Jan 2021 update

Due to the pandemic, instead of face to face training, an online self-learning programme was launched in Dec 2020, with heavy fcous on the "Leave No Trace" principles. Over 700 scouts and leaders have participated. 

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"Dialogue with the Nature" Programme is an adventure based project developed by the Leadership Training Institute, the Scout Association of Hong Kong, started in July 2019 and ended in Mar 2020.

The project is designed to help scout members to explore the relationships between themselves and the nature in the following sequence:

(1) Reflections on Nature and Personal Identity
(2) Understanding Our Natures - Community
(3) Connecting to Nature and Action Planning

The project is to be delivered in 3 stages

(1) A group of seed trainers are trained to deliver the Train-the-trainer programme
(2) A group of scout leaders are trained as trainers to deliver workshops for youth members.
(3) Scout members are trained in the“Dialogue with the Nature”workshops and become Youth Ambassadors. Their ultimate tasks are to spread the message of peace to friends and communities.

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Amid the mists of social incidents and public health issues during the period, 27 leaders participated in the seed trainers' program, plus another 56 participated in the trainer-the-trainer program. They attended a lecture exploring the theories behind this project, and the actions of putting through the programs, then they attended practical sessions to get familiar with the contents of the activities and facilitation skills. Before the actual implementation of their trainings for scout members, leaders were gathered for endless meetings and dicussions to make sure executions and logistics could go smoothly.

over 110 scouts, from cubs to rovers, attended on different days, a one-day field trip at the remote pennisula of Sai Kung Hong Kong, famous for its white-sand beach, clean and calm seawater.  At there scouts had some fun beach games and experiential activities. They then took on a hidden trail in the woods, and hiked back to our Leadership Training Centre on the other tip of the pennisula, where they performed some reflective learning exercises during and after the trip. 

More team building and spiritual development activies after lunch, and two workshops were carried out, namly the Leave No Trace awareness workshop, and the Shoreline Protection workshop. At the end of the day, scout members were divided into groups to perform shoreline cleaning services. Upon completion of the field trip, members were encouraged to share their experiences with their next of kin, and to spread the message of peace. 

It is our intention to use nature as a spirtual practice for our scout leaders and members, to bring to their awareness the relationships between themselves and our living planet, the importance of environmental protection, and hope as part of their personal growths, that they will continue to spread positive messages to their friends and communities, or more, to work out together within their scout groups, community projects alike, every scout can help to create a better world. 

There were more workshops scheduled before the end of March 2020. However as the outbreak of infectious disease was severe in Hong Kong, we followed the guideilne laid down by the Scout Association of Hong Kong and ended the project early.