Mountains

Meeting and coffee location: Rootdown Shop 16-19 G/F, Two Artlane, 1 Chung Ching St, Sai Ying Pun Communication: Follow us on IG and join our whatsapp group for latest updates.[HK-FRC Instagram Page](http://instagram.com/frchongkong/) [WhatsApp Group Link](https://chat.whatsapp.com/JhRmT0GhHMiDhLdrTD5tx0?mode=ems_copy_t) **Founders Running Club** (FRC) brings founders, investors, tech, creative people and startup enthusiasts together for weekly easy runs and networking. We like to be comfortable when we run and finish with coffee and conversations. Choose your pace or follow a pacer—pets, friends, family, are welcome. 🗓️ Launched in San Francisco, July 16, 2022 🌍 Now in 45+ cities 📅 Running + Networking events + Community **Follow us on Instagram** [http://instagram.com/frchongkong/](http://instagram.com/frchongkong/) **Stay updated**: Global Pages Instagram [http://instagram.com/foundersrc/](http://instagram.com/foundersrc/) LinkedIn [http://linkedin.com/company/foundersrc/](http://linkedin.com/company/foundersrc/) Strava [http://strava.com/clubs/foundersRC](http://strava.com/clubs/foundersRC) Website [http://foundersrc.com/](http://foundersrc.com/)

Shing Mun Reservoir is one of the **most beautiful and idyllic trails** in Hong Kong. The reservoir is nestled between Tai Mo Shan and [Needle Hill](https://droneandslr.com/travel-blog/hong-kong/needle-hill-hike/) and features scenic viewing points, natural attractions, and over 20 picnic spots. The reservoir is also known for its bustling wildlife, including monkeys, butterflies, and cattle. And its character changes with every season! **Quick Stats** * Meeting Point: Lai Chi Kok MTR Station (**Exit A**) * We will take a bus to the starting point * Distance: 8 - 10 KM (including walk from Bus Stop) * Highest Elevation: 250ish Metres * Time: 10:00 AM * Difficulty: 5/10

\*\*\* Please bear in mind tonight's event will be moving to a new venue, just a few blocks away from our usual venue Meeple Tree. Hi, we will have a board game gathering for expats gamers / English-speaking gamers in Hong Kong! It will be hosted by our lovely and friendly Meetup hosts Karen and Ann! Strategy games, party games, hidden identity games, anything, your call! A free style event you are welcome to bring along your own games to break it to the gang! Sign up, and we will see you soon! Venue Fees: $105 / Ladies $85 [Signing up through Meetup will enjoy a $5 discount] (a complimentary drink is included) No show: No show will definitely be removed from the group. (Altogether 102 members have been removed from our groups so far due to no show.)

***About this outing***: For this second HK plant walk, we will be doing an easy hike in Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve. Our aim is to get familiar with Hong Kong’s native plants by using the Inaturalist app. We will begin with a quick overview about Inaturalist and how to make and upload an observation – by doing so, you’ll be contributing useful biodiversity data to a huge citizen science database! Then, we will wander at a comfortable pace along the shaded forest trails of the nature reserve, pausing to look more closely at plants and record what we see. Tai Po Kau is rich in interesting and unusual flora, and if we are lucky, we might spot the Hong Kong Ania, a native orchid (see picture). This event is beginner-friendly. You need moderate fitness and comfortable walking/hiking shoes (there’s a short uphill climb to start). Shoes with good grip are best as some parts of the trail are uneven and the stones can be a little slippery when it’s humid. ***About the organizer:*** I am a regular hiker, plant lover and Inaturalist ambassador. However, I am not a botanist or expert! The aim of this walk is to discover plants together, document Hong Kong’s native biodiversity and work on removing our plant blindness. ***Please***: ✔Have a true profile photo of yourself on Meetup, so that I can recognize you ✔Download the Inaturalist app on your phone before the walk and create an account ✔Have breakfast and hydrate before the hike ✔Plan your transportation to Tai Po Kau and show up on time! ***Do bring***: ✔Water or sports drink (at least 750ml) ✔ Walking/hiking shoes with decent grip ✔Mosquito repellent ✔Sun protection (hat / sunscreen / long sleeves) ✔Umbrella ***Don't***: ❌Wear inappropriate clothes/shoes (flip flops, heels) ❌Be late ❌Bring guests (all participants must sign up separately) ❌Smoke or drop litter on the trail ***Route description***: Tai Po Kau Red Walk and connecting trails ***Walk details***: Approx. 5 km with 200m climb. There is a short steep road section at the very start, but most of the walk is relatively flat and shaded. However, it could still be warm and humid. I plan to finish within 3 hours and the walk is circular - we will end the walk back at the starting point. ***Meeting time and place***: 10am at the Entrance of Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve on Tai Po Road (Tai Po Kau). I will wait near the “Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve” wooden sign. [https://maps.app.goo.gl/1tCoS38hQkFGQtZ86](https://maps.app.goo.gl/1tCoS38hQkFGQtZ86) ***Transportation info*** **By taxi or Uber** The entrance of the nature reserve is located on Tai Po road (Tai Po Kau), here: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/R19HKRNLgM1Cbq79A](https://maps.app.goo.gl/R19HKRNLgM1Cbq79A) There is a lay-by with a public sitting-out area at the nature reserve entrance. **By public transport** If taking public transport, you need to get off at the **Chung Tsai Yuen bus stop** on Tai Po road, which is a 2-minute walk from the nature reserve entrance. You can take the following services; the green minibus is the most regular option: **Green minibus** 28K Tai Po Market MTR Station \~ Sha Tin (Pak Hok Ting Street) (Circular route, 10 min intervals). * From Sha Tin, the journey takes around 25 minutes **KMB bus** 72 Tai Wo \~ Cheung Sha Wan (20-25 minute intervals) * An easy place to get this bus is from the bus station underneath Tai Wo MTR. The journey takes 20 minutes. For this walk, take the 9:20 departure. 72A Tai Wai MTR Station \~ Tai Po Industrial Estate (30 minute intervals) * From Tai Wai, the bus departs every 00 and 30 minutes, and the journey takes 30 minutes. For this walk, take the 9:00 or (latest) 9:30am departure. 73A Yu Chui Court \~ Wah Ming (30 minute intervals) 74A Tai Wo \~ Kai Yip (60 minute intervals) ***Important notes***: * I will make a list of participants with visible profile photos on Meetup. If you cannot make it, please update your RSVP on Meetup as soon as possible. * Out of respect for all participants, we will not wait a long time for latecomers. If you are running late due to transportation issues, please leave a message on this page before 10am to let us know. Otherwise I will start the walk promptly. * I will not check messages after the walk begins. There is limited network coverage in the nature reserve. * The walk may be cancelled in the event of heavy rain/thunderstorm or for other reasons. Please check this page 2 hours before the event time for any updates. * There is no shop at the start or along the route. Be mindful of warm weather, and please bring enough water and a snack for energy if you need it. * There is a public toilet near the start of the walk. * Participants join this walk at their own choosing and at their own risk.

Come assist Van Buren Shelter (https://ymcacolumbus.org/locations/vanburen) staff in serving dinners and cleaning up on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Dinner for the women is 5-6 pm and for the families is 6:15-7:15 pm. There is ample free parking available in the shelter's lot. The recommended area to park is in green in the image above. There will be a new entrance for the time being. We are asking all volunteers to enter through the Donation Dock door, the orange mark on the image above. This door is located between the Single Adults and Family Shelter. You will see 2 large garage doors with a large green trash compactor in the center. Please head to the closest garage door to the building wall, with a ramp leading up. There, you will see a door with a sign stating instructions on how to enter the building. Please ring the doorbell, and a staff member will come and escort you into the building. If a staff member takes longer than 5 minutes, please call the front desk at 614-689-2020. This is a new process for us, and we do not want to keep you waiting! We appreciate your patience as we navigate this temporary change. The shelter needs a volunteer count the day before the event so sign-up ends Monday at 4:50 PM. Afterwards some of us go to the Omnipresent Atheists Weekly Meetup in progress to have a bit to eat or drink (http://www.meetup.com/omnipresentatheists/). Volunteers must be 14 or older. Since we will be working around families, the YMCA does not permit volunteering by individuals with convictions for violent or sexual crimes. The YMCA reserves the right to run background checks on volunteers. For questions, comment on this page or contact: Andrew, awhit12@yahoo.com, (614)937-5802 (cell). Please let Andrew know if you volunteer anytime other than our COUNT events so that he can count your hours toward our service record.

Over time I'm hoping to organize a hike to all the Franklin County Metro Parks. This is the first one so if you're interested jump in! We'll start with the Canopy Walk, a cool feature of this park. Climb 100 stairs to the top - or take the elevator if stairs aren't your thing. At the top there are a bunch of things to play on - a rope bridge, a fireman pole that we can slide down - and more! About fifteen minutes there and we'll head to the natural trail, Buttonbush, Maple and Beech Trail for 2.2 miles then do a 1.7 mile loop on the paved Greenway Trail. We'll be passing our cars as we transition if you only want to do the first loop, or the second loop. Pace of around 3.5 mph but no one left behind. If there is an interest we can grab lunch nearby afterward.

Let’s walk the gardens and enjoy what has spring has on display.

This trail is a meandering path through the woods. There will be some overlooks and a couple stops at the creek as well as time along a waterway. It will not be a fast paced hike. There is some elevation change and uneven terrain. I will be using poles just to be safe! Will aim to get in about three miles. Optional lunch after if there is an interest.