Green Youth (Ep. 5)

Initial broadcast - 8:00 pm Friday August 14, 2015

To listen to the show, please visit the archive here.

(Photo by Su Tsz Ki)

For this episode, we wanted to learn about what efforts young people in Hong Kong are doing to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle and make Hong Kong greener. We sat down with Su Tsz Ki (Suki), who is an undergraduate at the University of Hong Kong and member of the HKU Greenwoods Society. She shares with us her work to establish a composting system at HKU's New College dormitory and transform their podium level into a vegetable garden using their food waste. Suki is very passionate about education, and we joined her and other Greenwoods members at an educational event for young people of the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servant Society. On HKU's Rooftop Farm we talk with the HKCCSS children about environmental issues. These young people truly give hope that the next generation will establish a green-minded society.

How to Get Involved?
Suki mentioned how much she enjoys being a vegetarian, and she encouraged others to try! Vegetables are much more sustainable to grow than animals, and even just one or two vegetarian meals a week helps reduce the environmental footprint meat creates. Here's a helpful list of vegetarian food blogs with ideas. Kathryn's favorite vegetarian pasta recipe is here (can be made with in-season eggplants instead of celery and carrots!)

Ark Eden on Lantau offers many internships, workshops, and educational opportunities. They have a farm, eco-centers, and take people out to explore nature! It's a great place to start getting engaged with the Hong Kong's environment!

Credits
A special thank you to:
Suki, Su Tsz Ki
Youth from the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servant Society

Kathryn Davies - Producer & Host
Music by Kodomo (Red Giant) and Arnold Bax (Oboe Quintet)

From Wild to Domestic (Ep. 4)

Initial broadcast - 8:00 pm Friday August 7, 2015

To listen to the show's initial broadcast, please visit here and click on the headphone icon.

To listen to the show after the initial broadcast, please visit the archive here.

In this episode, we begin look at the living beings that inhabit our earth, and we start with animals!

(Photo by K. Davies)

We wanted to learn more about wild and domestic animals in Hong Kong, so we went to the SPCA and had the opportunity to talk with Fiona Woodhouse (Deputy Director of Animal Welfare), Lucy Wong (Foster Parent Coordinator), and Calais Sin (Cat Colony Care Program Coordinator). Fiona tells us about the broad range of their work with all kinds of animals, as well as some background information about types of wild animals in Hong Kong and some of the different categories of animals. Encouragingly, she talks about some good new legislation being discussed to help put an end to the awful pet trade in Hong Kong. Lucy Wong tells us about how we can get involved by fostering animals, and we briefly discuss the Cat Colony Care Program (CCCP) work to help reduce the number of unwanted animals.

There are so many animals in shelters across Hong Kong that are in need of loving homes. There are all kinds of animals to chose from, and, I find, that shelter animals always recognize the loving act that you’ve done by saving their life: they are so loving back! By adopting animals from shelters, you helping to reduce the populations of unwanted cats and dogs on Hong Kong’s streets and in our country parks, which helps protect the wildlife!

How to Help Animals

As Fiona mentions, one of the best ways to help is to offer your home to an animal in need: adopt an animal from a shelter! If you’re not ready to adopt, you can also foster animals for a short period of time. You can also just volunteer or donate to animal organizations. There’s many ways you can help them!

Here are some organizations doing work to help animals in Hong Kong:

SPCA

LAP (Lifelong Animal Protection Charity)

Hong Kong Dog Rescue

PALS (Protection of Animals Lantau South)

Sai Kung Stray Friends (Note: they have faced particular challenges over having to move and can use extra help!)

Hong Kong Alleycat Watch (Note: they have some useful information/resources on their website!)

Kirsten’s Zoo
Linda's Cat and Dog House

More About Fostering

Foster Kitten Clyde (photo by: K. Davies)

I got involved with fostering after I met Calais Sin, when I went to show her a cat colony in a country park. I was so skeptical at first, because I didn’t want to get attached to a kitten! I didn’t feel I was in a position to adopt any animals, either, but she really encouraged me to try. Some 15 foster kittens later, I still love it!

They SPCA provides good support: food, litter, vet expenses, and you can return the animal at any time if it doesn’t work out for you. Sometimes the kittens need medicine or extra attention, but it’s very rewarding to see them recover and become happy, healthy little kittens! And let’s be honest, they are just so darn cute!

To get involved with fostering, please just call and leave a message with Lucy Wong and she’ll get back with you. Many of the other organizations listed above also need foster parents to help animals recovering from surgery or illness or in-transition.

Fostering is a wonderful way to enjoy the company of an animal while helping to make a good contribution to these animal welfare organizations and the happiness of the animal.

Key Vocabulary

Cat Colony Care Program - 貓隻領域護理計劃

Trap Neuter Return - 捕捉、絶育、放回

fostering - 暫養

foster parent - 暫養家庭

animal welfare legislation - 立法保障動物福利

domesticated animals - ​ 家畜​

feral - ​野生​

stray - 流浪​

feral cattle (in HK) - ​ ​野生牛隻

buffalo - 水牛​

civet cat - ​靈貓​

badger -​ 獾​

porcupine​ - 豪豬​

barking deer - 麂​

bad breeder - 無良繁殖​

pet shops - 寵物店​

appalling conditions -​ 惡劣的繁殖環境​