One Walk, Many Ripples: Building Wellness, Biodiversity, and a Cleaner Coast
Small Steps, Big Impact
What began as a simple initiative to support health and well-being at HKUST has now grown into a vibrant series of activities that reconnect people with nature and each other. By centering the Walking Club, Nature Detectives – BioBlitz, and beach clean-ups around the Pak Shui Wun area, the Sustainability/Net-Zero Office is turning everyday moments into opportunities to build biodiversity awareness, environmental responsibility, and community spirit right on our doorstep. Pak Shui Wun, with its rich coastal and hillside ecosystems just a short walk from campus, offers the perfect “living classroom” where the HKUST community can slow down, observe, and take action together.
Walking Club: Wellness on the Move
The holistic momentum started with a simple walk on 6 November 2025, when the Walking Club invited staff, students, and non-HKUST community on a 30-minute guided walk along some of HKUST’s most scenic routes with wild flora and fauna, including the Chinese Garden Trail, Pak Shui Wun Beach, Rocky Shore, and the LG7 Lawn Garden. These walks are more than just physical activity; they create space for spontaneous conversations, laughter, and reflection, with participants often pausing mid-walk to admire the view of Clear Water Bay or capture a quick photo under the trees. By bringing together 38 participants from different departments and across different age groups, the walk became an easy, accessible way to bridge the age gap, support varied fitness levels, and make the campus feel more friendly and connected.
As our student participant Marvel reflected, “The view was amazing! I got to know more people even from other departments that I wouldn’t have met if I didn’t join this event!” This shared experience of noticing both the beauty of Pak Shui Wun and the plastic waste scattered along its shores also sparked a strong desire among participants to return and clean up the beach, turning quiet observations into concrete environmental action.
Beach Clean-Up: From Observation to Action
That spark quickly turned into impact through the Pak Shui Wun Beach Clean-ups on 14 and 27 November 2025, where around 30 students and staff rolled up their sleeves. What began as a casual wellness walk transformed into hands-on stewardship, with everyone contributing to remove litter from the sand and rocky shore to help protect marine life and restore the coastal landscape for nearby communities, kayakers, and future visitors.
As Ginny Lau from the Library shared, “It’s good to have an opportunity to do volunteer work with students and staff of other departments, which will enrich my point of view, improve my interpersonal skills and make the environment clean.” The atmosphere felt like an extension of the Walking Club: people chatted across departments and age groups while picking up waste, proving that caring for the environment can be social, energizing, and deeply rewarding.
Nature Detectives – BioBlitz: Seeing Biodiversity Up Close
From there, curiosity about nature only grew, leading into the Nature Detectives – BioBlitz sessions held on 21 and 24 November 2025 around the Pak Shui Wun area. Over these days, 41 student participants learned how to use their mobile phones to identify and record local species, transforming everyday technology into a tool for biodiversity discovery. They were especially engaged by the stories behind the plants they encountered, such as learning that Melicope pteleifolia is a main ingredient in Chinese herbal tea, which connected scientific observation with cultural heritage and daily life. By the end, the group had collectively identified 166 species through 938 observations and celebrated their efforts with small prizes, showing that building biodiversity literacy can be fun, collaborative, and empowering for everyone, regardless of academic background.
Keep the Momentum Walking Forward
What started as a small health-focused initiative has grown into a meaningful rhythm of walking, learning, and caring for the environment, all within walking distance of HKUST. The Walking Club, Nature Detectives – BioBlitz, and the Pak Shui Wun beach clean-ups show that when the community spends time in nature, it becomes easier to notice its beauty, understand its vulnerabilities, and feel responsible for its protection. By showing up, sharing your curiosity, and lending your hands, you help nurture a healthier campus, a cleaner shoreline, and a stronger sense of community for everyone who calls HKUST home.
