Tree Project Counts on Citizen Scientists About 360 volunteers from the community were recruited and trained to help Forest Global Earth Observatory, an international initiative of scientists, to collect long-term data on tree growth and proliferation. Dr Billy Hau Chi-hang of the School of Biological Sciences led Hong Kong’s contributions and was awarded a Faculty Knowledge Exchange Award 2017 from the Faculty of Science. The volunteers were trained by Dr Hau and his team and counted and identified 81,000 trees of 173 tree species in a 20-hectre plot at Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve. They were recruited during forest education programmes organised for more than 2,000 green group leaders, journalists, corporate staff of HSBC, university students, secondary school teachers and students, and the general public. The data collection takes place every five years. The Hong Kong survey was completed in 2015 and the plot has now become a permanent site for education, training and long-term forest biodiversity monitoring, with support from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Conservation Forensics Researchers from the School of Biological Sciences are helping to provide scientific evidence to authorities to investigate and prosecute illegal trafficking of wildlife. Their work has included using DNA to identify species of baby eels traded through Hong Kong that are under threat, using DNA to match helmeted hornbill parts to their place of origin to help identify trade routes, using isotopes to determine if an animal is (legally) captive bred or illegally caught in the wild, and using data analysis to map the trade in pangolins. The work is particularly important because Hong Kong is a major hub for wildlife trafficking, is the fourth most lucrative criminal trade in the world, generating about US$20 billion in illicit revenue. Dr Caroline Dingle is a member of the Conservation Forensics Lab, which includes faculty and students from the School of Biological Sciences. The group works with partners including the Hong Kong government and local and international nongovernmental organisations, including the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, who have a shared aim of protecting wildlife. The formation of the group was motivated by a common purpose. “We realised that the tools we use in our research could be used to assist with on-going efforts to stem the flow of illegal wildlife through Hong Kong,” she said. Sharing information through knowledge exchange can benefit the community and vice versa, with community input benefitting research. A Two-way Exchange Using science to fight wildlife trafficking, Dr David Baker, Dr Caroline Dingle and PhD student Chloe Webstert (seated). Volunteers learn how to collect and collate data on tree growth and proliferation. 30 start-ups Funded by TSSSU@HKU since 2014, including 8 new start-ups funded in 2018–19. 52 KE projects Supported by the KE Impact Project Funding Scheme in 2017–18. 33 student KE projects Supported through the KEO together with CEDARS in 2017–18. ︱35 34︱ KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODI4MTQ=