanyard before going up the tree. Fortunately, an instructor from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department who was there reminded him. I take it. It is very dangerous to work without a safety lanyard, and later on, I learned that safety is more important than any work skills.” Speaking of the most memorable trainee experience, he said that it was a tree work in Saigon: "At that time, we needed to deal with a tree that was entangled with entangled roots. First, we had to remove the entangled roots, which tested the division of labor and cooperation when we worked with multiple people. At the same time, we also tested our skills. We need to carefully remove the entanglement without hurting the tree. He said that after participating in the program, his path to becoming a tree climber became clearer and clearer: "The apprenticeship program has more affirmed my interest in the industry. Next, I will obtain more professional qualifications and be ready to join the industry."
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Holding an International Urban Forestry Symposium to Gather International Experts
In order to enhance the understanding of the industry and the public on the planning and development of urban forestry, the Fund supports the Development Bureau to hold the "International Urban Forestry Seminar" (Seminar) in Hong Kong every two years, providing a platform for renowned experts from all over the world , decision makers, scholars and industry professionals to share knowledge, experience and insights on urban forestry issues, management practices, research and development, and technological development, and jointly discuss future development directions.
The Development Bureau held its second seminar on 2-3 March 2022 under the theme of "Our Well-being: Urban Forests and Communities", inviting more than 20 keynote speakers from local, mainland and overseas, including the world Experts from WHO, university professors, urban forestry scholars, landscape architects, engineers, etc., in four sessions - "Better City", "Urban Forestry in the Greater Bay Area", "Landscape Design to Improve Health and Well-being" and "Healthy Urban Trees", to share and exchange best practices, and to foster connections.
The seminar was conducted in the form of live webcast, attracting about 1 200 participants to watch the seminar in real time through the seminar website.
The seminar set up a special topic on "Urban Forestry in the Greater Bay Area". Mainland and local speakers discussed tree management techniques and pests and diseases in southern China, as well as how to effectively resist extreme weather through the development of urban forests, so as to enhance the resilience of cities and enable them to Everyone knows more about how South China can create a more livable city.
The seminar also featured a special student and intern segment in January 2022, allowing students from landscape architecture programmes of three local tertiary institutions to conduct research and field visits on the design of green spaces and the improvement of the health and well-being of urban residents .
In addition, after the epidemic has eased, the seminar will organize two field trips in Kowloon Park for registered members of the public - forest bathing and tree work field trips, allowing participants to experience nature under the leadership of forest therapy guides, and experienced Arborists explain urban tree care and share interesting tree stories and knowledge.
The Hong Kong 2022 International Urban Forestry Symposium featured speakers including Mr Matthias BRAUBACH, Technical Director of the European Centre for Environment and Health of the World Health Organization, to discuss the relationship between urban forestry and public health
The seminar will be conducted in the form of live webcast, and there will be a group discussion session
Students from landscape architecture programmes of three local tertiary institutions conduct research and field visits on issues of green space design and improving the health and well-being of city dwellers
Regular training to enhance the professional level of the industry
Academic theory plus practice is the only way to improve professional level.
In addition to the above activities, the Government will regularly organize training and workshops for practitioners of various tree management departments to enhance their professional standards and provide more reliable tree maintenance services to the public.
Promoting "Human Tree Harmony" and Encouraging Public Participation
The public plays an important role in helping to protect the trees in Hong Kong.
The Fund supports the Development Bureau through a series of public education and promotion activities to promote the message of "People Tree Harmony".
To increase the public's knowledge on tree management, the management team publishes booklets and short articles related to the theme of urban forestry to introduce Hong Kong's urban forestry strategy to the public in a simple and easy-to-understand manner.
In encouraging public participation, the management team has also spared no effort to organize various promotional and educational activities for the public and the trade, including school talks, public seminars, bus and tram body advertising competitions and roving exhibitions, etc., covering various tree management topics such as basic tree maintenance , tree maintenance before the wind and rainy season, plant diseases and insect pests, etc., to allow citizens of all ages to participate, to convey the knowledge of basic tree maintenance to the public, to cultivate the public's culture of caring for trees, and to increase the interest of young people in arboriculture.
In addition, the management team has added a Landscape Pavilion on the greening website to display some well-designed parks and green spaces with rich themed plantings in order to promote public understanding and appreciation of the landscape design features of local green spaces, and encourage the public to visit and enjoy our green assets.
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Promulgation of the Tree Management Manual to maintain trees on private land
As for the promotion of tree maintenance in private properties, the management team promulgated the "Tree Management Manual" as early as 2016 to provide guidance and advice to tree owners, property managers and qualified professionals in the maintenance of the trees they own and manage.
The Tree Management Manual was incorporated into the Code of Practice for Building Management and Safety in the Building Management Ordinance (Cap. 344) in 2018, making tree management an integral part of the work of property management personnel.
Before the onset of the rainy season every year, the management team will strengthen the publicity work on tree maintenance, and will also send letters to remind private property owners to conduct tree risk assessments for trees within their properties and take appropriate mitigation measures to ensure public safety.
The management team will also organise tree care seminars for private property owners and property managers to enhance their knowledge of tree care.
Trees are an important resource for a city and the foundation for a beautiful home.
The management team actively promotes the development of urban forestry, invests resources in cultivating professionals, and attracts new recruits to join the tree maintenance industry. At the same time, through education and publicity, it encourages the public to participate in tree maintenance, conveys the concept of harmony between people and trees, and makes our city a better place. Livable.
(Information and photos provided by customers)