Coming into 2022, we take a look back at 2021; in reviewing what we have done, we also take a moment to appreciate our TrailWatch community for documenting your journeys around Hong Kong’s trails and countryside with us.
TrailWatch has reached new highs in terms of App usage; thank you for your continuous support! The peak hiking period we saw was at the beginning of the year. Perhaps because of the cooler weather at the time? Or perhaps it was also because we started the year still under limitations on the dining capacity while bars, pubs, sports premises, beauty centres, swimming pools and such remained closed. Under such circumstances, it seemed many people continued to see hiking as their outlet.
In January 2021, we shared with you some new App updates and a story of the cattle on Lantau. With overseas travel having essentially been shut out for over a year, in February, we traveled overseas where we “hiked” with a TrailWatch User at Yarigatake, learned about the hiking etiquette in Japan and also released our TrailWatch Overseas Hiking Special Edition Poster – Japan. Did you know that you can use TrailWatch while outside of Hong Kong?
Social distancing measures gradually started relaxing in March and April – which also are the Spring and forest fire months. We shared about tree planting in Hong Kong and looked back at the devastating 2020 forest fire in Ma On Shan. Having seen so many people flock to the mountains of Hong Kong and there being many incidents of waste dumping recorded, we launched our Waste Audit campaign. To this day, we are still running monthly activities. In fact, a few months ago we recapped an event we held in Peng Chau and have planned upcoming 2022 activities (social distancing rules dependent)!
Spring passed; as the heat started bearing down on us in May, we stayed cool by hiking in snowy conditions in Korea. And when the insects start coming out again it’s the perfect time to photo them! In June we visited some Backyard Trails around Hong Kong and experienced the joys they can bring us. Thanks to neighborhood residents, we learned that everyone can take part in caring for their community.
Going into the Summer months of July, August and September, we stayed close to water and streams, even if they can be scary and we need to be more cautious when hiking near water. In September we continued along the harbourfront while also learning about mangroves and our heritage.
After the summer heat, hiking activities started picking back up in October. We learned how to watch and listen to birds and looked for signs of religion around the hikes. More areas around the harbour waterfront continued to open to the public and we visited the old coastline. To conclude 2021, we revisited some historical and crucial moments in Hong Kong.
Some of our favourite hiking moments in 2021 include seeing a smiling crab at Tai Tam Mangrove, eating fresh pineapple bun at Kap Tong at the end of a hike and being inspired by the story by a young birdwatcher. Regardless of our age, gender or hiking background, hiking can be a deeply personal experience. What is important to all of us is to plan ahead so that we can all enjoy our legacies and stories safely.
What are some of your 2021 favourite moments on the trails in Hong Kong? You can always email to share with us or tell us on social media.
Let’s stay connected in 2022. Join us in our upcoming events. Track your hiking activities, and photograph Hong Kong’s landscape and biodiversity using the TrailWatch App, all of which can help us remember and document some of Hong Kong’s best natural assets. We look forward to working with you in 2022 to collectively monitor, maintain and manage our parks and trails for Hong Kong!