The English name of Tap Mun is "Grass Island". As the name suggests, the island should be green and grassy. It used to be a green grassland where cattle herds lived. Citizens trapped in Hong Kong due to the epidemic flocked to it, revealing large areas of yellow mud and colorful camping tents everywhere.
With the "relaxation" of travel restrictions, government camps have finally been given the "green light" to reopen, which may give them a little breathing space.
A Yuen Long organic farmer teamed up with volunteers to launch the "Grass Island Rebirth" grass planting project in Tap Mun last year. It took about nine months to try to grow grass on the back of the hillside. It continued to loosen the soil, fertilize, and set up a fence to make a "grass rest area" The grassland rests and thrives, and the hard ground with extremely low humidity eventually grows young grass seedlings.
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The green grass on the hillside of Tap Mun is gradually submerged by the footprints of tourists, and in exchange for muddy yellow wasteland, even the "indigenous residents" cattle can hardly find enough grass to live well.
Amina, an organic farmer, originally planned to donate the grass removed from the farmland to needy organizations. By chance, she met a group of cattle volunteers, and only then did she know that there was a "grass shortage" in the tower gate.
She was surprised. She also visited Tap Mun more than ten years ago. The "grass island" in her mind was a large green grassland, but when she landed on the island again, it turned into a hard and bare land. Some villagers even described it as a piece of "grass island". Mars".
Organic farmers inspected and surprised that the grass has become bald and the humidity is only 10%
Under the guidance of Tai Po District Councilor Tam Er Pui, Amina started her grass planting trip at the end of September last year.
She tried planting a grassland of about 300 square feet near the pavilion on the hillside with a bowed back. Using an instrument test, she found that the humidity was only about 10%. The density is too high, even if there is water, it will not fall, and it will not be able to grow any kind of plant, and the conditions are not allowed."
Planting grass is not as simple as laying turf. The first problem is that there is a strong wind on the hillside. Even if you bring horse manure and wood chips from the city to fertilize, after a strong wind blows away the direction to the sea, Amina must continue Loosen the soil so that the fertilizer is integrated on the soil, and the soil quality is slightly improved.
Another problem is the flock of tourists on the island. She once spread grass cloth in the test planting area, not only to prevent the fertilizer from blowing away, but also to remind the public not to go inside, but there are still people who break into the picnic; Fences, parts knocked down by cattle, parts of guard rail even missing.
Advocate the official promotion of grassland rotation
With the "help" of Amina and a group of volunteers, after several twists and turns, green grass seedlings finally grew in the trial planting area.
Amina believes that this large lawn has the conditions to return to a grassland, but the premise is to set up a grass planting area and a rest area, and after the soil is loosened and fertilized, there is enough time for it to recuperate.
She believes that this experiment has been somewhat effective, but she is still worried that "there will be another large-scale stampede, the head will flood, (fire) will burn and scare it", and it will return to bald land.
She also pointed out that volunteer resources are limited, and even horse manure is sent to the island in the way of ants moving house, hoping that some organizations can pass on the pilot project.
The Lands Department is responsible for the non-recurring maintenance of the natural vegetation in Tap Mun, including removal, tree trimming or weed removal as required.
Tan Erpei believes that without any regulation, tourists will walk on the grass, and the act of lighting a fire will make the grass unable to grow. In addition, since this area is government land, volunteers cannot set up immovable railings, and can only rely on the government to take turns. Solve the problem.
Easter｜FEHD Cheung Chau collected 170 tons of rubbish on the 5th in Tap Mun, 6 tons in row 2. Ta Mun cattle do not eat grass-fed cup noodles, garbage and cow dung are now in plastic bags. Volunteers deliver grass to help fishermen in the "quit glue" port in Tap Mun catch oarfish The president of the Ichthyology Society pointed out that it is rare: strayed into the ocean current and brought to the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Agency to add 14 new priority disposal sites for marine garbage, Tap Mun and Cheung Chau are on the list
