The philosophy of eco-craft trail is one rooted in environmental ethics. It is a trail building method that seeks to reduce the use of machinery and foreign materials. Most trail constructions in Taiwan today rely excessively on heavy-duty equipment. Switching this dependence to human labor, simple tools and on-site materials, we can minimize production waste and build trails that easily blend into their natural surroundings.
By preventing habitat fragmentation and ecological disturbance, not only are we able to preserve greater biodiversity and a more complete micro-ecosystem, the unique historical characteristics of the trails are also preserved.
In the meantime, eco-craft trail is not only about construction methods. It involves careful prior investigation into environmental factors such as geology, soil, terrain, plantation and precipitation, local historical context and traditional trail maintenance techniques, as well as recreational needs and trail classification, to maintain the trail "as is" and with enough resilience to sustain natural challenges.
The advocacy and implementation of eco-craft trail is a combination of private-public partnership, a holistic understanding of the trail and its environment, and requires a whole system of trained volunteers and curriculum, which is what we have termed "trailology" and "trail masters".
What Is Eco-Craft Trail?
The philosophy of eco-craft trail is one rooted in environmental ethics. It is a trail building method that seeks to reduce the use of machinery and foreign materials. Most trail constructions in Taiwan today rely excessively on heavy-duty equipment. Switching this dependence to human labor, simple tools and on-site materials, we can minimize production waste and build trails that easily blend into their natural surroundings.
By preventing habitat fragmentation and ecological disturbance, not only are we able to preserve greater biodiversity and a more complete micro-ecosystem, the unique historical characteristics of the trails are also preserved.
In the meantime, eco-craft trail is not only about construction methods. It involves careful prior investigation into environmental factors such as geology, soil, terrain, plantation and precipitation, local historical context and traditional trail maintenance techniques, as well as recreational needs and trail classification, to maintain the trail "as is" and with enough resilience to sustain natural challenges.
The advocacy and implementation of eco-craft trail is a combination of private-public partnership, a holistic understanding of the trail and its environment, and requires a whole system of trained volunteers and curriculum, which is what we have termed "trailology" and "trail masters".