Introduction to the Community Forestry Laboratory, Department of Forestry, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology
—–So many stories in a small town, full of joy and delight,
If you come to the small town, you will gain so much;
It looks like a painting, sounds like a song,
The true, the good and the beautiful in life are all contained here;
Chatting and talking, the small town stories are truly wonderful,
Please bring your friends along to visit the small town.
—–(The Story of a Small Town)
The lyrics of The Story of a Small Town describe the kind-hearted, simple people of a small rural village in the past, and the ordinary, harmonious and joyful lives of the residents. However, as the wider environment changed, people grew cold and distant toward one another. Because of economic development, people no longer feel close to nature, and invisible barriers have cut off their emotional connection to the land. Nature is no longer valued, and so it has gradually been destroyed.
In order to restore the connection between people and the land, the Department of Forestry at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology Community Forestry Research Lab team is dedicated to realizing the ideal of community conservation, hoping to inspire the public to love nature and conserve biodiversity, and to jointly seek ways for conservation and the economy to coexist. Through community participation, it aims to spark conservation consensus and action within communities, in the hope that communities can leverage their local strengths, with public and private sectors working together to conserve natural resources and jointly pursue the sustainable development of communities and forests.
Getting to Know Us: The Community Forestry Research Lab LOGO
The red background of the Community Forestry Research Lab logo represents the enthusiasm of the research team. The smiling house symbolizes community residents, showing that people can live together as harmoniously as family, whether between one another or with nature, achieving the goal of harmonious coexistence. The small green seedling expresses the hope that every community and every person, like a seed, will spread the concept of biodiversity conservation to every corner of the country.
At present, the communities accompanied by the Community Forestry Research Lab include, in the northern Pingtung area, Alil Tribe, Dawu Tribe, Sandi Tribe, Dalai Tribe and Dewen Tribe in Wutai Township and Sandimen Township; and in the southern Pingtung area, Sheding Tribe, Shuikuaiku Community, Longshui Community and Daguang Community in Hengchun Township, and Lide Community and Gangkou Community in Manzhou Township. Because each community has different resource conditions, the degree of ecotourism development also varies. Next, the features of each community will be introduced individually.
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