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When talking about mangroves, what is the first thing that comes to mind? A mysterious scenic spot? A forest of red trees? Mangrove dwellers like mudskippers and fiddler crabs? Actually, the secrets of mangrove forests are way more interesting, and closer to us than imagined. The Conservancy Association is commissioned by the Sustainable Lantau Office, Civil Engineering and Development Department to organise a 4-month free public exhibition about mangrove conservation on Lantau Island at Tung Chung in January 2024, to introduce common mangrove wildlife, ecosystem services and cultural value provided by mangroves, recommended mangrove spots on Lantau Island, threats faced by mangroves and the conservation work to mitigate them.

Apart from panels about mangrove forests, other exhibits include specimens of the 8 true mangrove species found in Hong Kong, specimens of 8 common mangrove snail species, moults of 2 horseshoe crab species, and a 1 m x 1 m miniature diorama of a mangrove forest made with resin, 3D printing materials and acrylic, to show visitors all the components of a mangrove ecosystem. To stay true to our environmental principles, we opted to use green materials like honeycomb boards and reusable stands, reused discarded showcases to display our exhibits, and gave out digital stickers as souvenirs to reduce waste.

We also organised 4 workshops, including 【Hidden Gem in the Sea - Sea Glass Necklace Workshop】 and 【The Shining “Red” - Mangrove Paste Dye Workshop】. The former encouraged participants to be creative and draw mangrove-inspired elements on sea glass, which are smooth glass shards naturally polished by water, sand and waves, creating their own unique necklace. Whereas the latter made use of natural dye extracted from mangrove leaves to perform paste dyeing, where participants can print patterns of mangrove wildlife onto the dyed fabrics, decorating them with a dash of “red”.