Hiking in Taiwan: More than Trails in Xitou

Hiking in Taiwan: More than Trails in Xitou

Parkbus Taiwan

Deep in the central mountains of Nantou County is Lugu Township and a spectacular forest park. Once a site used by students of the University of Tokyo during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, sits Xitou Nature Education Area. This unique protected area is actually part of a much larger experimental forest owned and operated by National Taiwan University.

Visitors are drawn to Xitou for its trails and paths that criss-cross the beautiful forests and valleys. But there is something more here to discover too. Whether it’s the unique and endemic birds, insects and other wildlife or perhaps it’s the interpretation and sheer range of plants and tree species that are found in Xitou.

Here’s the only guide you’ll need to explore the best of Xitou Nature Education Area:

Walk on the Skywalk

Well we know we said there is more to the park than just the trails and paths, but…

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The plan to turn half the world into a reserve for nature

Exposing the Big Game

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https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200318-the-worlds-largest-nature-reserve

(Image credit:Getty Images)

Nature is going through a mass extinction as habitats are changed beyond recognition by human activity (Credit: Getty Images)

By Jim Robbins18th March 2020FromYale e360

Scientists and conservationists are proposing that up to half of Earth’s land and oceans be protected for nature. Is it a necessary step or a pipe dream?

A

As humans continue to rapidly expand the scope of their domination of nature – bulldozing and burning down forests and other natural areas, wiping out species, and breaking down ecosystem functions – a growing number of influential scientists and conservationists think that protecting half of the planet in some form is going to be key to keeping it habitable.

The idea first received public attention in 2016 when E.O. Wilson, the legendary 90-year-old conservation biologist, published the idea in his bookHalf Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life.“We now have enough measurements of extinction rates…

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