Hong Kong villager steps up ‘adopt a tree’ bid amid Northern Metropolis evictions

Ken Mak’s greatest wish before leaving his village in Hong Kong this month is to save the fruit trees planted by his grandfather before the bulldozers arrive.To give the trees in Yick Yuen Tsuen in Tuen Mun a second chance, he hit on an idea: tree adoption.Within a week, Mak had recorded the species, height and girth of 53 fruit trees at his family-run flower farm and a nearby church. He compiled the information and photographs into a catalogue and led people on tours to view the trees.So far, 14 have been adopted.“My hope is to find kind-hearted people willing to adopt the trees my grandfather planted and give them a chance to avoid being crushed to death by excavators,” the 47-year-old, who has to move out by late May, told the South China Morning Post.The 30 fruit trees belonging to his family are among 2,000 trees located in the village, which sits within the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area.The site will become a high-end professional services and logistics hub under the Northern Metropolis megaproject.