A charitable organization incorporated in Hong Kong with limited liability by guarantee.
Registered Charity Number: 91/06472
As mentioned, we have held a Shui Hau rice harvest day with the villagers. However, the Yellow-breasted Buntings had already started their own “harvest” in the paddy field even before us!
As the paddies began to turn golden, from time to time, we noticed some creatures even more golden-yellow than the paddy itself bouncing around the farmlands. As we approached, they would whoosh off to the nearby dense woods, peeking stealthily at the humans wielding large shovels. We raised our binoculars for a closer look and spotted the yellow belly, exclaiming without thinking: "Ah—It's a YBB!" (Note: YBB = Yellow-breasted Bunting).
Not only did we have our meal ready, but the Yellow-breasted Buntings also found their feast at Shui Hau.
Picture 1: Yellow-breasted Bunting hiding in the paddy field
Picture 2: Yellow-breasted Bunting feasting in the paddy field
We successfully established the first paddy field in Shui Hau after about half a century!
By the end of November last year, we held a small-scale Shui Hau's first rice harvest da. Together with the villagers, we spent the better part of a day harvesting the rice and threshing the grain (separating the seed from the straw). After threshing, the grains were taken to be polished (the process of milling the brown rice to white), and then came the much-anticipated moment – mealtime!
👨🏼🌾Villager A, harvested the rice with ease despite claiming to have not done so for many years.
"Thank you all so much – it feels like returning to the old days of harvesting rice!"
👩🏼🌾Villager B, seeing some grains still clinging to the straw after threshing, carefully picked off each one.
"It's finally possible to see rice back in Shui Hau! Seeing everyone's hard work, not a single grain of rice can go to waste, each one is the fruit of labour!"
Looking forward to the next harvest! (continue to use shovels to turn the soil)
Picture 1:HKBWS colleagues and villagers cultivating the land.
Picture 2: The Shui Hau Villager Representative Kei gor and Chun from HKBWS taking photo with the Shui Hau Rice
Picture 3: Shui Hau villager Wah gor and his wife grabbing the harvest by themselves with a bright smile
Picture 4: The villager is so excited to participate to the Shu Hau Rice harvest and witnessing the rice grain coming out
Picture 5: With the great focus on each Shui Hau Rice, you can feel how much touching was in her heart
Picture 6: Without the great effort from our farmer, ar Tin, we will not able to establish our first paddy field in Shui Hau!
In addition to managing water flow following the growth stages of the crops, we also maintain continuous vigilance over water quality. We have established a partnership with The Education University of Hong Kong to routinely test parameters such as dissolved oxygen and pH levels in the water sources within the Shui Hau swamp in different areas.
Initially, students found navigating the swamp to be quite challenging. However, their efficiency improved as they became more familiar with the environment. Accessing specific water sources even required them to bend low, wading through expansive taro fields (as depicted in Figure 2). Grealy appreciates their relentless efforts that we have managed to gather vital water quality data from the Shui Hau swamp. These data are integral to the development of a holistic habitat management plan.
Figure 1: Students taking water samples in the Shui Hau swamp
Figure 2: Students passing through the large field of taro and swamp to take a water sample
After completing the land survey and marking the boundaries with wooden poles, we established detailed marsh management based on ecological and hydrological studies to design different habitats, such as farmland, ecological ponds, and retention ponds. Recently, you may have seen us ploughing the soil in the farmland to prepare for cultivation again.
#MarshManagement
Worship before Breaking Ground: Ready to recultivate the farmland!
Following the “mysterious wooden pole” (land surveying) mentioned earlier, we are preparing to recultivate the farmland!
With the help of the village representative, we have chosen an auspicious day and time to worship the “Tai Wong Yeh”, Shrine of the Earth God (“Shea Tan”), and the farmland, together with the villagers. After the worship, a skilled villager helped cut and share a big roasted pig, and we enjoyed chatting joyfully.
Pray for smooth recultivation and seasonable weather with timely wind & rain for a bountiful harvest!
#CommunityEngagement #LantauConservationFund
Manhole maintenance completed!
With the assistance of the village representative, the manhole maintenance work has been completed! Damaged and leaking areas have been successfully repaired, accumulated sand and debris have been cleared, and leak prevention work has been reconstructed, along with replacing some water pipes. Shui Hau villagers now have access to natural water! Besides, this has also brought an additional water source for farmland recultivation. Let’s celebrate together!
#CommunityEngagement #LantauConservationFund
Recently, some "mysterious wooden poles" with English characters erected on Shui Hau wetland. In fact, we have conducted land survey within the area of our habitat management project and have recently started using marked wooden poles to indicate the boundaries of land lot. After period of observation, we have noticed that the cattle would forage near the wooden poles, harmoniously coexisting with the "mysterious wooden poles". The surveyors will continue to place more wooden poles. If you have any questions about the survey work, please feel free to contact us!
#MarshManagement
If you have recently been to the Shui Hau mudflat and walked along the cement road in the swamp, you might have come across three beautifully designed information boards along the way. These three information boards are made by local recycled wood for introducing our project (Nature Conservation Management for Shui Hau), the latest news of the project, and some trivial knowledge. The content will be updated according to the project's fieldwork progress so the public can understand what is happening on-site. Please take a closer look at those wooden boards if you pass by!
#CommunityEngagement
↑ The information board that introduces the project
↑ Showing the aerial photo with the extensive farmland of Shui Hau in the past
Lunar New Year Events in Shui Hau Village
Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations among rural villages. Shui Hau village is no exception, as the indigenous inhabitants still keep passing down their traditions to generations. Every second day of the Lunar New Year (“初二”), the villagers will gather and return to Shui Hau Village to celebrate the arrival of the new year, even though some of them have moved to urban areas. Shui Hau villagers continue the tradition of worshipping “Tai Wong Yeh (大王爺)” and “Shea Tan (the shrine of the Earth God who protects the farmland), and even “Cai Qing (採青, meaning plucking the greens) with lion dancing. In the old days, the Shui Hau villagers had been practising farming for a living. While we have planned to kick off the recultivation in Shui Hau, it is hoped that joining the worship of “Tai Wong Yeh” and “Shea Tan” would be a good start for the future farmland rejuvenation and wishing for a new page of good future for the nature in Shui Hau.
We have designed a set of five ”Fai Chun” (Chinese couplets) (1) “福 (Good Fortune)” character: blue colour in the middle of the character with the words “Shui Hau (水口)” and gold rice on the “田 (farmland)” character, implying a prosperous year; (2) “Like a Fish in Water (如魚得水, meaning is similar to like a duck to water)”; (3) “Be Always Smiling” (笑口常開)”; (4) “Smart and Clever”; (5) “Long Live Spirit”. (2)-(3): by connecting the bold characters/arrangement in the picture, the words “Shui Hau (水口)” can be read out, hoping to bring blessings to Shui Hau Village in the Lunar New Year. Meanwhile, all the “Fai Chun” have auspicious cloud patterns composed of the Chinese characters “Shui Hau (水口) “. During our visit on the second day of the Lunar New Year, we saw many villagers putting up our designed ”Fai Chun”. There were lots of villagers admired the design of “福” that includes the element of irrigation channel and paddy fields, echoing their hope on the revival of the extensive golden farmland landscape through our project.
Finally, we are very grateful to the villagers for inviting us to celebrate the Lunar New Year together so that we could all feel the lively atmosphere and traditions of the rural village. After the Lunar New Year, we will start to recultivate the farmland that has been neglected for a long time, as we have been conducting a baseline ecological survey for a year and have nearly finished the land survey. Good luck with our farmland recultivation!
#CommunityEngagement
↑ “Tai Wong Yeh” worship
↑ “Shea Tan” worship
↑ “Cai Qing” with lion dancing
↑ Distributing “Fai Chun” to villagers at Shui Hau “Fung Wong” Store
↑ The design concepts of Shui Hau “Fai Chun”
A charitable organization incorporated in Hong Kong with limited liability by guarantee.
Registered Charity Number: 91/06472