Habitat Management and Species Conversation

Agroforestry is a land management approach that combines agriculture and forestry. Compared with conventional monoculture farming, agroforestry emphasises the layered structure of natural forests, allowing trees, shrubs, and crops to coexist within the same landscape. This approach makes more efficient use of space, increases habitat and species diversity, and provides more diverse forms of productivity and livelihood value.

Within the abandoned terraces of Mui Tsz Lam, the project team preserves native trees, old fruit trees, and plants of conservation value, while cultivating shade-tolerant crops such as coffee beneath the forest canopy. The aim is not only to maintain forest habitats, but also to increase biodiversity and restore productive capacity within the landscape.

Fruit trees currently cultivated within the terraces include coffee, cacao, starfruit, lemon, mandarin orange, and plum trees, all managed using environmentally friendly methods. Among them, the coffee trees planted during the early stages of the project have gradually entered their productive phase, together with mature starfruit trees retained within the forest, becoming important crops within the revitalised terraces.

Villagers and volunteers in Mui Tsz Lam and Kop Tong also cultivate mandarin oranges, kumquats, lemons, wampee, and starfruit around the villages. The project team provides technical support and encourages environmentally responsible cultivation methods, while also exploring ways to process some of the harvest into value-added products.

Feng Shui Woods are a distinctive cultural landscape of rural South China and an important example of sustainable community-based resource management. Typically crescent-shaped and embracing villages and farmland, these woodlands serve as natural protective buffers for settlements. Some Feng Shui Woods preserve original vegetation, while others include economically useful trees intentionally planted by villagers.

In traditional feng shui belief, the well-being of a village is closely tied to the condition of its woodland. Villagers might cut grass or gather firewood in nearby hills, but trees within Feng Shui Woods were generally left untouched except for fallen branches. As a result, these forests have become some of Hong Kong’s best-preserved native woodlands and possess significant ecological value.

The concepts of sheltering wind, retaining moisture, and protecting settlements are not merely symbolic beliefs, but also reflect ecological realities. Geographically, forests help retain water and soil, reduce the risk of landslides, and regulate local microclimates by cooling villages during summer and buffering cold winds in winter. Economically, they provide fruits, timber, medicinal plants, and other natural resources that have long supported village life.

The Feng Shui Woods of Mui Tsz Lam lie on the hillside behind the village and on the northeastern hill, while the Feng Shui Woods of Kop Tong are located along the slopes beside the village and near the northern river valley.

The project team conducts regular observations — including ecological field surveys and aerial drone photography — together with vegetation monitoring to assess changes in the Feng Shui Woods and surrounding vegetation. These surveys help evaluate the health of the forests and identify future conservation needs.

How can human interaction with nature be re-established within the forest landscape? How can people be encouraged to enter the forests and villages, and spend enough time appreciating their ecology and history?

To explore these questions, the project team established a small campsite within part of the abandoned terraces.

Through selective vegetation management and tree pruning, the team created a more open forest understorey that allows sunlight to penetrate the habitat appropriately. Various recreational activities, including tree-climbing programmes, are organized within the area, enabling visitors to experience and enjoy the natural environment.

At the same time, ecological considerations remain central to site management. Campsite capacity is carefully limited according to the carrying capacity of the area. The selectively thinned forest understorey also provides more movement and foraging space for wildlife. More birds and butterflies are now observed passing through and resting within the area, while sunlight reaching the ground has encouraged the growth of plant species requiring partial sunlight.

Establishing Butterfly Gardens

Butterflies are among the most abundant and ecologically significant animal groups around Mui Tsz Lam and therefore became one of the project’s key conservation focuses.

Working together with Leon Lau, the project team established multiple butterfly gardens in Mui Tsz Lam and Kop Tong. Around 70 species of larval host plants, nectar plants, and functional plants were introduced to provide food and shelter for both caterpillars and adult butterflies.

Two major conservation target species are the Chinese Yellow Swallowtail and the Common Birdwing. The gardens have successfully attracted these butterflies and many others to gather, feed, and reproduce in the area.

Over time, small ponds and various herbs were added to the butterfly gardens, transforming them into more diverse habitats for both plants and animals, while also serving as educational spaces for visitors.

Establishing Insect Hotels

The team has also installed several “insect hotels” near the villages to provide nesting, breeding, and sheltering spaces for solitary bees and other insects. Solitary bees are highly efficient pollinators, with some species even outperforming honeybees in pollination efficiency. They also prey on other insects as food for their larvae, helping regulate pest populations and maintain ecological balance.

Designing Microhabitat Landscapes

In collaboration with Human Ip, the project team created a microhabitat landscape installation beside terrace stone walls using native plants. Inspired by forest ecology, the installation allows visitors to appreciate the aesthetic and ecological richness of forest ecosystems.

Improving Stream Habitats

The streams surrounding the Forest Village are occasionally invaded by Mikania micrantha, a fast-growing invasive species common in Hong Kong’s countryside. The plant rapidly climbs over surrounding vegetation, suppressing growth and sometimes killing native plants entirely.

The project team conducts regular monitoring and organises volunteer activities to remove Mikania around the villages. Native riparian plants such as Strobilanthes cusia and Phrynium placentarium are also planted along suitable sections of stream banks to restore streamside habitats.

Establishing Grassland and Paddy Field Habitats

Along the pathway leading to Kop Tong, the project team has gradually established additional habitats, including grassland areas for free-roaming cattle and paddy fields for rice cultivation, further increasing habitat diversity and biodiversity.

The project team established a native plant nursery near Mui Tsz Lam and works with Human Ip to cultivate native plant species. Many of these plants are ethnobotanical species historically connected to village life, including Strobilanthes cusia, Dioscorea cirrhosa, and Phrynium placentarium. These plants are later transplanted into suitable locations for public education and sustainable community use.

The nursery also cultivates species of conservation concern, including Aquilaria sinensis, Indian Birthwort, and Begonia crassirostris, helping strengthen local populations around the villages.

Meanwhile, a volunteer cultivation team led by volunteer Yiu Kin-wah (“Wah Gor”) focuses on edible wild vegetables and plants used for making healthy herbal beverages. Through the native plant nursery, the project team hopes to promote the multiple ecological, cultural, and practical values of native plants.