(HONG KONG, 10 March 2026) Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) is proud to announce the official kick-off of its 70^th anniversary celebrations.

Founded in 1951 by brothers Lawrence and Horace Kadoorie as the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association (KAAA) to help refugees through a philosophy of ‘Helping People Help Themselves’, the KAAA site on the northern slopes of Tai Mo Shan was established in 1956 – 70 years ago. KAAA officially transitioned into KFBG in 1995 in response to Hong Kong's changing economy and contemporary environmental issues, operating as a non-profit conservation and education centre. Through its three core programmes – nature conservation, holistic education, and sustainable living – KFBG actively promotes ecological awareness, protects local biodiversity, and strives to harmonise humanity’s relationship with nature.

Our history is long, and so, appropriately, this milestone year is uniquely thematic, embracing the themes of ‘Awakening of Memory’ and ‘Loving the Land’. ‘Seventy years is not only a milestone – it is a moment of remembrance and regeneration,’ says Wander Meijer, Executive Director of KFBG. ‘As we honour the legacy of those who shaped this place, we also invite our community to rediscover their own connection with the land. This anniversary is an invitation: to return, to remember and to share the stories that connect us to this living landscape.’

Awakening of Memory

The 70th anniversary year unfolds under the theme ‘Awakening of Memory’, which forms the backbone of KFBG’s March 2026 programme, to reconnect with our place in nature – to recall that we are part of a larger community of beings. It is also a call to honour cultural wisdom and value traditions that sustain balance and well-being in an ever-changing world. Conceived as a ‘living process’ rather than a single celebration, the anniversary encourages participants of the programmes to revisit both KFBG’s history and their own personal relationships with the land. Through inclusive and diverse activities – from workshops and one-day sessions to weekend immersive experiences in nature – KFBG invites the community into a shared process of reflection, reconnection and renewal throughout 2026. The conceptual direction is inspired by the work of the Selvagem Institute, a Brazil-based non profit network oriented towards preservation and transmission of ancestral knowledge, ecological memory and translations between worlds.

March Programme & Visiting Elders

To bring the spirit of 'Awakening of Memory' to life, KFBG is honoured to host four esteemed visiting teachers whose wisdom has shaped the organisation's educational philosophy over the years:

• Satish Kumar – former Jain monk, peace pilgrim and co-founder of Schumacher College (UK), internationally respected for his teachings on holistic education, reverential ecology and Radical Love.
• Jhon Kwano – elder of the Lani tribe of New Guinea and cultural Messenger, representing one of the most bio-culturally diverse regions on Earth.
• Dr Claire Elouard – ecologist and founder of ‘Energy of Nature’ workshops, guiding intuitive practices to deepen communion with the natural world.
• Colin Campbell – integrating African cultural traditions, Jungian psychology and contemporary artistic practice, he leads wilderness-based experiences that guide people toward a restored, deeply reconnected relationship with the natural world.

The March lineup features a variety of workshops and retreats. Key highlights include the ‘Radical Love – Life and Legacy of Satish Kumar’ film screening on 23 March, and a rare gathering on 26 March for ‘A Day with Four Elders’ at the mountain of Kwun Yum Shan.

Alongside these programmes, KFBG’s Artist-in-Residence (AiR) Programme welcomes South African earth-artist Hanien Conradie. Working with natural pigments from the soil and living water collected from the land, her exhibition awakens the deep-time memory of the ‘spirit of place’ at KFBG. Bridging African and Asian perspectives on nature, Conradie’s fluid, emergent work invites visitors to experience the land not as backdrop, but as a living entity — a call to rediscover belonging through art.

The Exhibition and the ‘Living Book’

As part of the anniversary celebrations, the public is warmly invited to visit the 70th Anniversary Exhibition at the Plaza, where KFBG’s past, present and future converge. The exhibition traces the 70-year ecological and mission evolution from the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association (KAAA) to today’s KFBG. It showcases KFBG’s work in Animal Conservation, Plant Conservation and Sustainable Living and features interactive elements that invite visitors to engage, reflect and discover their own connection to the land.

The ‘Living Book’ is a formative and participatory process that will unfold through November of this year. Conceived as an evolving narrative shaped by stories, memories and shared experiences, it begins internally with KFBG staff – those who have stewarded the land and its mission across the years. In the coming months, the project will gradually open to include visitors, partners and the wider community, inviting broader participation as the story continues to take shape. More than a publication or archive, the Living Book is a process of remembering and meaning-making – connecting generations and bridging the past, present and future of KFBG. As this 70th year unfolds, we look forward to welcoming the public to take part in this collective storytelling journey.

Join the Celebration

To discover more about our milestone year and to view the full calendar of activities, please visit www.kfbg70.org. We encourage the Hong Kong community to come to KFBG, join our transformative events, experience the exhibition, and walk the beautiful trails that have nurtured life and learning for seven decades.

Online Talk Series

And for people who cannot make it to the celebrations on the site, 2026 holds a special curation of online talks.

Extending this spirit of dialogue is ‘Loving the Land’, a new talk series running through the end of 2026. Featuring in-house talks and curated online dialogues, the series highlights KFBG’s work in nature conservation, regenerative agriculture, sustainable living and holistic education. These conversations create spaces for reflection and shared learning, exploring how a legacy that began 70 years ago continues to evolve its mission of fostering harmony between people and nature.

In parallel, our yearly online talk series with international teachers shares wisdom under the theme Awakening of Memory. The opening talk is a dialogue between Satish Kumar and Andrew McAulay, Chairperson of KFBG, on 22 April, Earth Day, titled ‘Celebrating Our Living Earth’. The conversation will reflect on KFBG’s evolving journey of care, from its early humanitarian roots in agricultural aid to its present commitment to conservation and holistic education. It also explores the significance of sacred natural landscapes such as Kwun Yum Shan, and how they awaken a deeper sense of belonging and responsibility.

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About Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG)

Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG), is a non-profit organisation, established in 1956 as the base of the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association (KAAA), founded in 1951 to help post refugee farmers become self-sufficient. It gradually transformed in the later period to focus on science-based species conservation and ecosystem restoration, and has become a precious conserved area where the public can experience and connect to nature. At KFBG, there are live animal display areas, themed botanic gardens, terraced farms, and conservation and educational facilities. Through nature conservation, holistic education and sustainable living projects, we wish to harmonise our relationship with the environment and live sustainably with respect for each other and nature.

For media enquiries:
Hazel Chan
Communication and Marketing Department
Tel: 2483 7106
Email: hazel.chan@kfbg.org

Appendix 1: Visiting Teachers and Artist

Photo link

Satish Kumar

Raised as a Jain monk from the age of nine, Satish Kumar became a campaigner for land reform at 18, working to turn Gandhi's vision of a renewed India and peaceful world into reality.

In 1962, concerned about nuclear proliferation, he began, with his friend E.P. Menon, an 8,000-mile peace pilgrimage, walking from India to Moscow, Paris, London and Washington with no money, through deserts, mountains and supposedly hostile territories to deliver a message of peace to the leaders of the four nuclear powers at the time.

In 1973, he settled in England and was invited by the renowned economist E. F. Schumacher to be the editor of Resurgence magazine, now titled Resurgence and Ecologist. Under his editorship the magazine has become, according to the Guardian newspaper, ‘The spiritual and artistic flagship of the green movement’.

In 1991, Satish co-founded Schumacher College, in Totnes, Devon, UK, an international residential education centre named after E. F. Schumacher, which aims to provide transformative learning for sustainable living.

Satish writes, teaches and leads workshops internationally on holistic economics, reverential ecology, holistic education and voluntary simplicity. His books include Soil · Soul · Society: A New Trinity for Our Time, No Destination, Earth Pilgrim, You Are Therefore I Am, Elegant Simplicity and Radical Love.

Jhon Kwano

As an elder from the Lani tribe in the highlands of New Guinea, Jhon Kwano is from the last generation of his people to receive traditional initiation. He was identified from an early age for the role of Messenger, sharing the message of his tribe with outsiders and reporting back what he has seen in the outside world. He is the only one known to be playing this role outside of Melanesia. As such, he is authorised to represent not only the Lani, but also other cultures in both New Guinea and the rest of Melanesia.

New Guinea is one of the most bio-culturally diverse places on Earth and Jhon’s people still live as their ancestors have for thousands of years, in harmony with nature.

Claire Elouard

Claire is of French nationality; she spent her early childhood in Senegal, Africa, and later studied in France. She has a master’s degree in biology and a PhD in vegetal ecology from universities in France. She conducted her field research for her PhD in Indonesia and afterward spent eight years carrying out research into forest pathology and ecology in Malaysia and South India. Subsequently, she directed an environmental project in the Mumbai area of India, from 2001 to 2015. She then developed her workshops on ‘Energy of Nature”, offering unique opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to deepen their connection with the natural world through intuitive practices.

Dr Claire Elouard has been deeply connected with nature since childhood. She later developed her perception of nature’s energy and deepened it by learning about the Hindu philosophy on the five elements and their corresponding chakras. She has been teaching people to communicate with nature and perceive its energy since 2004 in India, France, Belgium, Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan.

Colin Campbell

As a descendant of Scottish aristocracy, born in Zimbabwe (1963) and trained by some of the most renowned African healers of Southern Africa, Colin Campbell has become known for being a knowledge-bridge between rare pre-industrial African culture and contemporary Western culture. 

As a child, Colin travelled through Africa with his father, Alec Campbell, a celebrated cultural historian and archaeologist. From the age of seven, he was introduced to some of the most powerful African healers and magicians in Botswana, who instantly recognised the boy’s calling as a healer and accepted him as a student. Colin experienced and integrated ancient aspects of traditional African knowledge through the rigorous rituals and training from his teachers. This resulted in a deep understanding of animism and its inextricable connection to the natural world.

Through his in-depth knowledge of African culture, Jungian psychology and contemporary artistic practice, Colin has cultivated a uniquely authentic personal philosophy that he has developed into wilderness-based practices. His practices aim to take people of all nations into a restored and reconnected relationship with the wider natural world.

Hanien Conradie is an earth artist known for her diverse land-based creative practice centred around “sense of place” and “belonging”. Her practices include landscape paintings in natural pigments, studies in ink on paper, ritualistic performances and meditative pieces in natural pigments – all related to special places she knows well. Hanien actively contributes to interdisciplinary symposiums, online organisations and artists’ residencies focused on ecological research through creative practice. She holds a master’s degree in Fine Art (specialising in painting and ecology), a degree in Architecture, and has taught at institutions such as the Michaelis School of Art (UCT) and Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Hanien has participated in numerous ecological exhibitions across southern Africa, Europe and the USA. Additionally, she conducts private workshops exploring new ways of relating to natural places, others and herself through creative practice.

Appendix 2: ‘Awakening of Memory’ Key Event Highlights:

‘Radical Love - Life and Legacy of Satish Kumar’ Film Screening and Post-screening Talk

23 Mar 2026, 17:45 – 21:15

‘Radical Love’ is an inspiring documentary film that narrates the story of Satish Kumar. You are invited to this special screening that celebrates Satish’s life and legacy as well as his esteemed presence at KFBG.

Details: Click Here

Awakening of Memory – A Day with Four Elders

26 Mar 2026, 09:30 – 16:30

This one-day event presents the rare opportunity of joining these elders, who will not only be gathered together for the first time, but also at the sacred mountain of Kwun Yum Shan. The day features different sessions with each teacher and concludes with a dialogue among the elders on the theme of Awakening of Memory.

Details: Click Here

Appendix 3: Artist-in-Residence (AiR) Programme Key Activity Highlights:

‘This Earth. This Water.’ Art Exhibition

23 Mar - 31 May 2026, 09:30 - 16:30

The Artist-in-Residence Programme at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) aims to foster unity and evoke our connection with nature through art. In 2026, the programme invited Hanien Conradie, South African Earth artist, to serve as our Artist-in-Residence.

What happens when we treat the landscape not as a backdrop, but as a living entity? In her new exhibition, earth artist Hanien explores the unique “spirit of place” at KFBG.

Using natural pigments and water sourced directly from the farm, Hanien creates a visual narrative that bridges African and Asian perspectives on nature. Her work is a call to reconnect with the ancient parts of ourselves and to find a deeper sense of belonging within the natural world. This exhibition is a fluid, emergent response to the land, blending the scientific importance of conservation with the spiritual necessity of connection.

Come witness the colours of the earth and the spirit of the water.

Details: Click Here

Artist-Led Tour: 21 Days at KFBG – An Exhibition  

23 Mar 2026, 15:00 – 16:00

This Earth. This Water. is the culmination of earth artist Hanien Conradie’s immersive residency at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG). Created using soil, natural pigments, and "living water" gathered directly from the site, this body of work is a profound dialogue between an African artist and an Asian landscape.

A Dialogue with Nature

Hanien’s practice is rooted in the belief that art has the power to inspire empathy for our planet. During her time at KFBG, she moved beyond the role of a passive observer, seeking instead to harmonise with the "other-than-human community" of the mountain. Her process was not rigidly planned but remained fluid, allowing the spirit of the place – and nature itself – to dictate the form of the final artworks.

Details: Click Here

The Voice of Water: Making Art in a Time of Water

27 Mar 2026, 14:00 – 16:00

Water is more than a resource; it is a living archive of the landscape. Join our artist-in-residence Hanien Conradie for The Voice of Water, a two-hour immersive session exploring the vital relationship between creativity and the lifeblood of Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG).

In this session, we move beyond the surface to understand the "living water" that sustains this ecosystem. The experience begins with a deep dive into the unique water systems of the farm, blending ecological knowledge with artistic insight. Following this, Hanien leads a walk-about of her exhibition, revealing how these local waters were physically used to create her residency artworks.

Come discover how the fluidity of water can inspire a more sustainable, connected way of living and creating.

Details: Click Here

Appendix 4: ‘Loving the Land’ Talk Series – ‘Celebrating Our Living Earth – a dialogue between Satish Kumar & Andrew McAulay’

‘Loving the Land’ Talk Series

22 Apr 2026, 19:00 – 20:30

Across cultures and traditions, sacred natural sites have long been recognised as places of connection – spaces where nature, spirit and human presence meet, and where memory is held and renewed. At the heart of KFBG lies Kwun Yum Shan (KYS), a mountain named after the Goddess of Love and Compassion, long revered as a place of healing, pilgrimage and quiet transformation. In this talk, Satish Kumar, life-long Earth Pilgrim, and Andrew McAulay, Chairman of KFBG, explore how the relationship with sacred landscapes such as this can awaken a deeper sense of belonging and responsibility within the Earth community.

This gathering also reflects on a recent series of land-based experiences at KFBG in March: moments designed to awaken memory, deepen relationships and reconnect people with the living intelligence of nature. Earth Day becomes an opportunity to share these local experiences with a wider global audience.

Details: Click here