Sketch of Archilife Study Tour, December 2017
2017年12月份見識之旅縮影 ![]() For the study tour of December 9, 2017, Ms. Lu Ming-yun led nine ARF interns and their parents on a tour to the tropical orchard in NPUST and learned about soil and water conservation. At the start of the day's activities, 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 this study tour was the NPUST campus. With the largest campus on a single site in Taiwan, NPUST has diverse ecological resources and provides special learning place for the public to learn about the environment. The first stop of the tour was a visit to the tropical/sub-tropical orchard. According to the tour guide, the University signed a cooperation agreement with a prince of Thailand many years ago and the orchard was then named H.S.H. Prince Bhisadej Rajani Tropical Orchard. The tour guide also introduced the background of the orchard and its tropical trees, and the appearance, taste and method of eating tropical fruits that are not common in Taiwan. When everyone was inside the orchard, the tour guide explained about seasonal fruits in the orchard. In particular, the Pouteria caimito, has a collagen-rich and sticky pulp. After cutting the fruit, the sticky residue on the knife is difficult to remove. An easy way to remove the sticky residue is to heat the knife over fire before wiping it. Besides learning about tropical fruits, everyone also went to pluck the ripe fruits and savor their tastes. ![]() After lunch, everyone went to visit a farm. To avoid diseases that can spread between animals and humans, protective clothing had to be worn. Led by farm personnel, the first place visited was the dairy area where the Holstein Friesian cattle, known for their high milk production and stable quality, were raised. Farm personnel explained that they opened a small hole in the stomach of healthy cattle to extract gastric juice rich in microorganisms so as to help other cattle with digestive problems to restore their health quickly. Next, everyone moved to the poultry area. Farm personnel explained that although the silkie chicken has white plumage, its other body parts are black, including skin, flesh, crest and feet. Moreover, it has five toes on each foot instead of four. In the final part of the tour, everyone visited the soil and water conservation outdoor classroom. Stopping at the lake, the tour guide briefly introduced the surrounding ecological environment and the lake's function as a downstream detention basin. Along the upstream banks are drainage ditches and gabion, which slow water flow and scouring, and thus preventing the slope from collapsing and water can flow smoothly toward the detention basin. Through the soil and water conservation facilities in the campus, the interns developed a deeper understanding of the concept and applications of soil and water conservation. 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. |