'Bordertown country park key to conservation'

A country park near the border with Shenzhen is key to ecological conservation and revitalisation, according to the Environment minister Tse Chin-wan. Located in Sha Tau Kok, the 530-hectare Robin's Nest Country Park was once a prime mining site. The area, which was established this year as the 25th country park in Hong Kong, also supports one of the most important bat colonies in the territory. "The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is gradually constructing recreational facilities, such as hiking trail networks and viewing points in Robin's Nest Country Park," Tse said at the park's opening ceremony on Saturday. "It also expects to complete the revitalisation of the Lin Ma Hang Lead Mine by the end of the year and open it to the public, allowing people to deepen their understanding of Hong Kong's mining history, and bat ecology there." Robin's Nest is connected to Shenzhen Wutong Mountain, forming a cross-border ecological corridor between the SAR and neighbouring Shenzhen. The park is rich in biodiversity with many species of high conservation value.