LEE WOO SING COLLEGE THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG First Term of 2014-­2015 GEWS 2060 Nature as Art and Science: Biodiversity, Photography and Painting
“We are drowning in information, while starving in wisdom. The world henceforth will be
run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think
critically about it, and made important choices wisely.”
- E.O. Wilson, Pulitzer Prize Winner, author, biology professor at Harvard University
Meeting Time:
Meeting Place
Course Instructor:
Office:
Duration:
Categorization:
Medium of instruction:
2:30 pm – 4:15 pm (every Wednesday)
WS1_LG103 Anthony T.Y. Wu Seminar Room
George C.K. Jor (E-mail: georgejor@cuhk.edu.hk)
General Office, 1/F, South Block, LWS College
2 hours a week for 13 weeks (Consultation by e-mail appointment)
Elective College General Education Course (2 credits)
English in accordance with the CGE course requirements
Course Description:
This course aims to introduce the natural charms, diversity of flora and fauna of Hong Kong
and neighbouring regions. It is specially designed for Year 2 students. The goal is to raise
participants’ awareness of the hidden beauty of nature and its biodiversity. Coursework
includes lectures, individual blogging, group work, projects, field trips, oral interpretation,
presentations and quizzes. Students will learn to appreciate biodiversity and ecology through
guided tree walks, bird watching, butterfly photography, painting and other combined
expressions of art and science. No prior training in photography or painting is required, but a
sense of wonder and passionate curiosity in biodiversity are essential.
Assessment:
1. Active participation in lectures and written feedback on the spot
2. Three field trips, short oral reports, and written responses
3. A species identification and photography exercise
4. Oral presentations of findings
5. Short quizzes and a group proposal
20%
30%
10%
10%
30%
Sites for Field Trips
1. Campus tree walk and tree exhibition (CUHK)
2. Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve
3. AFCD Lions Nature Education Centre at Tsiu Hang Special Area, Sai Kung
(16-hectare) with five exhibition halls and some outdoor features zones
Guest Speakers/Field Trip Leader(s)
1. A senior conservation officer of AFCD
2. A UK award-winning botanical illustrator
3. A multimedia creative director
4. A plant specialist
Course Requirements:
1. Active participation is required in class. Paying attention and taking part in field trips
are compulsory and will be counted as the fulfilment of the course requirements
1 2. Individual work and group work are required. Course participants are required to
take part in an eLearning forum and other assigned online search activities. There will
be group projects in which students are required to work in groups of three or four to
complete a joint research proposal. Originality, teamwork, and a strong sense of
responsibility will be valued as assets in the course.
3. End-products (images and texts) created in the course might be exhibited in class.
There will be acknowledgement with a statement of informed consent for all
participants of the course.
4. Participation in the field trips is a necessary but insufficient condition for scoring
30% of the course grade. There will be differentiation exercises on the spot and
follow-up oral reports and written responses after each field trip.
Academic Honesty Guidelines
Attention is drawn to University policy and regulations on honesty in academic work, and
to the disciplinary guidelines and procedures applicable to breaches of such policy and
regulations. Details may be found at http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty/.
Schedule of the Course GEW2060 (subject to fine-tuning depending on guest speakers’ availability)
Week Date Content
Activities
Overview: Nature as Art and Science: an Course orientation, a video show and an
1
3/9
experiential approach
introduction to “CU Tree” and “CU Birds”
Topic 1 Trees of Hong Kong: Identification Field Trip #1 Guided Tree Walk on campus
2
10/9
and Protection
on 10 Sept. 2014.
Dialogue with a butterfly photographer Mr.
3
17/9 Topic 2 Butterflies of Hong Kong
John Tse
Topic 3 An ecological experience of
Field Trip #2 on 4 October (Sat) led by Mr.
4
24/9 biodiversity in Hong Kong
MK Ng, plant specialist and Mr. John Tse,
to Lions Nature Education Centre, Sai Kung
1/10 National Holiday
Self-directed Learning
Topic 4 Creative photography and painting Dialogue with Ms. Ho Po Man, multi-media
5
8/10
workshop
creative director
Dialogue with Mrs. Sally Bunker, botanical
6
15/10 Topic 5 Flower painting
illustrator
7
22/10 Topic 6 Birds of Hong Kong
Bird watching on campus
Topic 7 Biodiversity Strategy and Action Meeting with guest speaker Mr. Simon Chan
8
29/10
Plan of Hong Kong (HKBSAP)
Learning about Hong Kong’s first BSAP
Group work on project preparation
Field Trip #3 on 8 Nov. 2014 to Tai Po Kau
9
5/11
No lesson
led by Mr. MK Ng
10
12/11 Project preparation
Group work
11
19/11 Collective Sharing
Project Presentations
12
26/11 Course Evaluation
Project Presentations
13
3/12 Course Evaluation
References:
1. AFCD. Hong Kong Biodiversity Database Online
http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/conservation/hkbiodiversity/hkbiodiversity.html
2. Hong Kong Herbarium (2012). Checklist of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong: Agriculture, Fisheries
and Conservation Department
3. Hong Kong Herbarium. Hong Kong Plant Database. Available on the Internet at
http://www.hkherbarium.net/herbarium/frame.html
2 4. 50 Common Trees in Hong Kong Volume I and II (by EMB featuring 100 species of trees).
Available on the Internet at
http://resources.edb.gov.hk/trees/main_page1_eng.html
http://resources.edb.gov.hk/~trees2/main_eng.htm
5. CU Tree Project http://www.greeneducationcuhk.net (Apps “CU Trees” and ”CU Birds”.)
6. Dudgeon D. and Corlett, R. (2011). The Ecology and Biodiversity of Hong Kong. Rev. Ed. Hong
Kong: Cosmos Book Ltd.
7. Ngar, Y. N., et. al. 賞樹手記 Tree Lovers’ Companion. Hong Kong: Friends of the Country
Parks/Cosmos Ltd. (1994)
8. 市政局. (1990). 香港樹木彙編. 香港：市政局.
9. Institute of Horticulture, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences. (2006).
香港古樹名木 (Hong Kong’s Old and Valuable Trees). Hong Kong: Cosmos Ltd (collected
information of 100 species of OVT with 500 photos)
10. 香港觀鳥會 市區公園常見植物圖片集
11. 馬嘉慧、馮寶基、蘇義雄. (2001). 觀鳥---從城市開始. 香港: 香港關鳥會
12. Hong Kong Tree Society 樹木谷 http://www.hktree.com/
13. Lo. Y.F. and Hui, W.L. (2011). Hong Kong Butterflies. Hong Kong: Cosmos Book Ltd.
14. Tree Diary, Nature.Net 樹木谷. http://www.hknature.net/treediary/treeindex.html
15. Tsim, C.Y. (1994). Champion Trees in Urban Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Urban Council
16. Tsim, C.Y. (2006). Chinese Banyan: From Wishing Tree to Wishes for Trees. HK: Cosmos Books
17. Office of General Education, CUHK (2010). In Dialogue with Nature. Hong Kong: Chinese
University General Education Foundation Programme
18. Langenberg, A. V. Urban Gardening: A Hong Kong Gardener’s Journal. Hong Kong: Chinese
University Press (2006).
19. Nair, C. (2012). Consumptionomics : Asia's role in reshaping capitalism and saving the planet.
Singapore: John Wiley and Sons.
20. Marcuse, Gary (2011). Waking the Green Tiger (喚醒綠色虎): The Rise of A Green Movement in
China. Canada: Face to Face Media. (This is a 78-minute documentary on the controversy of saving the
Tiger Leaping Gorge and stopping a dam at Nu River, Yunnan.)
21. Liu, John (2010). Hope in a Changing Climate. Beijing: EEMP Project.
22. Singapore National Parks Board (2009). Conserving our Biodiversity: Singapore’s National
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. A 20-page document available on the Internet at
http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/docs/nbc/NPark-booklet-final-4sep.pdf
23. Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical
Gardens Education website. http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/parks/hkzbg/en/education.php
For HKZBG animals, http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/parks/hkzbg/en/animals.php
For HKZBG plants, http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/parks/hkzbg/en/plants.php
24. AFCD Lions Nature Education Centre
http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/country/cou_lea/cou_lea_ven/lions.html
25. The Convention on Biological Diversity. “Aichi Biodiversity Targets.”
http://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/
26. Civic Exchange (2012). Developing a Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Hong Kong.
http://www.civic-exchange.org/wp/201212bsap_en/
27. Civic Exchange (18 January 2013). “Press release: 37 Hong Kong Civic Groups’ Joint Statement
urges the Government to Establish Key Institutions for Effective Nature Conservation”. Available on
the Internet at http://www.civic-exchange.org/wp/130118pr_en/
28. RTHK documentaries “Ocean Business” (海底交易)
http://programme.rthk.hk/rthk/tv/programme.php?name=tv/oceanbusiness
29. Wilson, E.O. (1991). The Diversity of Life. Massachusetts, MA: Harvard Univ. Press.
30. Wilson, E.O. (1998). Ed. Biodiversity. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press.
31. Wilson, E.O. (2006). The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth. N.Y.: Norton.
32. AFCD (2014). A Photographic Guide to Common Urban Trees of Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Hong
Kong Government. (香港漁農自然護理署. 2014. 香港市區常見樹木圖鑒)
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