Art After Hours: Turning “Protect Our Oceans” Slogans on Their Heads
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General

You have probably seen environmental protection slogans such as "Stop Trashing Our Oceans," "Stop Overfishing," and "Plastic-Free Is the Way to Be." These statements serve as calls to action, their focus on human activities. But considered from a human-centric perspective, are conservation efforts that encourage individuals to change their way of life effective, and do they balance the needs of every species?

This session of Art After Hours features a conversation with guest speakers Willy Kwong and Dr. Queenie Liu from the A Plastic Ocean Foundation. They are joined by their working partner, Dr. Apple Chui, research assistant professor in the School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and founder of the Coral Academy. Our guests will extend the discussion of "eco-feminism" taking place at Tai Kwun Contemporary, challenging the way we think about marine conservation and discussing new methodologies.

Grounded in science and rooted in the community, this panel of three will discuss "people-oriented, community participation,” a concept that connects communities to the ocean. Open the topic on how science aids marine conservation and share the local efforts to cultivate and restore Hong Kong’s degrading coral reefs. In a future where natural resources will be increasingly scarce, protecting the environment is bound to become more challenging. Now is the time to explore new ways and means of marine conservation that show concern for both the environment and people, and allow humans and the ocean to coexist in harmony.

Speaker:

Willy Kwong, Executive Director, A Plastic Ocean Foundation

Dr. Queenie Liu, Senior Sustainability Manager, A Plastic Ocean Foundation

Dr. Apple Chui, Research Assistant Professor, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong & Founder, Coral Academy

The conversation will be conducted in Cantonese and English with bilingual simultaneous interpretation.

Speakers Bio

Willy Kwong
Dr. Queenie Liu
Dr. Apple Chui

Currently the executive director of the A Plastic Ocean Foundation and a board member of LumiVoce,  Willy Kwong has more than a decade of NGO management and advocacy experience. He is a marine biologist by training, and obtained his Master of Arts in 2013, and was named an Asia Green Warrior by conscious living festival Green Is the New Black in 2018.

Dr. Queenie Liu was a lecturer at Lingnan University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is also a certified ESG planner (CEP®️). Currently, as the Senior Sustainability Manager of A Plastic Ocean Foundation, her responsibilities include overseeing environmental restoration projects using Nature-based Solutions, assessing climate impacts, and formulating disaster prevention plans for disadvantaged communities. She also assists different stakeholders in designing ESG strategies. Since 2022, Queenie has actively collaborated with the Hong Kong Red Cross to carry out a community-based environmental conservation and climate adaptation initiative in Tai O. This initiative aims to establish meaningful connections between local communities through diversified participation and practices, with the goal of realising sustainable development and protecting valuable ecosystems from the bottom up. Queenie is an ocean lover and a passionate diver; she actively participates in various ocean restoration operations, including ghost net clean-ups and surveys.

Dr. Apple Chui (Aka “coral mum”) is a Research Assistant Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, PEW marine fellow, National Geographic Explorer, and a recipient of the GGEF Women Eco Game Changer Awards - Eco star of China 2019. Her research addresses two main questions: How will projected future climate change affect corals that are currently present in marginal coral environments like Hong Kong? And can we enhance coral population resilience and restore degraded coral habitats at ecologically meaningful scales? As a committed science communicator and devoted conservationist, Apple has been actively engaged in public outreach and education activities on marine and coral conservation. In 2018, Apple officially founded the now well-established non-profit outreach programme “Coral Academy” in Hong Kong that aims to reconnect people with our marine environment and inspire action in coral conservation.