• City Nature Challenge events aimed to motivate participants to actively engage in science activities and contribute to the collection of biodiversity data in Macau.
• Sands China’s environmental sustainability efforts are part of the Sands ECO360 global sustainability strategy of parent company Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Sands China held a series of events in April, including talks, field trips and a biodiversity photography competition to engage and raise awareness among team members and the local community about the global initiative “City Nature Challenge” (CNC).

On 11 April, Sands China invited Macau scientist Leong Chi Man to conduct two seminars at The Venetian Macao, attended by 120 participants. Dr Leong emphasized the significance of biodiversity and its connection to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the role of green spaces in maintaining ecological balance in urban areas.

Following the seminars, Dr Leong led participants in a BioBlitz activity along The Venetian Macao’s green belt, guiding them to explore and document various plants, animals, insects and birds surrounding the hotel. The event involved secondary and university students and staff interested in environmental science, biology or sustainable development, as well as members of the public.

Additionally, on 13 April, Dr Leong led a group of 33 Sands China team members and their children on another BioBlitz activity along the Hac-Sa Reservoir Family Trail. Participants learned how to explore and record biodiversity in Macau’s ecological areas, with Dr Leong encouraging team members to incorporate more nature-related activities into their children’s daily lives.

Sands China also hosted a Biodiversity Photography Competition from 26 to 29 April, encouraging team members to use their smartphones to capture various flora and fauna and upload them to the iNaturalist platform. Winners were awarded MOP300 worth of eco-friendly product vouchers to support CNC, which is simultaneously conducted in hundreds of cities worldwide.

According to Sands China, the activities observed nearly 3,000 species, of which more than 700 are wild species, adding to the record of organisms in Macau and making a positive contribution to local scientific research and conservation work.