Xinzhuang Community College garden provides a model of eco-education

Surrounded by an industrial zone, Xinzhuang Community College garden could be seen as “the lungs of Xinzhuang.” Since 2004, the college has been working hard to transform this green space into a place where local residents can escape the dire city pollution and reconnect with the beauty of nature. Since its establishment, the garden has undergone three major changes in the search to find coexistence between ecology and gardening.

In its effort to establish a diverse community garden, Xinzhuang Community College has invited teachers from a range of disciplines to give classes on flower arranging and herbs to veggie growing and indigo dyeing, to name but a few. The ultimate goal of the college garden is to encourage city residents to come and visit green spaces in the district. It is hoped that environmental education can be implemented not only in the college garden but also development throughout a district-wide “diversified community garden.” Hopefully, in addition to understanding the plants that we eat, people can also learn about how animals and insects coexist with nature.

以下為中文對照

堪稱「新莊之肺」、身處工業區中的原始綠地，新莊社區大學生態教育農園從二〇〇四年開始努力耕耘，就是為了讓都市人在烏煙瘴氣的城市中，有機會一探大自然的美妙。成立至今共歷經三次變革，希望在這塊原始林中，找尋「生態」與「農耕」的並存之道。

為了構成多元化社區園圃，新莊社大請來各個不同領域的老師為學員上課，例如插花課、芳香課、青草課及藍染工作坊等。而社大農園最終極的目標，是讓都市居民願意來到這塊城市中的綠地，生態教育不只要落實在社大農園內，更要朝開放成為「多元化社區園圃」之路邁進。希望人們除了了解自己所吃的植物，也能對與自然共存的動物及昆蟲有所認識。