Yi O Farm Cooperative and Eco Marine are co-hosting a mangrove cleanup and rice harvesting event on Sunday 5 July 2020 at Yi O (near Tai O) in South West Lantau.
Over the past seven years the Yi O Farm Cooperative has been working with indigenous villagers on reviving local organic farming at Yi O. Currently the cooperative farms approximately 100,000 square feet of land, producing a prized organic rice crop. Outside of the 100,000 square feet of farmed land, another 900,000 square feet managed by the cooperative for future farm extension, historical and environmental conservation. Yi O is adjacent to the coast and the shoreline includes rocky coastline, small sandy beach areas, as well as wetlands that are home to valuable plants including mangroves and grasses and numerous animal species including herons, mudskippers and endangered horseshoe crabs.
Eco Marine was founded in 2012 and is a Lantau based organization with a mission to inspire greater appreciation and guardianship of nature and to catalyse action for integrating this mindset into all aspects of contemporary urban life. Eco Marine is excited to collaborate with Yi O Farm Cooperative for a beach and mangrove cleanup plus a rice harvesting experience! Rice is harvested twice a year at Yi O and is done by hand using a sickle.
The mangrove area is currently in a terrible state covered with manmade rubbish ranging from macro debris such as polystyrene containers, single use plastic cups, food wrappers, single use beverage bottles to micro debris like plastic filament, broken down polystyrene and the ever present preproduction plastic pellets. Eco Marine is looking for you to lend a helping hand and to enjoy a fun and meaningful afternoon with them.
Date: Sunday, 5 July
Schedule:
1:30 to 2:00pm – Take a small boat (free) to Yi O and walk for 10 minutes to Yi O mangrove area. Eco Marine will provide an event rundown and a beach/mangrove cleanup safety and how-to briefing and distribute gloves and rubbish bags. If you have your own gloves and or other equipment, please feel free to bring. Some useful tools are tongs and scissors.
2:00 to 3:30pm – You will work on beach cleanup gathering up as much man-made rubbish and debris as you can in the available time and will also collect and separate some recyclables and items that can be reused at the farm.
3:30 to 4:00pm – You will then pack up and walk 10 minutes together to Yi O farm area and have a rest. The rest area has drinks refill and soft drinks as well as bathroom and simple cold shower facilities.
4:00 to 5:00pm – Yi O Farm Collective will teach you about local rice farming and harvesting. Depending on the maturity of the crop, we may have the opportunity to harvest some rice ourselves!
5:00 to 6:00pm – Scenic 4km mostly flat hike to Tai O starting point. Note we cannot take a boat back to Tai O due to very low tide.
What to wear: Closed-toe shoes with good grip suitable for hiking (no sandals or flip flops as the beach may have sharp dangerous items including broken glass, medical waste), comfortable clothes, hat. Note that shoes may get muddy in the mangrove area! You can consider to bring a change of shoes.
What to bring: Water (minimum 1.5 L in reusable container – Bonaqua bottle, Watsons bottle etc. don’t count as reusable). Additional snacks if you are the hungry type (try to minimize one use packaging). Octopus/coins for ferry and bus rides. Sunscreen and insect repellant. Small umbrella for shade. Eco Marine will provide gloves and rubbish bags. If you have your own gloves and or other equipment, please feel free to bring. Some useful tools are tongs and gardening shears.
Price: This is a free event but there is a suggested donation of HK$50 per person for contribution to future Eco Marine public events. (Cash at event or Payme to +852 63920336)
Signup: Spaces are limited! To sign up, please fill in the below google form and your space will be confirmed via email.
https://forms.gle/oMxLmwAVNAxoZPzq7
For more information, please refer to Eco Marine’s website
