A 10th-anniversary exhibition of the Jiaming Lake National Trail (嘉明湖國家步道) is to open at Just Arts House in Taitung County tomorrow, focusing on the ecological engineering methods used to design the trail and its volunteer-aided construction process.
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s Taitung branch in 2016 adopted eco-engineering methods to repair and rebuild the trail, as climate change and an increase in hikers posed challenges to the high-elevation trail that could not be overcome through traditional measures.
At a preview exhibition in Taipei last week, branch Director Wu Chang-yu (吳昌祐) said that frost heaving following a rainfall or snowfall is common on high-elevation mountains and could affect trails’ structures.
Photo courtesy of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency
Runoffs formed by precipitation could also erode trails, he said, adding that constant monitoring and maintenance is required to ensure safety.
The trail is about 12.6km long with its elevations ranging from 2,300m at Siangyang National Forest Recreation Area (向陽國家森林遊樂區) to about 3,200m at Jiaming Lake Cabin.
Heavy construction machinery cannot be easily transported to such high-elevation environments, making the manual rebuilding of the trail a more practical and eco-friendly alternative, Wu said.
Over the past few years, many hikers joined the “1kg per person” campaign to carry 1kg of construction materials, such as soil or stones, during their hikes from the recreation area to designated sites along the trail, he said.
Materials stacked at designated sites could be used for maintenance when needed, he said, adding that many volunteers developed an emotional connection with the trail through maintenance activities.
The exhibition aims to highlight the coexistence of humans and nature, and teach more people about the spirit of eco-craft trails, Wu said.
The trail is not just a path to the lake, but also intertwined with the environment of the Bunun people, he said.
The branch this month launched a program to train local indigenous people on eco-craft trail construction, expecting them to use the skills and knowledge to help maintain local mountain trails, he said.
That would not only create extra income for them, but would also give them a sense of achievement as they contribute to their hometown by maintaining the trails, he said.
Thousand Miles Trail Association deputy director-general Hsu Ming-chien (徐銘謙) said he had never been to the lake, although he had been assisting in rebuilding the trail.
“I’m invariably on the way to Jiaming Lake, and the repair work has not ended,” he said.
The exhibition is expected to inspire more people to help with the eco-craft trail rebuilding while they are hiking the trail, he added.
The exhibition is to run through Feb. 20, with the venue closed from Lunar New Year’s Eve to the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.
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