Nature-loving students took part in an ambitious drive to preserve Hong Kong's natural beauty - by helping to plant 100,000 trees. The CLP Centenary Tree- Planting Marathon was organised by China Light and Power (CLP). The company donated $2 million to the drive, reflecting its vision: 'To reap a return in 10 years, plant trees. To reap a return in 100 years, cultivate people'. The campaign had three stages: an eight-hour tree-planting marathon, off-site tree- planting workshops and an on- line tree-planting programme. The tree-planting, which involved 100 teams, symbolises a collaborative effort in preserving Hong Kong's country parks. The teams were drawn from primary and secondary schools, youth centres, the Girl Guides, CLP staff and their relatives. Various workshops were held to let young people, especially terminally-ill hospital patients, learn more about local tree species, growing plants and the actual planting of seedlings. CLP Holdings chairman Michael Kadoorie said at the closing ceremony: 'We have planted over 1.4 million trees in our supply area over the past decade.' He also cited the planting of 100,000 trees in the CLP Woodland project at the Nam Shan Country Park in Lantau last year. Guests at the ceremony included Financial Secretary-designate Antony Leung Kam-chung and Secretary for Economic Services Sandra Lee Shuk-yee, who took part in the planting. Fourth former Au Yat-hang, 15, and 20 classmates joined the programme because they thought it was a meaningful way they could help nature. They planted seedlings at Tuen Mun Fu Tei Country Park where some trees had accidentally burned down, resulting in a bare hill. 'I feel so sorry, seeing the bare hill, because nature shouldn't be like that. I hope the seedlings we planted can help improve the environment and make the countryside green,' the Pui Ying Secondary School student said. Brad Ng Heung-wing, 19, vice-president of the Student Union at PLK Yao Ling Sun College, said:'We always cut down trees for different purposes, yet if we never plant them back, there will not be trees in the future.'