The Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum (HKBM) is the first museum in Hong Kong that is dedicated to biodiversity. It strives to be a natural history museum promoting environmental education and appreciation of biodiversity, fostering its preservation as a part of mankind’s natural heritage and by supporting scientific research on biodiversity. The role of the HKBM is crucial for the understanding and conservation of local and regional biodiversity, especially under the framework of the Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan by the HKSAR government and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets globally.

 

Due to the geographical location, topography and climate, Hong Kong presents an astonishing diversity of plants, fungi and animals, with an estimate of more than 30,000 species. With over 50,000 specimens, the HKBM hosts the largest and most comprehensive biodiversity collection within Hong Kong. Several of the species present, collected from the 1920’s to 70’s, are unfortunately now considered as threatened and thus represent an important heritage to pass on to the future generations. In addition to preserving these valuable specimens so they can be studied and presented to the public, our work also includes the expansion of this biobank to better reflect our current knowledge about local and regional biodiversity. 

 

The HKBM is currently managed by a team of experts from the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Hong Kong, together with the support from various scientists and partners. Thanks to the funding support from the Environment and Conservation Fund (EE&CA No. 2211 & 2695), from the Hong Kong Government, the team is now working hard on the development and curation of the Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum. 

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EE&CA Project 2211: Environment and Conservation Fund, The Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum: Collection Update and Opening to the Public

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EE&CA Project 2695: Environment and Conservation Fund, The Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum: Pushing the Frontiers of Biodiversity Knowledge