Satoyama Conservation Market – Witnessing grassroots power

In order to preserve the habitat of wild animals living in low elevation mountains, the Forestry Bureau and Kuan Shu Education Foundation teamed up to organize Satoyama Conservation Market in Hsinchu’s Beida Park. The people from northern Taiwan were invited to experience the warmth and beauty of farm products produced through sod culture, a farming method that retains cover grass and doesn’t till the land. Market-goers also got to enjoy terrific performances and digest a wealth of conservation knowledge.

Centered around a theme of "The Power of Sod Culture," the market is helping to educate the public on the benefits of local sod culture farming. Low-elevation mountainous areas are a patchwork of streams, hills, and farmland closely intertwined with village settlements, which is collectively known as "satoyama" in Japanese. The excessive use of herbicides and pesticides has not only destroyed the quality of the soil and diversity of wildlife in these areas but also severely affected people’s health. To find a balance between agriculture and conservation, rural communities and nature, raising public awareness and a willingness to protect satoyama environments is the first step.

以下為中文對照

為了保留淺山野生動物生存棲息地，由林務局和觀樹教育協會合作舉辦的「里山保育市集」，在新竹市北大公園舉辦，邀請北部的民眾一同感受草生栽培農產品的溫度與美好，觀看精彩的演出、吸收滿滿的保育知識。

市集以「草生力量」為主題，帶領大家認識草生栽培的好處。淺山地區是由溪流、丘陵與農田所串聯，並與社區聚落緊密交織，由於除草劑與農藥的過度使用，土壤的質量和野生動物的多樣性都遭到了破壞，人們也失去了健康。因此提升民眾對于淺山地區保護的認同與意願，是推動里山環境保全的首要課題。

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