Campus Digest

HKBU’s green volunteer team led special school students on eco-tour

14 Jan 2014

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Volunteers encourage students to learn by touching different plants
The eco-tour with Mary Rose Special School is the first BUGS voluntary service for the Kowloon City District

Initiated by HKBU, the first green voluntary team among local tertiary institutions, BU GreenieS (BUGS), led students with mild to moderate mental retardation from Mary Rose Special School and their family members on an eco-tour of Pak Tam Chung Country Park recently. The activity aimed to serve the community by bringing green messages to those who might have been neglected.

 

During the tour, at least one BUGS volunteer took care of each student family. Sixteen BUGS volunteers (including HKBU students, staff, their family members and friends) led more than 30 participants on the valuable outdoor lesson. The guides introduced participants to the characteristics of various kinds of plants. Participants also had the opportunity to learn about the history of Pak Tam Chung and the life of the villagers in the 50s and 60s. 

 

A social worker from Mary Rose School said: “This was a great opportunity for our students to enjoy a good learning experience, given the high ratio of volunteers during the tour.” A parent appreciated the chance for such an outing as they seldom brought their kids out due to work and other family reasons. 

 

BUGS volunteers considered the activity a meaningful service. One of them said, “In the beginning, we had some misconceptions about special students. However, the group activities helped us understand them better. In fact, they are kind teenagers who are easily satisfied. Most of them are eager to absorb new knowledge and what we need is a bit more patience to facilitate this.’’