Yat-tung Yu

Coordinator, Waterbird Count Monitoring Programme and International Black-faced Spoonbill Census, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society

Today's Date: 30 July 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

Touching the animal - I am also a bird ringer and I still remembered the first bird I have ringed and then released. It just like to have some kind of interaction with the bird.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

window of my home, because I just watch birds from it and I could not go to countryside very often in my childhood.

Now? Mai Po Nature Reserve, Hong Kong - my working place. I am also living nearby and I can go there very easily even when not working.

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

Bird, because I am a birdwatcher, also as mentioned, I am also a bird ringer.

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

I think the greatest challenge is our life style, especially to the ones living in developed countries. We just consume too much resources and seem not in a sustainable way. The greatest challenge in future will be the depletion of natural resource, especially the freshwater.

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

To change our current life style. Do it in a very simple way and I hope that could save somewhat more to our natural resources.