To mark Arbor Day and further promote the use of native plants in greening projects, the Taijiang National Park Headquarters (TJNP) under the Ministry of the Interior’s National Park Service organized its annual volunteer workday activity on March 12, 2025. Following the principle of “right plant, right place,” native mangrove-associated species were planted around the Sea View Tower (Guanhailou) site, contributing to the enhancement of both the ecological functions and overall landscape of the area.

Native plants are the ideal choice for greening national parks. To improve the open and poorly vegetated landscape around the Sea View Tower, preparatory work such as land leveling, trenching, and bund construction was carried out in stages. Following the “right plant, right place” principle, native mangrove-associated species cultivated at the Taijiang National Park nursery—including the black mangrove (Lumnitzera racemosa), milky mangrove (Excoecaria agallocha), looking glass tree ( Heritiera littoralis), beach cabbage (Scaevola taccada), common myoporum (Myoporum bontioides), Hainan Naupaka (Scaevola hainanensis), gray nicker (Caesalpinia bonduc)—were selected, along with coastal species such as Alexandrian laurel balltree (Calophyllum inophyllum) and Formosan Nato tree (Palaquium formosanum). On March 12, in celebration of Arbor Day, Director-General Hsieh Wei-sung led TJNP staff and members of the Seventh Division, Seventh Special Police Corps of the National Police Agency in planting a total of 1,270 native trees.

 

Director-General Hsieh Wei-sung noted that native plants provide a wide range of ecosystem services. The newly planted saplings are expected to improve the landscape around the Sea View Tower by offering windbreak and shade functions, and in the long term, contribute to carbon sequestration efforts to mitigate climate change. He added that TJNP will continue promoting the use of native plants in greening initiatives through hands-on volunteer workdays.