Flights of Spring: 5 Birds to spot in Hong Kong during the Spring Migration

All good things come to an end and the annual bird migration season in Hong Kong is no exception. As the temperatures rise, the migratory birds that have spent all Winter here will soon start heading north to their breeding grounds in the Arctic and Northern Asia, bringing yet another

Civic Conservation: 4 ways to get involved with Citizen Science in Hong Kong

In just over two months, the annual City Nature Challenge (CNC) –a global effort where cities compete to record the most biodiversity with the phone app, iNaturalist– will once again be held from the 28th of April to the 1st of May, 2023. As noted in a previous article, the

5 Best Urban Parks for Nature in Hong Kong

It’s a frequently overlooked fact about Hong Kong that it is actually much greener than many give it credit for. Behind the postcard image of towering steel skyscrapers, about 40% of its land area is protected country park. Within easy travelling distance of the urban centres of Tai Po, Yuen

The Hong Kong Wetland Park: A Nature Experience for Everyone

Birdwatching season is in full swing in Hong Kong. By now, the annual winter migration is at its peak and the wetland areas especially are thronging with birds. As often as they can afford to, birdwatchers will be flocking (pun intended) to Hong Kong’s birding hotspots, especially Mai Po Nature

The Lake District: 5 Things to do in England’s Getaway Country

International travellers to Britain tend to hone in on London, sampling the iconic sights of the capital city. If they have time, they may also pay a visit to some of the country’s other large cities like Manchester or Edinburgh. But the charm of the urban sprawl can wear thin

The Knepp Estate: A Corner of Wild Britain

The sentimental description of England as ‘a green and pleasant land’ is somewhat subjective. Yes, compared to the high rises of Hong Kong, the typical landscape of the British countryside –a patchwork of farmers’ fields fringed with narrow strips of hedgerow– does have a certain rustic beauty to it. But

Get Out and Birdwatch: A Month-by-Month Guide to Birding in Hong Kong

It’s Autumn. At last, the wait is almost over for Hong Kong’s birdwatchers. Soon, the much-missed migratory birds will return here en-masse to grace the wetlands and forests once more. As the countdown to their arrival draws to a close, there is an aura of excitement amongst the birdwatching community

5 Endangered Species in Hong Kong

Prefer not to read? WELL, listen to this article by clicking on the playerAs noted in several previous articles, Hong Kong is one of the biological hotspots of the world, a fact that goes mostly overlooked by many visitors and even residents. This is in large part due to its

The Enemy Among Us: 5 Species you (probably) didn’t know were Invasive in Hong Kong

Imagine you’re out for a stroll in the countryside in Hong Kong. Perhaps you might spot some turtles basking by on side of a reservoir, or a cluster of flowers with tiny pink and yellow heads, or a school of fan-tailed fish in a stream. The picture of nature’s perfection,

City Nature Challenge 2022: Get outside and have fun recording nature’s wonders in your own backyard

Do you like a challenge that gets you outdoors? Do you like identifying and learning about the wild animals and plants in your local area? And do you also like taking copious numbers of photos on your phone?WELL then, save the dates between April 29th and May 2nd, 2022. Because

Last-Minute Wonders: 5 outdoor activities to do before it gets too hot in Hong Kong

Autumn, Winter and Spring are arguably the best times of year in Hong Kong. Aside from numerous festivals (e.g. Christmas, Chinese New Year), the pleasantly cool weather is also perfect for doing our favourite outdoor activitiesBut alas, all good things come to an end. The heat of Summer is already

Wild Hong Kong: 5 local eco-tours to beat the cabin fever

If you’re like me and used to spend a portion of your year travelling to far-off locales –be it for culture, family visits or (especially in my case) seeing exotic wildlife – then the last couple of years have probably been tough on you. Chances are you’ve been going stir

Backyard Birding: 7 Urban Species you can find in Hong Kong

Unbeknownst even to some who live here, Hong Kong is a real hotspot for birds. Over 500 species have been recorded here and –surprisingly given the city’s reputation as an urban jungle– every year it plays host to one of the great animal migrations of the world, as thousands of

4 Best Birdwatching Spots in Hong Kong

To many Hong Kongers, October brings the National Day and Chung Yeung Festival holidays, as well the promise of a welcome, much-longed-for relief from the summer heat. For ardent birdwatchers like myself however, it brings something much more long-lasting, much more satisfying and much more feathery. Each autumn and winter,

Trashwave: The People Cleaning up Sai Kung’s Seas, One Scuba Dive at a Time

One of the many sad truths about marine litter is that 70% of it sinks to the seabed, well beyond the reach of beach cleanups. Down there, it smothers corals and seagrass beds and chokes and entangles tens of thousands of animals to death every year. Hong Kong’s seas have

The Wildlife Next Door: The Species Sharing our Space in Hong Kong

If you’ve lived in Hong Kong for a long time, you might have noticed that in recent years, our so-called concrete jungle seems to have gained some much wilder residents. Within at least the last decade, animals that once seemed confined to the country parks have started venturing more and

Plugging into Nature: 5 Apps to Connect us with (and Protect) the Environment.

The 21st Century is the age of the smartphone. Nowadays, practically everyone and their grandma owns one and it’s not uncommon to come across some new article bemoaning the latest statistics about how much time people spend looking at their phone screens. Among the many commonly repeated criticisms about smartphones

7 summer activities for eco enthusiasts Hong Kong WELL EXPLORE Local

7 Summer Activities for Eco-enthusiasts in Hong Kong

As much as we might dislike the sticky, sweltering weather of a Hong Kong summer, this is paradoxically also the time of year when many of us feel like going outside the most, especially this year with all the time we’ve had to spend indoors. And there is plenty to