Lunch time came and the NTU teachers brought out lunchboxes. Everything inside the lunchbox was honestly a mystery, but it turned out to be delicious. We had a burrito looking food, fried mushroom, and rice with meat sauce on it. We had a little over an hour for lunch, and some of the NTU students decided to take us across the street for boba. The building across the street was equivalent to our dining hall, but with chain restaurants and cafes. The NTU students showed us the little boba shop, where they were cooking the tapioca pearls on the spot. I ordered a matcha with boba, and the boba pearls were still warm. Their “dining hall” looked very new and clean, with both outdoor and indoor seating for students and staff to utilize. 

After our lunch break, we split into groups for our campus tour. My group’s tour guide was Frank, who was a NTU alumni himself. As we stepped outside, we were greeted by the hot afternoon sun of Taiwan. Frank did a great job of showing us every part of the NTU campus. From the Life Sciences building, to the little pond, and multiple libraries, I’d say we saw every hotspot on campus. 

In the morning, we began the day’s activities with a lecture by Mic Chung from TPHA Ecotourism. The central theme of the lecture revolved around wildlife in the Taipei suburban hill environment. We were prompted with the question: does ecotourism have anything to do with wildlife conservation? To delve deeper, we were then introduced to the concept of biodiversity and its significance. Biodiversity plays a crucial role, as the extinction of any species may result in a bleaker future. In other words, biodiversity ensures the balance of our ecosystem. Ecotourism emerged as one of the best ways to connect scholars, environmental educators, local residents, and tourists. The connection of all these people make wildlife conservation an industry.

The lecturer then pivoted focus to the Taipei suburban hill environment, introducing us to the animals and wildlife present in urban cities. Among these creatures typically included smart animals such as snakes and feral cats along with the Indian giant flying squirrel.

The apex predator at night in Taipei is the scoops owl. There was an attempt to breed owls in the city but unfortunately it was a failed project due to human interference. Many people persistently disturbed the owls for photographs, going as far to kick the trees to wake the owls up so that they would open their eyes or taking photos with flash. As a result, the parent owl would fly away, sadly causing the baby owls to die.

Regrettably, suburban hill wildlife faces numerous perilous threats, with roadkill being a significant factor. Common victims of roadkill include shrews, snakes, and cheetahs. In class, we were shown graphic photos of the listed animals as road kill victims. In many cases, the animals were attempting to cross the road but were hit by vehicles in the process. The lecturer stated that “if there’s a road, there’s a road kill. We need these roads, but we can do more things for animals.”

In class we learned about the road edge effect, where a road cutting across a forest causes interior habitats and species to decrease and exterior habitat and species to increase. As a result, the road edge effect could look something like where certain species overpopulate whereas others go nearly extinct, causing an imbalance in the ecosystem and leading to other consequences. Such an instance could look like apex predators in the food chain losing their source of food and going extinct in the area.

Moreover, certain species suffer from frequent attacks due to societal stigmas or inter-species interactions. Snakes, for instance, bear strong prejudices, while pangolins face threats from dogs, causing their populations to dwindle.

Taiwan grapples with a pressing issue of invasive species, primarily attributed to fish, green iguanas, and frogs. Dishearteningly, the government is not taking action towards solving the main root behind invasive species and rather seems more focused on placating the public sentiment. For example, Taiwan has a serious green iguana invasive species problem, and rather than working with scientists and environmentalists to solve the issue causing the problem, the government chooses to focus on capturing the animals instead. The guest lecturer hopes that by spreading awareness and educating the general public and students like ourselves, greater efforts will be directed towards protecting our ecosystem and environment.

After the lecture we began the tour of NTU's campus. Our guide from the Taiwan Nature Trail Society showed us the restoration efforts made to daylight what had originally been an uncovered water canal but later sealed over. The collection of pools was quite beautiful and well cultivated with lotus flowers and vibrant grasses. The water system was however still reliant on human intervention. Despite this reliance the water was aerated by a solar powered system which minimized the environmental impact of its energy demand.

Our guide explained the modern Zuiyue pond had been completely reconstructed yet was still ecologically depleted unlike the artificial ponds flowing into it. We could see on the tour some of the defunct aeration equipment on Zuiyue pond, the more algae filled and less healthy pond effectively demonstrated how that human powered aeration was necessary to ecosystem function.  

From there our guide walked us along the western boundary of the campus, which follows an old train line that was paved over and replaced by the Xinsheng South Road. From there we walked through the Longpo neighborhood. Along the way we passed through various small community greenspaces. Right before we reached Daan Forest we walked through a large community garden wrapped around by small apartment buildings. The garden was charming with a rich variety of ornamental plants as well as fruit trees and vegetables. To the side was a shaded trail to facilitate walking next to a turtle filled water feature.

Crossing into the massive tree filled Daan Forest park, It is hard to imagine that not that long ago the park was filled with a mass of shabby low income housing. There is no visible sign of the park's past history and the controversial clearing of the area by the government. Nowadays the greenspace is an incredibly busy and popular space for recreational activity and exercise.

The guide explained that most of the trees were planted after the houses were removed from the space. Now they are mature and look as if they've stood there since forever. The park is filled with several species of bird. There is also a multitude of mosquitoes: to combat this there are bug spray dispensers dispersed along the park's trail.

One highlight of the park is their clever method to keep the water oxygenated. Along the park's stream is a series of bike powered sprinklers. Our class tried them out pedaling to power a flow of aerated water into the stream. As this happened a couple turtles rose out of the muck to enjoy the shower.

From there we walked past a central attraction of the park, a large lake ringed by raised paths. These looked out towards the lakes island which was ringed by nesting colonies of a variety of loud and large birds. The trails along the pond were highly used. We took a group photo in front of the island and appreciated the rich diversity of marsh ground cover and leafy tree species. The guide explained that most of these bird populations had been displaced by city growth and then the colonies had returned after the park was constructed.

In any culture, historical records play a crucial role in preserving its heritage. The National Taiwan Museum excels in this aspect by memorializing and collecting numerous artifacts from Taiwanese history. The museum is divided into four branches: Main Building, Natural History Branch, Nanmen Branch, and Railway Department Park. Our day's journey commenced at the Main Building, where everyone was encouraged to form small groups, each with at least one NTU student. After forming our groups, we embarked on exploring Taiwan's history.

The Main Building featured multiple exhibits, including the history and culture of the Paiwan tribe, an exhibit called "People of Taiwan," and another called "Nature of Taiwan." Our group began by visiting the exhibit on the Paiwan tribe, where we marveled at the carefully preserved clothing, tools, and centerpieces used by the tribe. One particularly fascinating piece was a scale reconstruction of a traditional Paiwan home. Additionally, the jewelry and ornaments on display captivated my attention.

Moving to the second floor, we delved into the history of Taiwan. Over the last half millennium, Taiwan had been under the control of three major powers, and the artifacts showcased in the collection exhibited the diverse foreign influences. I found it incredible to observe how the artifacts varied based on the specific time period and ruling power. Among my favorite exhibits were a series of paintings from the Japanese Occupation era. 

Next, we explored an exhibit dedicated to the rich wildlife found on the island. The display included a model of the Taiwanese Black Bear and a giant rhino fossil. However, the most enjoyable part was a wall that played isolated audio recordings from various locations across the island, allowing us to listen to the distinct sounds of its diverse creatures.

The third branch of the National Taiwan Museum consisted of dinosaurs, old fossils, and banks. In this branch, we got to see a model of the bank vault as well as learn about the history of the banks. In the past, these bank vaults were made of metal with wooden exterior doors, which allowed circulation of the indoor air. I got to go inside one of them and realized how spacious they were. I got to see the different land bonds and how bonds were exchanged at the bank. People used to exchange goods like rice and sweet potatoes through these green pieces of paper. 

We were also shown a timeline of the history of the bank and how it progressed to the Land Bank of Taiwan we see today. Walking up towards the second floor of the museum, we saw fossils of many prehistoric animals like the brachiosaurus and the pterodactyls. We learned about the different eras as well as the different mass extinction events that occurred in each era. Fortunately, I am glad that a lot of the terrifying animals have become extinct because they would have destroyed human beings. This museum thoroughly emphasized the animals that existed before mankind and they had a lot of really cool models and fossils of these animals.

We started off the field trip by visiting Shanshuilu Eco Park, which was originally a landfill from the years 1985 - 1995. The surrounding mountains created a basin-like landscape, making it an optimal terrain to form a landfill since little excavation was necessary. The system that was used to get rid of trash was in high demand due to the dense population in Taipei, but was altered to a different method of waste removal in 1994. The Muzha Refuse Incineration Plant started its commercial operation in 1995, allowing for a less impactful and space-consuming method to discard trash. The choice was made to stop using the landfill for environmental protection, and left alone for 20 years. 

Generally, once landfills reach their capacity for holding trash, the waste piles are compressed to be used for building sites, but the Taipei City Department of Environmental Protection in 2016 fought for the valley to be turned into an ecological restoration park. Taiwan was progressive in their search for environmentally-friendly energy alternatives, and solar power was and still is the most used option. However, finding land to put solar farms is not unchallenging, due to the amount of space that is used. Since the land value of the former landfill was low, it was a desirable location to install solar panels. 

A second source of power was derived from the methane and other gases that were released from the landfill. Even after the landfill was converted into the park, a lot of biogas was still present, so a biogas power plant was created as a solution. 

Much of the green scenery was also restored from people planting trees; many of these trees are not native to the land, which might not be as beneficial as planting indigenous trees, based on their traits. Some types of trees have roots that don’t reach the same depth as native trees, which is not preferable because the vegetation could be at risk for landslides. Monocultures are also made - the same species of trees were planted in one area, not offering a plethora of biodiversity. However, the trees helped restore the land and air quality, along with the biogas power plant.

The park itself was made for people of all ages to enjoy, with articles such as a trampoline, zipline, and walking paths filling the area. There is a picturesque view from this park, making it a great place to view the city, and appreciate the difference that 20 years can make to a piece of land.

The restoration of Shanshuilu Eco Park has taught me that while people often harm the land with generated waste, it is not too late to reverse the damages. People are often discouraged whenever learning about and seeing the devastating effects that humans have made on the once pristine land; instead, we should be uplifting each other with a mindset that we can restore the land. Taiwan is making a valiant effort to work with the land instead of against it, finding the best solution for humans to coexist with nature, which was the main focus of many of our site visits. By showcasing the ability to transform a once waste-filled land into something beautiful for people to enjoy, Taiwan gives hope to people that the earth can be restored.

After leaving the park, we drove to eat lunch and then walked around Shenkeng Old Street. The buildings were preserved due to local advocacy and the old street is most famous for its tofu-related foods. This old street promotes local tourism, stimulating the local economy. There were a variety of stalls, selling items such as foods, drinks, household goods, and souvenirs. One thing that was different from what I’ve seen in America was the themed shops. For example, there was one shop that was all owl-themed. It had everything from owl keychains to owl purses to owl bookmarks. There was also a shop like this for cat-themed items. Another shop I found interesting sold many beauty and physical health products. Many of their products were made of wood and many of them did not have plastic packaging on them. While the same shop still did have products made of plastic and surrounded by plastic, it reminded me that it doesn’t have to be normal for household products to be made of plastic. When I walk through American stores, I expect nearly all handheld products to be made of plastic, but this shop reminded me to consider alternatives to even what we are used to. An unexpected source of learning at the old street was the storm drains. Each storm drain was engraved with elaborate art pieces, each standing alone and demonstrating cultural elements. They utilized a basic necessity to enhance the beauty of an area and provide labor for artists, showing me that it is valuable to think outside of the box and look at all aspects of a place when attempting to improve it. Such an improvement could also be made in America, reminding me of the value of using examples from other countries to improve a location. 

Next, we rode the Maokong Gondolas. It is 4.3 kilometers long and has 4 stops, two of which are for the Taipei Zoo, one of which is for Zhinan Temple, and the last of which is for Maokong. We saw gorgeous views of distant hills, large trees, nearby towns, and even Taipei 101. It surprised me how many urban areas there were outside of downtown Taipei City. Because of the suburban hill environment, lots cannot be seen when standing at a single viewpoint of the city. When riding the gondolas, we got to constantly change our position and see so many areas of Taipei from a high vantage point. It began raining while we were in the lift and got strong enough such that the service was suspended once we got to the top. This meant that after an hour of exploring Maokong, we took public transportation all the way back to the start of the gondolas. Since there were many of us in the class, and since the gondolas were closed for everyone, the class had to split up and take separate buses to get back. This process showed us the convenience of the gondolas, which go in nearly a straight line, in comparison to public buses or driving. However, while a windy and long road is not ideal for transportation, local businesses on those roads rely on travelers to stop and buy goods. This happens a lot less when most visitors are using the gondolas to reach Maokong, demonstrating a challenge between convenience and supporting local businesses.

Lastly, one observation on the Taipei Zoo MRT Station was that a window was made of frosted glass and had animal art on it. A student told us that this was to prevent birds from flying into the windows by making them more visible. We then learned more about this in a lecture on July 4th. Each day of this program, we’ve learned about a different topic. However, our experiences during and outside of the program have supported and enhanced each other in surprising ways, making each experience a valuable one.

Outside the exhibits, the old railroads and mine carts were left unused. There was still one functioning steam locomotive that was being used to pull around passengers. After eating lunch at the museum we got a chance to ride in the mine carts down the old mine track. The ride through the forest was fun and went to show how effective such simple steam locomotives and railroads can be if they’re still functioning all these years later. Our ride ended at a coal storage facility that used conveyor belt technology to further move coal along the forest floor to the end of our tour, a coal processing plant. 

Walking away from the coal mine had me thinking about how rudimentary their process was. For example, when digging branches of the mine all they used for support were evenly spaced pieces of lumber wedged between the ceiling and ground. These types of crude yet apparently practical methods had me walking away impressed by the ingenuity and hard work of the coal miners.

After our exhilarating adventure in the coal mines and a ride on the operating train, our guide, Dr. Tao, led us on a leisurely stroll through the residential areas surrounding the mine. Luckily, we didn't stay out in the sun for too long because we soon encountered a kind elderly couple who graciously offered us shelter from the increasing heat. Their home was modest but charming, featuring a simple patio with an awning and a small pond adorned with koi fish. In many ways, their peaceful abode represented the kind of retirement that many people in the U.S. aspire to have.

Taking respite under the shade of the awning, the couple warmly welcomed us by serving a large plate of lychee, a delightful treat for all the students. As we rested and enjoyed their hospitality, Dr. Tao took the opportunity to share his knowledge, delivering an insightful lecture about the current culture of the coal town residents. His words further reinforced what Mr. Yung-Tsang had previously conveyed. Once the lecture concluded, everyone was energized and ready to resume our journey, with our next destination being Jingtong Old Street.

Jingtong Old Street, a charming little town, showcased its rich history with a display of traditional businesses and crafts. Upon arrival, we were taken to a quaint shop specializing in a festive craft: paper lanterns. Here, each of us had the chance to decorate and light our own lanterns, sending them soaring into the sky. It was a joyful experience, and the artistic touches added by everyone made it even more delightful.

Sadly, the tradition of launching paper lanterns has had to adapt due to environmental concerns. The materials used in making these lanterns were found to be harmful to the environment, prompting many shops, including the one we visited, to shift to more sustainable alternatives. This highlighted the delicate balance between preserving cultural traditions and embracing sustainable practices. It was a thought-provoking moment that emphasized the importance of finding compromises.

As the official part of our day came to an end with the lantern launch, we boarded a train back to Taipei City. On our journey back, we had time to reflect and digest the memorable experiences we had throughout the day. It was a day filled with adventure, cultural insights, and meaningful connections that we would cherish long after the program was over.