ENVIRONMENT
NATURE CONSERVANCY
The Nature Conservancy was originally the research-oriented Ecological Society of America, established in 1915. Recognising the need to preserve forests, rivers, the marine environment and other ecosystems, the organisation reformed as a non-profit in 1951. The Nature Conservancy has since expanded to 72 countries around the world, protecting millions of hectares of forests and thousands of kilometres of rivers. As when it first began, however, the organisation’s approach is firmly rooted in science and collaboration. In addition to protecting land and water, it also prioritises tackling climate change, building healthy cities and sustainably supplying food and water.
The Hong Kong chapter focuses on a range of projects, including restoring the city’s historic shellfish reefs, improving the marine ecosystem and infrastructure of Shenzhen to protect it against floods, and empowering Hong Kong youth to address environmental issues through the Nature Works Hong Kong leadership programme. tnc.org.hk
In The Diary:
The TNC Gala, March 22, 2019.
New Campaigns:
Nature Works Hong Kong 2018 is a three-month programme for students from Hong Kong and Mainland China to reduce their schools’ environmental footprints by designing and implementing innovative data-driven projects. The organisation also took part in the 2018 City Nature Challenge alongside 30 other local groups, arranging activities at its Tung Chung Bay project site and inviting the public to learn more about biodiversity.
How To Help?
Make a one-off or monthly donation to receive news regarding TNC’S conservation efforts and projects.
ECODRIVE
Non-profit Ecodrive was founded by 11 women—including 500 Listers Yolanda Choy-tang, Emily Lam-ho and Tansy Lau-tom—to combat single-use plastics by educating the public and working with corporations to reduce waste. Founded in autumn 2017, Ecodrive might be a relative newcomer, but it has made plenty of strides, educating more than 4,000 students on the dangers of single-use plastics, and shooting the bilingual short film Start Small, Start Now with filmmakers Photo Escapes, which it incorporates into its many workshops. Ecodrive also organises talks, panel discussions and other events, conducts audits and suggests solutions. ecodrivehk.com
New Campaigns:
Ecodrive recently partnered with Kiehl’s on its Kiehl’s Made Better campaign, in which the skincare brand collected used bottles for recycling. It also partnered with Hong Kong Tatler’s parent company Edipresse Media Hong Kong on an Eco Think Tank at Soneva Kiri in Thailand this November.
How To Help?
Organise a screening or workshop at your school, company or community.
PROJECT C: CHANGE
Founded by award-winning TV producer Sean Lee-davies in 2010, Project C:change is a social enterprise and media platform that raises awareness about environmental issues such as climate change and conservation, and empowers local communities to protect their own natural resources. The platform engages media outlets and celebrities to spread its message; actors and models involved with the organisation include Jennifer Tse and Jocelyn Luko. The social enterprise also frequently runs fundraisers, from mountain climbs and walks to gala dinners and art exhibitions, donating the proceeds to environmental charities such as the Nature Conservancy, the International Anti-poaching Foundation and the Big Life Foundation.
Lee-davies has contributed his own work to the cause, including the breathtaking Love is Wild photography collection and the 2016 TV series Adventures to the Edge 2, which put the spotlight on endangered species across Asia. The organisation’s website is a valuable resource for news and research related to environmental issues, highlighting other organisations worthy of help, such as the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Adopt an Elephant Orphan programme in Kenya. projectcchange.com
In The Diary:
Awethentic Zoo, the Walls of Change campaign and the Project C:change Kilimanjaro Expedition, 2019.
How To Help?
Join one of Project C:change’s many fundraisers or other events.
“WITH THE RECENT IPCC REPORT ON CLIMATE CHANGE, OUR OWN EXPERIENCE OF TYPHOON MANGKHUT IN HONG KONG AND WHAT WE CONSTANTLY HEAR ON THE NEWS, WE KNOW THAT WHEN NATURE IS IN TROUBLE, WE ARE IN TROUBLE. AND WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION. THE NATURE CONSERVANCY (TNC) IS COLLABORATIVE, SCIENCE-BASED AND INNOVATIVE, WORKING ACROSS 72 COUNTRIES TO TACKLE THE PLANET’S BIGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. IN ASIA PACIFIC, OUR WORK IS SHAPING OUR HEALTHY FUTURE—WE PARTNER WITH COMMUNITIES, CORPORATES AND GOVERNMENTS TO PROTECT AND MANAGE FORESTS, GRASSLANDS, RIVERS, AND PRODUCTIVE OCEANS. WE CAN HAVE A WORLD WHERE NATURE AND PEOPLE THRIVE IF WE ALL COMMIT TO THIS WORK TOGETHER.” —MOSES TSANG “IF WE DON’T REDUCE OUR USE OF SINGLEUSE PLASTICS AND STYROFOAM, I CAN SEE A FUTURE WHEN WE CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT THE DAYS WHEN IT WAS ONCE SAFE TO WALK ON THE BEACHES, TO SWIM IN THE OCEAN AND TO EAT FRESH SEAFOOD. WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR HABITS.” —YOLANDA CHOY-TANG