Polishing rocks

He hopes the discovery of dinosaur fossils in Hong Kong will open up new prospects for science education, and nature conservation in Hong Kong.

While leading tours, Yip often highlights to visitors the city's abundance of geological resources and wealth of fossils, where three distinct rock types are scattered almost 1,115 square kilometers.

He is hoping people can understand the importance of this and better protect their environment. However, he acknowledges that despite the growing attention paid to conservation, the general public in Hong Kong remains relatively uninformed about earth sciences, including geology and paleontology.

A key hurdle that needs to be overcome is many individuals feeling intimidated by complex scientific concepts or perceiving these fields as irrelevant to their everyday life. With over 20 years of hosting geology tours, Yip concedes that geology can seem dull to most people.

But dinosaur fossils stand out for their ability to generate curiosity. Drawing parallels with the success of dinosaur-themed intellectual properties like "Jurassic Park", he sees dinosaurs not only as a huge market for commercial activities, but also as a way to ignite curiosity in paleontology and other scientific areas.

Beyond just dinosaurs, he envisions that all the prehistoric creatures in Hong Kong, from osteoglossoid fish to ammonites, can serve as focal points for promotion and outreach in the future. They even have the potential to become trendy themes for commercial activities, he said.

Economic development and conservation efforts are not mutually exclusive, Yip said. Striking a balance between the two can attract more people to engage in conservation efforts.

"At the end of the day, conservation becomes achievable only when the public is interested in learning about the thing they must safeguard," Yip said.

amberwu@chinadailyhk.com