This event is contingent on social distancing rules being lifted before the event date. As such, plans may change closer to the date as things become clearer.

Event introduction by the organizer, Michel Maruca:

I am a 50-year-old French gardener. I specialise in urban biodiversity, mainly fauna and in creating awareness of the global ecological crisis. On the side, I am also developing another ontology of our world where living organisms have agency and are fighting the Earth. For people interested and can read in French, I explained my view here. This year, I am studying Masters in Ethics and Ecology in which I have to build an exploratory history of the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Garden (HKZBG). Below is how I propose to present this work to the RAS.

I have decided to break the HKZBG’s history into 5 phases which follow and/or overlap one another. Each phase has left significant impacts on the gardens or even on Hong Kong’s landscape for us to see during the visit. Our HKZBG was first a public garden (1864). I will rely on the history of its fountain to illustrate this phase. It then became a botanical garden (1871), the kind of garden it always wanted to be. I will explain this using its main fights against the urban sprawling and the changes in its topography. The gardens also took the lead in Hong Kong afforestation (1880). It provided the first step in the creation of the forests of Hong Kong which was barren before the British colonisation. I will explain the history of this afforestation using the image of our Bauhinia X blakeana tree. If time permits, we can go through the next 2 phases: The HKZBG added zoological to its name (1975). I will narrate this evolution with the help of the zoological enclosures. Where they used to protect visitors from wild animals before, now they also protect animals from humans. The last phase is the current one. It’s the way forward, one for us to ponder upon.

I hope to see you on June 20 for a walk around the garden and through its history.

Meeting point: Intersection between St. Joseph’s Terrace and Glenealy Road, Central

Admission: RAS Members HK$100; non-members HK$150

Booking: Please email membership@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk in advance to reserve your place