Wandering Bird Leaves Kenting, Embarking on a Micro-Journey Through Life

As the seasons turn, the annual summer holiday is about to arrive once again. For students weighed down by academic pressure, the long summer break is not only a time to relax body and mind, but also a turning point for pursuing personal growth. In the Hengchun Peninsula area of Pingtung, at the southernmost tip of Taiwan, China, an eco-tourism industry is being developed in an environmentally friendly way that can both protect the environment and bring economic benefits. This sustainable tourism economy, which overturns conventional sightseeing thinking, has been worked on by the Kenting National Park Headquarters, the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology team, local communities, and relevant public agencies for as long as 8 years.

The first eco-tourism brand - the Sheding tribe in Kenting. After Sheding, 7 more communities in the Kenting National Park area successively joined the ranks of eco-tourism development. The unique charm of community eco-tourism has made more people at home and abroad fall in love with this kind of travel that brings them close to the land and its culture. We began to think about developing related businesses around tourism, such as flavored meal design, homestay management, processing and utilization of agricultural specialty products, product storytelling and marketing, musical theater performances, and cultural and creative product development... In the process of brainstorming, we found that in addition to the participation of local residents, there is an urgent need for fresh input of young creativity. Therefore, we decided to recruit students from colleges and universities nationwide in the summer of 2014 to come to the communities, experience the most local life and culture in depth, and take part in brainstorming and innovation for the industry.

We look forward to all you passionate people throwing yourselves into the cultural pulse of the communities and looking at this land that nurtures us from a different angle. Combine the expertise of young friends, use the communities as a stage for practice, seek all kinds of possibilities for development, and let Taiwan's unique nature and culture become our pride.

Now is exactly the time -

Young people from colleges and universities everywhere, are you ready to leave home on this island and take a micro-journey through life?

Recruitment targets:

1. Young people from colleges and universities nationwide (including master's programs), any department

2. Those who care about local development in Taiwan and are willing to accompany communities in depth

3. Those eager for a stage to apply what they have learned and their strengths

4. Those hoping to find a different angle from which to see this land

5. Those wanting to leave a familiar environment and search for their own possibilities

Participating communities: Longshui, Daguang, Sheding, Shuiguaku, Gangkou, Manzhou, and Lide in the Kenting National Park area

Number of openings needed: 1-2 per community

Documents required for application: resume (with photo attached), Chinese autobiography, photocopy of academic credentials (graduation certificate, student ID), past portfolio and records of any related activities

Selection procedure: first stage resume submission, second stage admission interview, third stage assignment and hiring

Work period: during the summer vacation, with 1 month as the basic duration; those who can serve 2 months are preferred

Work content & schedule: depends on the work needs of each community

Benefits and treatment: work-exchange-for-accommodation arrangement, providing full board, lodging and insurance. After the service ends, the Kenting National Park Headquarters will issue an eco-tourism local community service certificate according to the number of work hours.

 

Pre-job training and consultation guidance:

Community resource characteristics, community empowerment, eco-tourism / Community Forestry Research Laboratory team, Department of Forestry, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology

 

Application materials submission deadline: May 31, 2014

Interview date: The organizer will announce it online after receiving applications and will reply uniformly to all interviewees

Assignment announcement date: A date will be chosen after the interviews end to announce online, reply on the application results, and then each community will be responsible for contacting

 

Receiving unit: Community Forestry Research Laboratory, Department of Forestry, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology

Address: Community Forestry Research Laboratory, Department of Forestry, No. 1 Xuefu Road, Laopi Village, Neipu Township, Pingtung County 91201

Contact phone: (08)7740475 E-mail: [email protected]

Community Forestry Research Laboratory Blog: http://comforestry.pixnet.net/blog

Community Forestry - Eco-tourism FB: http://www.facebook.com/comforestry

 

For related information on each community, see:

Kenting National Park Headquarters: http://www.ktnp.gov.tw/cht/index.aspx

Pingtung County Government Tourism Website (Community Eco-tourism Website): http://ecotourism.i-pingtung.com/