(English follows)

水口濕地近日出現「神秘的木柱」，上面寫著英文編號。其實是我們為生境管理計劃的範圍進行土地測量，而最近開始使用有標記的木柱去標示各個地段的邊界。經過一段日子的觀察，看到牛隻們會在木柱附近覓食，和「神秘的木柱」和諧共處呢。測量工作人員會繼續放置更多木柱，如果大家對測量工作有任何問題，歡迎聯絡我們！

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Land Survey’s Marked Wooden Poles

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!

(English follows)

若然大家最近有到過水口泥灘，在沼澤中的水泥路行走時，沿路應該會遇到三個精美設計的資訊板。這三個資訊板是用本地環保木製作，以介紹水口自然保育計劃、計劃最新資訊和各種小知識。內容會配合計劃實地工作進度更換，令大眾可以了解到現場的情況。大家路過的話不妨停留仔細看看呢！

↑ 介紹計劃的木牌

↑ 展示以前水口一片農田的航拍圖

====

Wooden Information Boards Installation

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 field work progress so the public can understand what is happening on-site. Please take a closer look at those wooden boards if you pass by!

↑ The information board that introduce the project

↑ Showing the aerial photo with the extensive farmland of Shui Hau in the past

水口村農曆新年活動

(English follows) 

農曆新年對於不少鄉村來說都是重要節日，水口村也不例外，由一班有心的原居民繼續延續著傳統。每逢年初二，縱使有不少村民在市區居住，大家仍然會回到水口村聚首一堂慶祝新一年的到來。水口村民們仍然保留著拜祭大王爺和社壇（守護農田的神）的習俗，舞獅更會逐家逐戶採青，場面非常熱鬧。古時的水口村民都是以務農為生，而我們計劃這年會開田試驗耕種，希望與村民一同拜祭大王爺和社壇，一同守護水口農田的未來，為水口的生態帶來美好的新一頁。

我們為水口村特別設計了一套五款的賀年揮春︰(1)「福」字貼 ︰福字中間用藍色加上「水口」二字，及在「田」字上加上金黃色稻米，寓意豐盛的一年；(2)「如魚得水」；(3) 「笑口常開」；(4)「聰明伶俐」；(5)「龍馬精神」。 (2)-(3): 將粗體字/ 圖中排列方法連起來，可以讀出「水口」二字，希望新一年為水口村帶來祝福。而所有揮春的角落都有以「水口」組成的祥雲圖騰。初二到訪時，看到不少村民門前都貼上我們設計的揮春呢。不少村民讚賞「福」字設計，包含著田間水道和稻米，而這正正就是大家都期望透過本計劃重現的一大片金黃色農田。

最後，非常感謝村民邀請我們參與慶祝農曆新年，與眾同樂，令我們都能感受到鄉村在農曆新年時熱鬧的氣氛和傳統。新年過後，我們經過第一年的基線研究和完成進行中的土地測量後，便會開始開墾荒廢了一段日子的農田。冀望能一帆風順，開田成功！

#社區參與 #水口 #水口保肓 #大嶼山保育基金

↑ 拜祭大王爺

↑ 拜祭社壇

↑ 舞獅到門前採青

↑ 於水口鳳凰士多派發揮春給村民

↑ 水口揮春設計圖

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English Version

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!

↑ “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”

在十月份，我們與參與計劃的村民進行了村民會議，主要向村民報告計劃的進度和討論未來時間表及其細節。在這2022年末，我們會開始進行土地測量，量度農地地界以便往後建立田基。所以，除了樹木號碼牌外，大家亦會見到沼澤上一枝枝的土地測量柱子。接下來，我們會開始建立田基，並逐步移除柱子。

#社區參與

In October, we held a villagers’ meeting with those who joined our project. The purpose of the meeting was to report on the project’s progress and review the project timeline and details. At the end of 2022, the land survey will be kicked off to survey the farmlands’ boundary for constructing farmland bunds. Therefore, apart from the tree tags, you will notice some boundary poles appear on the marsh. Afterwards,we will begin the construction of farmland bunds as soon as possible, and then we will remove the poles gradually.

#CommunityEngagement

前兩次介紹了水口計劃其中兩大元素（#研究及調查 和 #社區參與 ）的進展，這次我們便來看看 #沼澤管理 的最新情況！如果大家最近有到過水口，會看見在沼澤小路旁的一些樹幹被繫上白色底，並印上黑色數字的標籤（圖１、２）。這些標籤是往後用來做樹木調查時，調查人員能一邊手執樹木地圖，一邊根據標籤數字去記錄樹種。完成調查後，將因應保育需要，進一步保育或移除樹木，以增加沼澤範圍的開闊度和濕地面積。

In the two previous posts, we have updated the processes on the two main elements (#ResearchAndStudies & #CommunityEngagement) of the Shui Hau Project. For this time, we will look at the latest news on the #MarshManagement! If you have been to Shui Hau recently, you might see the trees along the narrow road in the marsh were attached with tags of white background and black numbers (Figure 1 & 2). These tags will be helpful in the tree survey in the future, in which the surveyors will be able to record the tree species with the tags and maps. In order to create an open marsh area, management measures will be further implemented according to tree assessment results. That is to say, we may strengthen conservation measures or carry out selective tree removal.

圖１︰為樹木繫上標籤

Figure 1: Attaching tree tags

圖２︰量度樹木之間的距離用來製作地圖

Figure 2: Measuring the distance between trees for map making

在七月炎夏時，實習生們也加入了樹木標籤隊伍（圖３、４），一天內為八十多棵樹繫上標籤。在沼澤裡工作時會遇上不同生物，有一隻斑腿泛樹蛙更是跳到實習生的身上，瞪著亮晶晶的眼一直往上爬呢（圖５）。幸好實習生沒有被牠的熱情嚇到，大家更可以一起仔細觀察牠，也順道休息一下。完成工作後，沿著小路離去時，發現路被水牛擋住，牠看到我們後更是好奇地走過來。互相大眼瞪小眼了一陣子，大家便決定先後退，讓水牛慢慢走回沼澤後，我們才緩緩離開。經過辛勞的一天後，實習生們學會尊重自然，更了解到在濕地工作的挑戰和重要性了！！

In the hot summer of July, our student interns joined the tree tagging team (Figure 3 & 4), which tagged over 80 trees in a day. We have encountered different creatures during our work in the marsh, and there was once a Brown Tree Frog jumped onto the body of a student intern, blinking its eyes and climbing up (Figure 5). Fortunately, our student interns were not scared by its passion; they even tried to observe it carefully and take the opportunity to rest simultaneously. After finishing the work and being ready to call it a day, a buffalo blocked the road when we left the marsh, and the curious buffalo even rambled towards us. Gazing at each other for a while, we decided to go backwards and wait for the buffalo to return to the marsh sluggishly, then we slowly left. After a hard-working day, student interns have experienced how to respect the nature and understand the challenges and importance of working for a wetland!

圖３︰實習生在沼澤中行走

Figure 3: Student interns walking in the marsh

圖４︰實習生在量度樹木之間的距離

Figure 4: Student interns measuring the distance between trees

圖５︰一隻斑腿泛樹蛙跳到實習生身上

Figure 5: A Brown Tree Frog jumped onto the body of a student intern

圖６︰在小路上遇到的水牛

Figure 6: The buffalo we met on the road

#沼澤管理 #水口 #水口保肓 #大嶼山保育基金

#MarshManagement #ShuiHau #SHMA #LantauConservationFund

(English follows)

告示箱到手！

上次提到一些 #研究及調查 中有關生態和水文研究的進度，其實在 #社區參與 方面除了向村民租用農地外，我們也為水口村進行了一些環境改善工作。水口村民表示，他們一直想放置一個告示箱在鄉公所外，用於村內消息發佈。同一時間，村民亦建議本會可以利用有關告示箱發佈本計劃的消息。所以，我們與村民一起擬定擺放告示箱的位置，之後也請來了村長幫忙裝上呢。以後村民便可以多一個溝通的渠道了！

#社區參與 #水口 #水口保肓 #大嶼山保育基金

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ENGLISH

Notice Board Arrived!

In the last article, we have mentioned the updates of Ecological surveys & Hydrology study in the #ResearchAndStudies aspect. On the other side, regarding the #CommunityEngagement part, we have some village environment improvement works ongoing. Shui Hau villagers told us that they had an idea to install a notice box outside the village office for a long time for the sake of the village’s internal information dissemination. At the same time, villagers suggested that we could make use of the notice board for project announcement. Then, we decided together on the place for installing the notice board and asked the Shui Hau village representative to help with the installation. From now on, there is one more communication channel in the Shui Hau village!

#CommunityEngagement #ShuiHau #SHMA #LantauConservationFund

(English follows)

本計劃於2021年12月已經展開，計劃年期為3年。首階段工作會集中各樣生態研究、生境規劃、水利研究，以及試驗不同方式的生境管理工作。此外，與水口村村民和持份者的溝通及合作亦是計劃首階段的一項重要工作。香港觀鳥會在計劃開始初期與水口村村民和持份者進行多次會面，解釋本計劃的內容,目標及長遠規劃，並獲得不少村民支持。以上首階段工作為日後各階段的生境保育策略及復耕工作打好基礎,為提升水口生態作準備。

生態調查

生態基線調查及生物多樣性標準監測已經開始進行，涵蓋八個不同分類群，包括維管束植物、哺乳類、鳥類、兩棲類、爬行類、淡水魚類、蝴蝶和蜻蜓目。其中，兩棲類、淡水魚類及爬行類的調查會於晚間進行，以配合相關物種的活躍時間。大家在濕地上會看到一些豎立的竹枝，是用來給調查人員進行標準監測的固定範圍，以便研究不同類型的生境管理會如何影響生態，作前後對比實驗設計。

水文研究

在計劃初期其中一個重要工作，是取得水口農地的水源位置和相關數據，為日後制定及調整生境管理措施時提供重要資訊。因此，現時在農地不同的位置已設置地下水源監測儀器以收集有關數據。

================

Shui Hau Project Starts!

The Project started in December 2021 and will last for three years. The first phase mainly focuses on ecological research, habitat planning, hydrology study, as well as trial works on habitat management. Besides, we focus on engaging and co-operating with Shui Hau villagers and stakeholders during the project's first phase. At the project's beginning, we met with Shui Hau villagers and stakeholders several times to explain the project vision, information, and planning. Finally, support was gained from many of them. The above work in the first phase would be beneficial to the establishment of re-cultivation and long-term wetlands management strategies in Shui Hau.

Ecological surveys

Ecological baseline surveys and standardised monitoring were kicked off and covered 8 taxa, including vascular plant, mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, freshwater fish, butterfly and odonate. For amphibian, reptile and freshwater fish, night surveys will be conducted as most of them are nocturnal species.

You can see some bamboo sticks standing on the marsh, which indicates the fixed area for surveyors to carry out standardised monitoring and examine the ecological effects with various habitat management measures as a before-and-after experimental design.

Hydrology study

Hydrology study is one of the important tasks at the beginning of the Project. The data collected from the hydrology study can help revise and adjust habitat management measures in the future. Therefore, the hydrology study setups were installed at different locations in the wetland for the collection of data.