Welcome to National Chiayi University

　　The team of the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, National Chiayi University, was commissioned by the the Chiayi Forest District Office to carry out the restoration of Dendranthema arisanense, also known as Alishan Chrysanthemum. Now, its seedlings can be planted on flat ground and are expected to bloom in the days to come. On May 13th, under the hot sun, nearly 50 teachers and students from the NCYU Department of Forestry and Natural Resources went to the Eco-Friendly Farm of the Lutsao Refuse Incineration Plant, Machouhou Environmental Education Center, Chiayi County, for land preparation at the restoration site. They originally planned to plant 1,000 seedlings of Dendranthema arisanense jointly with the Chiayi County Environmental Protection Bureau and Onyx Ta-Ho Environmental Services Co. Ltd. on May 18th, in conjunction with the International Day for Biological Diversity. It was postponed due to the relentless Covid-19 pandemic.

　　At present, the Dendranthema arisanense seedlings are temporarily taken care of by Onyx Ta-Ho, located in the incineration plant, and will be transferred to NCYU for long-term cultivation. They look forward to restoring the Dendranthema arisanense at the site so that the seedlings would grow into a sea of golden flowers. It is expected to become a new scenic spot for the public to relax and enjoy flowers. The ultimate goal is to cultivate citizens with environmental awareness who notice the importance of environmental literacy in everyday lives and take corresponding actions, so as to create a sustainable Chiayi.

　　According to the Chiayi County Environmental Protection Bureau, the Lutsao Refuse Incineration Plant occupies an area of around 10 hectares. The unused land, about 0.5 hectares, has been turned into an environmentally friendly farm. To protect biodiversity, the Plant offered the unused land to the NCYU College of Agriculture free of charge as a restoration base for the five years to come, as an academic-industrial cooperation project.

　　Zhang Kun-Cheng, Assistant Professor of the NCYU Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, indicated that the Dendranthema arisanense was first discovered by French botanist Father Urbain Jean Faurie in Alishan, Chiayi County in 1914. It was published as a new species by Japanese plant taxonomist Dr. Bunz? Hayata in 1916. Preliminary study showed that the Dendranthema arisanense contains borneol, or Borneo camphor. Borneol has the effects of invigorating the body, refreshing the mind, clearing away heat, relieving pain, and improving eyesight. Its aroma and sweetness surpass those of Daisy’s Florist, or Chrysanthemum morifolium. The Dendranthema arisanense is considered one of Taiwan’s native species worthy of restoration. Han Chien Lin, Dean of the NCYU College of Agriculture, expressed his gratitude to the Chiayi County Environmental Protection Bureau for providing the site for practice. He hoped that the industry, government and the university would continue to work together to beautify the environment and promote environmental education, so that NCYU can fulfill the social responsibility as an educational institute.