On a day of double significance for wildlife preservation, Ocean Park Hong Kong and the Scout Association of Hong Kong officially launched the Eco Conservation Pioneer Badge as part of the Scout’s Active Citizenship Badge Series.
The landmark eco-education curriculum was unveiled at Whiskers Theatre on National Ecology Day, coinciding with the second birthday of Hong Kong's historic, home-born giant panda twins, Jia Jia and De De. Just as these beloved cubs have spent their first two years growing, learning and thriving under expert care, the new badge is designed to nurture the city’s youth along a parallel path of progressive development and civic maturity. The launch ceremony was officiated by Miss Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism; Mr Simon Wong, Deputy Chairman of Ocean Park Corporation; and Dr Wilson Lai, Chief Commissioner of the Scout Association of Hong Kong. Ms Ann Chan, Commissioner for Tourism, also attended in person to support today’s event alongside an enthusiastic audience of over 400 Scouts.
Prior to the launch ceremony, Miss Rosanna Law and Ms Ann Chan visited Giant Panda Adventure to observe Jia Jia and De De’s husbandry training session. Witnessing firsthand how the twins are guided through positive reinforcement to build trust and confidence offered a living reflection of the scouting journey—demonstrating how young members, too, are gently supported to blossom into responsible, capable citizens.
A living classroom for ecological conservation
The newly minted badge mirrors this continuous journey of growth, transforming the massive public affection for Hong Kong’s growing giant panda family into a structured engine for civic responsibility. Tailored for Cub Scouts and Scouts aged six to 15, the progressive curriculum bridges digital learning with hands-on challenges to practise conservation in daily life.
Moving beyond general environmental awareness, the framework equips young citizens with rigorous scientific standards, focusing directly on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Participating youth will study, monitor, and advocate for four species native to Hong Kong or the Chinese Mainland: the giant panda, the Beale’s eyed turtle, the green sea turtle, and the Chinese alligator. Through this programme, Scouts will gain a deeper understanding of conservation initiatives across the city and the country, while learning to put environmental protection into practice in their daily lives.
To scale the initiative citywide, Ocean Park is providing Scout leaders with comprehensive digital educational resources and hosting specialised train-the-trainer workshops to reach hundreds of young leaders.
Driving conservation through active citizenship
“On this meaningful occasion, Ocean Park and the Scout Association of Hong Kong have joined forces to launch the new Eco-Conservation Pioneer Badge, themed around Jia Jia and De De. The badge focuses on the conservation of giant pandas and local endangered species, as well as Hong Kong’s biodiversity. Its programme includes experiential learning activities at Ocean Park and encourages young people to venture outdoors and explore nature. By bringing together the professional expertise of Ocean Park, a world-class hub for conservation and education, with the Scout Association’s extensive experience in youth development, this partnership will strengthen conservation education across Hong Kong,” said Miss Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism.
“The Ocean Park team possesses deep experience across multiple areas, including animal care, scientific research, breeding of precious species, wildlife rescue, education, and conservation advocacy,” said Mr Simon Wong, Deputy Chairman of Ocean Park Corporation. “Inspiring the next generation to live in harmony and grow with nature sits at the core of our vision. Over the years, the Park has joined forces with partners from various sectors to advance conservation and education. The Scouts are dedicated to nurturing youth into responsible, active citizens and encouraging members to respect nature, which aligns seamlessly with the Park’s mission. We are honoured to collaborate with the Scout Association of Hong Kong in fostering the next generation of nature guardians.”
Dr Wilson Lai, Chief Commissioner of the Scout Association of Hong Kong, said, “Scouting has always been about learning by doing, and this inspiring collaboration with Ocean Park takes that mission to the next level. The Eco-Conservation Pioneer Badge equips our young members with the vital knowledge and tools to protect Hong Kong’s rich biodiversity. More importantly, it empowers them to translate that understanding into meaningful, everyday actions—transforming knowledge into lifelong habits of environmental stewardship.”
Wasting no time after the ceremony, the attending Scouts dive straight into action to test their biodiversity knowledge across Ocean Park.
From theory to action
Following the launch ceremony, over 400 attending Scouts put their skills to immediate use, participating in an interactive talk hosted by the Ocean Park education team. The youth then deployed across the Waterfront and Summit grounds for an orienteering challenge, discovering the importance of biodiversity through real-world scenarios.