Sketch of Archilife Study Tour, October 2017
2017年10月份見識之旅縮影 ![]() For the study tour of October 14, 2017, Ms. Lu Ming-yun led 14 ARF interns and their parents on a tour to visit Naro Tribe and experience herb growing in Jianshih. It was rainy on the day of the tour, and the interns and their parents were on time for the departure. At the start of the day'sactivities, team leader Ms. Lu Ming-yun reminded everyone about things to note and what to observe, and provided the interns some general background knowledge. ![]() The focus of the tour was the visit to Naro Tribe, which is primarily an Atayal tribe. The tribe began planting herbs two decades ago but all its herb fields were virtually destroyed due to a destructive typhoon. After over a decade of hard work, the local residents have not only reinvigorated the herb industry but also allowed the world to notice the superior herbs from Taiwan. The tour began with the chairman of Naro Herbs Cooperative introducing the industrial development of the tribe through the slides. He described what happened after the devastation of Typhoon Aere in 2004, and the hardship residents went through to rebuild their homeland and the herb industry. Everyone then tried out herb planting. The tour guide explained the therapeutic effects and uses of various herbs, and the ideal environment for growing them, and also gave everyone tips for growing herbs. By dividing the lemon balm(Melissa officinalis), cutting the lemon verbena(Verbena officinalis), and seeding the wild strawberry(Fragaria vesca 'Alexandria'), everyone learned about herb propagation, and were able to observe the rooting and growing of the plants. ![]() After lunch, everyone followed the tour guide to the tribe. Along the way, she pointed out the housing that was destroyed by Typhoon Aere, and the herbs growing on the sides. She particularly mentioned a plant on the roadside that people often eat but rarely see –Job'stears. She explained that Job'stears is not only a therapeutic food but is also often used by the indigenous peoples as a material for bead stringing. In the essential oil extraction plant, the manager explained how the herbs are distilled to separate the essential oils and pure essence, and compared the differences in their quality and effect. The manager also explained that several thousand kilograms of flowers are required to make one kilogram of essential oil, emphasizing the preciousness of their extraction. In the DIY activity that followed, the tour guide introduced the ingredients and effects of the body lotion and perfume that everyone was making, and compared them to products sold in the market. Next, following the instruction of the tour guide, everyone completed their DIY lotion and perfume. The interns gained an initial understanding of the ingredients and process of making lotion and perfume through the experience. At this point, the day's itinerary came to an end. Everyone returned to home after taking a group photo and looked forward to the next study tour. |