Nature Education

Promote awareness of nature conservation
SOW believes that the general public must first be guided to touch, experience, feel, and be affected by the wonder of nature before the desire to protect and conserve nature grows in a person; only then will action will be taken. Accordingly, SOW trusts that education is the way to influence people’s mindset and behavior, and to ground and sustain consequent actions.
To accomplish this objective, SOW has:
‧ Conducted lectures, and been invited to give speeches and slide shows about the natural environment in Taiwan to businesses, communities, government agencies, trainings for public officials, elementary schools, high schools, and universities, totaling over 200 shows per year, free of charge (donations accepted).
‧ Guided field trips all over the island, at more than 50 trips per year.
‧ Offered trainings and seminars for nature interpreters and nature lovers.
‧ Hosted at least 5 radio programs per year.
‧ Participated in or hosted several nature education fairs.
SOW has contacted more than 500,000 people to advocate nature conservation awareness in the past 6 years.

Work with communities, encouraging education for life
SOW believes that the future of successful conservational work lies in the participation of the general public. In order to involve the public, SOW:
‧ Offers Making Friends With Nature seminars in communities, helping residents to observe and learn about nearby natural environment.
‧ Hosts seasonal nature festivals--such as the fire fly festival--in the communities, teaching local residents to interpret for visitors, and to patrol and conserve local natural resources.
‧ Promotes "Green Map" programs in communities, assisting local residents to map out green resources in their own neighborhood.
 

Kid's nature education program
Nature education for children is listed as one of the prioritized agenda items for the 2001 to 2003 period. SOW is concerned that our future generations are living in a largely manmade environment, where they have little contact with nature. With so little experience and connection with nature, we worry that when the children today become parents, teachers, governors, legislators, and administrators tomorrow, how will they be able to make decisions and policies that are environmentally conscious and friendly? We, as adults today, have the responsibilities to educate our children on the significance of the natural environment, laying the foundation for them to build on as they grow. To do this, SOW:
‧ Gives nature education training programs to teachers of children on a regular bases.
‧ Hosts summer and winter nature camps for children.
‧ Develops children's nature education materials.
‧ Recruits "Cool Bee" nature scouts of children from 8 to 11 years old in the communities for regular nature observation activities.
 

Nature Education Base Camp (Nature Center)
In recent years, many remote elementary schools are forced to close down due to lack of students; therefore, these school buildings become vacant. Many of these schools locate in remote mountain regions where nature environment and resources are well preserved because of infrequent human activity and disturbance. SOW has been working with county governments and education departments to turn some of the vacant school buildings into nature education base camp. As a result, the branch school of Da-hu elementary school of I-lan county, once an abandoned site, was transformed into a nature center for both a children's nature campground and a further education and training site for K-12 teachers. And regular activities are planned for the site, including school children's field trips, summer camps, and nature education training for teachers.

2002 © Designed by The Society Of Wilderness, Taiwan