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Environmental education



Environmental education
Yenchao Geopark is famous for its mud-vocalnoes, rugged gullies of mudstone and flammable gas outlets. It is called "bad land" due to the mud landscapes that does not easily bear agriculture or vegetation. It has been designed as a Nature Reseve under the Culture Heritage Act for more than a decade. Visitor can only visit the sites with a guided tour provided by the local organized interpreters helping visitors to appreciate and understand the unique landscape and local ecology. That lays the foundation for the geopark's environmental education program combined with activities for visitors.

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Guided interpretation before entering the nature reserve at Yenchao Geopark
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The natural gas at a mud pit can be lit to become a scene for environmental education at Yenchao Geopark

Close to the Chi-shan fault, underground natural gases of methane and ethane usually escape through ground joints or passage ways that provides occasionally water and other fluid flows and unobstructed underground passage to the surface. Under certain conditions, the gas escapeing creates bubbles on top of the surface that attract visitors to observe the natural wonder; some even light the top of the mud vocalnoes with fire to make a splendid scene. As scientific studies try to record the eruption behavior of the mud vocalnoes, guides make their own observations of the intervals and seasonal rhythm, and develop, thus their own theories and understanding. 

As the rill and gully erosion of the mudstone area develops under the influence of extreme weather phenomena, in particular extreme rainfall or typhoon rains, land managers find it challenging to maintain the area. The local farmers, who used to know the place and control their production activity well, have started to realize the new challenges caused by climate change. Water irrigation and mud flows become of concern. This cerctainly brings the need for serious research in order to find a balance between agricultural land use and the natural erosion. Through continuing observation and environmental education, managers and farmers are becoming aware of what needs to be closely observed. 

Source:
Lin, J. C., Su, S. C. (2019). Geoparks of Taiwan. Their development and Prospects for a Sustainable Future