School: Youth Knowledge Network
    Kaohsiung, No, Taiwan

4 students, ages 16-17 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 21, 2003. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): no

Classes and Teachers: Sylvia Li

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://ykn.k12.edu.tw/

1. Description of Our Community

Mt. Makau is in Ilan, which is located in Northern Taiwan. It is famous for its Cypress Forests, its people the "Atayal" Aboriginals and the controversy about whether to institute Makau National Park.

Based on our research, we discovered that Mont Makau is home to the oldest Cypress Forests in Asia. Our government wants to conserve these forests which is also the traditional holy land for the “Atayal” Aboriginals. For these reasons, the government has had difficulties negotiating with the aboriginal people regarding the establishment of Makau National Park. Mont Makau has therefore become famous in Taiwan. The public is carefully watching interactions between the aboriginals, the government and the media. Please follow us and take a look at Mont Makau now!

2. Summary of Our Project

Our project is about the last green wonderland, Mt. Makau in Taiwan. This mountain is covered by virgin Taiwanese Cypress Forests. It is not only the home of many animals but also a sacred mountain to the Atayal Aboriginals. However, our government is exploiting this virgin land because much money can be made. This is causing lots of controversy. Local environment protection organizations insist that "Makau National Park" must be made in order to preserve this area. On the other hand, Atayal Aboriginals are insisting that this land is theirs and that they want an autonomous region. Opinions differ and there are many conflicts and arguments over this issue. How can we best protect the only virgin cypress forests in the world? How can we keep a balance and harmony between aboriginals, the government and the ecosystem? This project is a story of the pathos of the Virgin Cypress Forests.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:not sure

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Our first problem was that the team members for our project were situated across our country. For example Chia-wei, Ryan and Cindy live in the south of Taiwan while Alan lives very far from the rest of the memebers. Preparing CF was such a big task, we were unable to discuss in person so the Internet, without doubt, was our major means to overcome the problem of distance. Even though on-line discussion was not always easy, we still used it to discuss and plan all the details of our project

Our second problem was transportation, which caused us quite a lot of trouble. We were studying Ilan, which is in the eastern part of Taiwan. In order for our project to work we had to use our own resources for travel expenses. However, this would cost a lot. By continually contacting the local Ilan local institute, we were able to recruit a student who lives in Ilan to be our tour guide. Most importantly, however, we received a grant from the YKN (Youth Knowledge Network, Taiwan) Association. Thanks to the assistance of a lot of kind people we were able to complete our project. We deeply appreciate their help, without them we would have never achieved our goals or finished our project.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

We realize our youth CAN cooperate together and break the limit of each school and distance. We realize our youth CAN make the impact or even influence for the community.

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

From this project, we have learnt how to overcome the problem of distance by using the internet technology. Although the members are distributed over the whole Taiwan, we used this high-tech toolto collaborate together, and drew up the project step by step from the far different place.

Internet really help us a lot in communication and searching the information, without it, we couldn't achieved lots of complex things by merely sitting in front of the monitor.

To make our achievement and website more perfect, we have to use some high-tech device, such as digital camera to get some high-quality picture and record pen to record the process of the interviews. And the skill of using photoimpact and dreamweaver is require in making website, we found out that there are a great deal of techniques is needed in this international contest ,we felt excited,interested, and full of hope, because we indeed capture a lot of useful skills and knowledge. The process of involving in cyberfair , let us know how to associate the technology with life

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

It is obvious that without equipment such as computers and the Internet, we couldn't accomplish our project. Connected onto the net, we discussed the plans focused and interacted with each other. Far from the others else as we are, the teamwork was still completed because of our using cyber technologies like digital school, transmission, e-mail… and so on. Also, a combination of digital still cameras, tape recorders, digitizers, scanners and laptops was a great help to us. It goes without saying that virtual world was a helpful stuff. On the other hand, we all took advantage of other resources like magazines, newspapers and libraries to collect information about our main ideas. One of us even visited Academia Sinica in Taiwan during the winter vacation though she didn't get the admission of entrance. Nevertheless, most of all our team not only made some oral interviews to realize what others thought but also took a field trip in order that we could understand the situations in reality. All of us have undergone such a wonderful "adventure". Definitely, hadn't we had so many facilities, the project might fail now. In our opinions, the Internet may be the most helpful technology due to those reasons above in the first paragraph. By the way, we all knew each other through the net. Our team members worked online all along the time. So magical it is that we could do lots of things on the net! After all, the CyberFair is held online, too. The Internet is actually a BIG help.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

Because our lack of information of our community, we were eager to find a local volunteer to guide us, we posted the notice in every schools’ website in our community in order to find one, even though this is the most inefficient way, we had no choice. Incredibly , soon after few days we posted the request, there was a local student jumped and volunteered to join our project . Her response inspired us a lot, because we can’t believe that we can find such an ardent and active guide just by sending a message to the board.

Fortunately, we had the chance to contact with the scholars there, we used the means to interview them directly, or just attended their seminar. They were very impressed by our team (our team members are almost throughout the whole Taiwan) and have high interest in our action and project. The Taiwanese students didn't use to make such a big and integrated project, they felt very fascinated with our project.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

Fortunately, we interviewed many specialists on these parts. They were all most surprised why we want to focus on this issue. Because this task is pretty complicated in Taiwan in terms of economical, political and cultural situations.

"Mt.Chilan" doesn't mean a simple environmental problem. For this reason, the experts thought we were too young to discuss this issue. But we told them, "We love Taiwan and we want to discover this issue in our own view without any bias. That is the reason why we want to explore Mt.Chilan." They were all touched when they got to know about our thinking. They also decided to think about the related educational activities. In fact, we are really proud of this. We also made a decision with Kaohsiung Teachers' Association, after we finished our English website, we will be linked with their website together. Even if we don’t change the situation obviously right now, we believe there will be more and more people concentrating on these singular forest by our website around the world. We expect that day will come soon.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

We are so fortunate that we met many enthusiastic and professional people when we proceed with the project. First we have to acknowledge YKN, Taiwan. It is an association that supports us a lot. We also found a local student Yueh Chu Pei Chng of I-Lan through the Internet. Before we went to I-Lan, we were still strangers. After this project, we became friends with her Though she is not one of our working parnters, we still thanked her very much. when it comes to local government this part, Veterans Affair Commision, Executive Yuan,ROC revealed thier different thinking to us. Kaohsiung Teachers' Association and the Community College of Ilan advised us how to plan our itinerary. People who live in aboriginal village also allow us to join the seminar for the project of Tribal Map, which did not take place very often. At this meeting, we met Prof. Lin I Jen of Shih Hsin University.He and his students still keep in touch with us by the e-mail until today. Their encouragement moves us forward. Eventaully, we are in acknowledgement of our families, teacher Sylivia Li and friends who always cheer us up. Because of theirlove, we will try to do our best.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

In order to have the better understanding about the human-environment and Han People-aboriginals interactions, we determined to visit this controversial area. But we found many difficulties when we got there. Mt.Makau is blocked now. It is impossible for us to observe it. Fortunately, when we interviewed the local environmental protection organizations, they offered us many alternative ways. We also participated in the "Tribal Map" seminar unexpectly.

To our sadness, we found our valuable natural resource are over-exploited by awaful corporations amd authorities. It is so urgent to rescue this last green wonderland.

To our joyment. we met many passionate people. They directed us. On the other hand. they also admires us and be impressed by our project.

Because this issue causes many conflicts, we also learned how to be objective in the working progress. All in all, we learned the interview skill, aboriginal culture and the concept of ecological sustainability. This project promotes our understanding on the land we live.