The NPUST Department of Forestry and Ching Jinglin Education Foundation have been cooperating on Green projects since 2018. To date, the partnership has led to the planting of around 5,000 saplings on NPUST’s two practice farms, in Dajen and Baoli. This year, the two parties joined forces again along with the Pingtung Forest Management Office to hold a conservation activity at the NPUST Baoli Forest Farm. On November 4th, a planting activity was held to conserve and restore a rare tree species, the Camellia hengchunensis. Among those participating in the event included NPUST’s president, Chin-Lung Chang, Ching Jinglin Education Foundation chairman, Cong Lin Lin, and executive director, Fangcen Lin, and Agricultural Bank of Taiwan deputy general manager, Pai-Jen Wu.
This year, in addition to planting Taiwan’s endemic Camellia hengchunensis tree species, the teams also planted Chinaberry and Chinese pistache. The Camellia hengchunensis is unique to Taiwan, and due to its need for a special growing environment, it has been listed as an endangered species. With the help of the academic experts from the NPUST Department of Forestry and the assistance of modern technology, Camellia hengchunensis saplings have been successfully nurtured. On the day of the event, the saplings were planted on-site and hundreds of extra trees were prepared for the participants to take home and continue afforestation activities.
NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang said “in recent years, the United Nations has been continuously promoting sustainable development goals, and tree planting is one of the most important items on the list. National Pingtung University of Science and Technology works hard on forestry conservation, and understands that the health of the forest can also foster the health of the overall ecosystem. We are grateful to the Ching Jinglin Education Foundation for their supports every year; not only by calling on everyone to respond together, but also by allowing everyone enjoy an in-depth look at the beauty of nature through exciting activities!”
Ching Jinglin Education Foundation chairman, Cong Lin Lin, said “through four consecutive years of tree planting activities, nearly 5000 trees have already been planted with a survival rate of more than 90%. Today, we have rallied 200 tree guardians to help plant 1000 trees. Using the Forest Art Museum as a theme, everywhere you go, you can see a layout full of ingenuity. Our hopes are that everyone who participates today will be able to take a break from the business of work, and enjoy the forest greenery and stress-relieving activities at Bali Forest Park.”
Department of Forestry Professor Jan‐Chang Chen said “for every year’s tree planting activity, the faculty and students from the Department of Forestry serve as the vanguard, starting with the preliminary environmental assessments and measurements, the clearing out of the site and other tasks. Along with developments in technology, this year a GPS positioning system was specially introduced to track the planting and let the participants give a name to each of the saplings. After the activity is over, online searches can be performed to find the tree location, and the planters can revisit the moment that they knelt down to put the tree in the ground.”
The tree species selected each year have special significance. Like the neem which is fast growing, wind and drought-resistant, has a straight trunk, and a beautiful and shiny wood texture. The wood is light, soft and easy to process, and it is a good material for making cabinets. The Chinese pistache, Taiwan Sassafras randaiense, Magnolia compressa, and Taiwan Zelkovaare are all listed as first-class broad-leaved trees. They are among the hardest wood trees in Taiwan and have been regarded as sources of high-grade and precious woods since ancient times. Planting these species not only helps to create a better environment and habitat for other species to thrive in, they also have great economic value. The growth range of the Camellia hengchunensis is limited to an area on the Hengchun Peninsula that stretches between Nanren Mountain, Luliao River, and Lanren River. Its flowers and leaves are of great ornamental value. However, due to the narrow distribution range, the small populations are small. The trees also need to grow in a sunny environment to about breast height with a diameter of 2 cm to bloom and bear fruit. The growth conditions are very restrictive, and it has been listed as an endangered species. Inasmuch, the activity is not only about tree planting it’s also about tree saving. Through the annual tree planting activities, the scope of afforested land will continue to expand, and the importance of forest resources will be conveyed in a meaningful way.
There were many experiences to enjoy throughout the day, such as forest swings, monkey tree climbing, and a forest banquet. Reusable wooden pallets and discarded cardboard boxes were installed on-site, to arouse people’s awareness of environmental protection by incorporating concepts of carbon reduction and low plastic use in life. Through the cooperative arrangement, NPUST and the foundation will continue to focus on talent cultivation and sustainable causes as they work together for a sustainable future for the earth.
