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Activities..... |
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Training Program for Nature Education
‧Interpreters
‧The
Sower of Nature education
‧Nature
interpreters for Children
‧
"Cool Bee" Nature Scouts' mentor
‧Speakers
for nature awareness advocacy
‧"Green
Map" production guides
Introduction to Nature seminars and programs for the general public
‧Nature
observation courses
‧Weekly seminars
‧Courses
on Exploration of Nature and Human Culture
Experiencing Nature field trips and camps
‧Field
trips
‧Nature camps
‧Oversea
eco-tours |
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Training Program for Nature
Education |
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‧Interpreters
"Through
interpretation, understanding; through understanding, appreciation;
through appreciation, protection."--U.S.
National Park Service.
Since the establishment of the first national park--Yellowstone
National Park in the United States of America, nature interpretation
has been an important and successful method to initiate the general
public's interest and to introduce them to
the world of nature. The training of interpreters, thus, becomes the
first priority in SOW's nature education
training programs.
All those who have completed Interpreter Training Courses and
certified by SOW and become interpreters of SOW act solely on a
voluntary basis. Interpreters not only attend and carry out
interpretation missions on field trips and nature camps for the
general public, but also undertake field investigation and data
collection in preparation for local conservation.
In the past 6 years, SOW has trained and certified more than 400
interpreters who serve the mission voluntarily all over the island.
Each chapter and the headquarters host at least one training program
a year. There are also advanced training programs and conferences
held for further interpreter education.
Interpreter
training course
We are looking
for those who love nature to become the bridge between the public
and nature.
You must be:
1. Member of SOW.
2. Willing to attend and participate in nature observation and
investigation, to carry out interpretation missions for SOW, and to
make a long-term commitment to this work.
Those who are volunteers of SOW in different fields and/or who have
been participating in site observation enjoy the first priority.
Classes include: Natural History of Taiwan, Flora of Taiwan,
Fauna of Taiwan, Nature Interpretation Techniques, Getting to Know
SOW, seminars, and field trips. |
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‧The Sower of
Nature education
Advanced training
for teachers interested in nature education is also a major focus of
SOW. The mission is to provide nature education for teachers,
regardless of their professional fields, who can promote and perform
nature education on campus and in the regular school education
system.
Hence, SOW has worked in cooperation with the Ministry of Education
(MOE) and county education departments to provide teachers
"Creative Nature Education Program"
on weekends and summer and winter vacations.
Those who completed "The Sower of
Environmental Education--training camps for schoolteacher's"
and are certified by SOW are granted with advanced education credits
by MOE, and become a "Sower of nature
education" on campus.
The Sower
of Nature education--Training camps for schoolteachers
When the seeds of dandelion got carried afar, they have the
potential to create a new garden of wilderness.
What attitude a child has when facing the world is to have great
impact on what he/she will become as an adult.
Hence, a teacher is a sower of nature protection, who has profound
influence that will take form in the future.
You must be:
1. A schoolteacher who is interested in nature education.
Activities of the Camp includes: "Rolling
up" to be a Friend of Nature, Dancing the
Senses, Creative Theatre Production, Creative Design for
Environmental Education, and field trips. |
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‧Nature
interpreters for Children
Children's nature education requires
different approaches and methods. In addition to the sowers of
nature education on campus, SOW also trains nature interpreters for
children. These interpreters are responsible for summer and winter
camps, and activities commissioned by schools, general awareness
promotion programs for children, and the development of nature
education materials. All work as volunteers.
This children's interpreter training
course is open to the interpreters, parents, and teachers who are
interested in general children's
education. |
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‧ "Cool Bee"
Nature Scouts' mentor
"Cool Bee"
Nature Scouts functions in a similar manner as the Boy Scouts in
communities. The participants of "Cool
Bees" are children of age 8 to 11. The
little bees meet for group activities twice a month, in which the
mentors guide the little bees through the learning process by
stimulating kids' curiosity and creativity
when entering the natural environment.
The mentors are parents of the little bees, nature interpreters, and
members who are interested in participating this program. All work
as volunteers. |
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‧Speakers for
nature awareness advocacy
Speakers for nature awareness advocacy are at the forefront of SOW's
public nature education promoters in the early years. These people
advocate SOW's mission of nature
conservation and education through speeches with slide shows. Many
of them do not have extensive knowledge of ecosystem and nature
habitats, but have the most enthusiastic passion and love for the
land, and great sense of mission in environmental protection. As the
variety of activities increases, many speakers have advanced to
become trainers and interpreters.
The speaker’s training continues to be carried out for those who
wish to be a part of the advocacy actively, but are not interested
or able to devote themselves to becoming interpreters and the like.
The speakers give speeches in community gatherings, private company
activities, government agencies, and, upon invitation, to audiences
of more than 20. The speakers are volunteers, and the speeches and
slide shows are free of charge. |
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‧"Green Map"
production guides
How much do you know about where you live? Where are the green
sources in your neighborhood? How can you learn more about it? Draw
up a "Green map"
for your community.
The "Green Map"
system was first started by Modern World Design. More than 67 towns
and cities in over 35 countries have published their own
"Green Map"
since 1995. SOW began the preparation process for
"Green Map" production in 1999, and
took almost three years of learning and training before the first
"Green Map" came
into being. "Green Map"
production is one of SOW's efforts for
nature education in communities.
The "Green Map"
production guides are responsible for promotion of
"Green Map"
production in communities. And after completed the training for
"Guides of Green Map production"
is completed, the guides should produce at least 2
"Green Maps" for
different communities through "Green May
study camps", which are free activities
open to the general public. |
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Introduction to Nature
seminars and programs for the general public |
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‧Nature
observation courses
"Everyone is born a nature observer",
said the founder of SOW, Hsu, Jen-hsio. SOW holds nature observation
courses for the general public who are interested in getting to know
nature on a regular basis. The courses are carried out by
interpreters, and are designed to help the general public who are
not familiar with nature to take the first step through simple
observation activities. |
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‧Weekly seminars
The weekly seminar has a long tradition in SOW. It is open to
members and general public free of charge. Every chapter and the
headquarters host the weekly seminars on a great variety of
subjects, such as astronomy, study group, environmental issues,
sharing of nature observation, and so on The speakers are members,
invited guests, issue promoters, interpreters, staff, etc. It first
started as a member gathering, then, developed in to a discussion
platform for all subject. |
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‧Courses on
Exploration of Nature and Human Culture
In addition to training courses on knowledge of nature, SOW also
holds a series of courses related to activities, issues, advanced
lessons, practical trainings related to nature and human culture.
The series includes Mountain Climbing Techniques, Nature
Photography, The Story of Butterflies, First Aids Training, About
Ferns, and so on. More than 40 different courses have been taught
since the year 2000. |
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Click here
for more information in Chinese. |
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Experiencing Nature field
trips and camps |
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SOW conducts over 100
field trips and nature camps on the island. These activities are
open for both members and the general public. Each activity is
designed and carried out by the interpreters. Many of the sites
visited are "the secret gardens"
of SOW. Most of the sites are public lands, and are under long-term
observation by the interpreters. |
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‧Field trips
Field trips are arranged to highlight seasonal changes. The
activities may last a whole day or half a day. The objective of the
field trips is to stimulate people's
interest for nature observation through the process of seeing,
feeling, and experiencing nature. The target group is those who have
never experienced activities in nature before. The field trips are
the initial stage for first timers.
The field trips we have offered include:
‧A spring/autumn day at Er-ge Mountain.
‧An experience of the Snow of June
‧Surprises in Da-an Forest Park of Taipei City
‧A walk on the historical pass of Tan-mo
‧First encounter with the stars and the mysterious residents of the
forest of darkness |
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‧Nature camps
Nature camps usually last 3 days. The sites are located in remote
and more ecologically sensitive areas. The camps are designed and
carried out by interpreters, and most of the sites are on public
lands, and are under long-term observation and care by the
interpreters. The camps are designed for more extensive experience
of the natureal environment and natural processes.
The nature camps include:
‧Mountain ecosystem summer camp, a visit to the summer flowers of
the high mountains.
‧Summer Camp of Hua-lien, an experience with the majestic eastern
coastline of Taiwan.
‧Spring/Fall camp of Ssu-yuan pass, a sensory experience in the
forest of fog.
‧Rediscovery of Southern Taiwan |
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‧Oversea eco-tours
Oversea eco-tours are conducted by the preparatory office of SOW in
Malaysia. The 8-day tours are carried out in the tropic rainforest
and national parks of Sarawak and Saba of E. Malaysia. Oversea
eco-tours are SOW's first attempt to care
for the rainforest of Asia outside of Taiwan. The objectives are to
introduce one of the oldest tropical rainforests to the people of
Taiwan, to create opportunities for more people to understand the
complexity, diversity, and importance of tropical rainforest
ecosystems, and to make a positive contribution to the local
environment.
The eco-tour includes visitation to national parks, a Bornean
orangutan conservation center, home-stay in local villages or
aboriginal communities, and seminars on Malaysian culture and the
ecosystems of the tropical rainforest. |
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Click here
for more information in Chinese. |
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2002 © Designed by The Society Of Wilderness,
Taiwan |
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