On Sunday, HKU Professor Jim Chi-yung won the 2014 LC Chadwick Award for Aboriculture Research presented by the International Society for Aboriculture. If you are not well versed in the language of aboriculture, the term refers to the cultivation and study of trees and the award means that Jim is a tree expert. He is the first Asian person to receive the award.
According to the Standard, Jim likened the city of Hong Kong to a decaying tree. Mhmm. But fear not! Professor Jim still retains a little optimism for the future of our city: “I hope it’s a tree that is just starting to decay because that’s mean we still have a chance to save it.”
Jim, being the tree expert that he is, knows exactly what is causing the Hong Kong tree to decay: fungi. “They are spread by spores which come from mushrooms,” Jim said.
Someone asked if the said mushroom was CY Leung, and Jim cryptically replied that “there is not only one mushroom”. Professor Jim is so wise. Where were the professors like him when we were in school?
His warnings are clear: Hong Kong is facing the imminent threat of a dangerous mould infestation. We think. Or maybe he’s saying we should harvest wild mushrooms and sauté them to make a tasty dinner to solve the obesity crisis. Yeah. That’s probably it.
In a statement released by HKU, Jim said: ““Life is too short for many devotions, and I have chosen to dedicate my professional life to the welfare of trees. I believe they are the critical elements that maintain the Earth’s ecosystems. We cannot afford to mistreat them.”
That’s something we can agree with.
Photo: Professor Jim Chi-yung via HKU
