The Society of Wilderness:A Genteel Revolution

Established in June of 1995, the Society of Wilderness is Taiwan's most senior conservationist organization. At present they employ 30 dedicated staff, with over 9000 members providing volunteer assistance. The society regularly holds a variety of outdoor activities, getting the public closer to nature, while working to spread the good word of conservation through 700-800 presentations each year.

The Wuku Wetland adopted by the Society of Wilderness does not have the wide carpets of grass like the typical landscaped riverside parks. Instead, there is an abundance of hidden life and surprises everywhere.

Change begins at home

What is it that the Society of Wilderness is really after? What does it mean to "protect the wilderness"? Many people aren't even that sure about the word "wilderness" itself.

The SOW's main pursuit has been getting land set aside for wildlife reserves. SOW secretary-general Chang Hung-lin explains that in the cities, the birds barely seem able to find any trees to nest in; the dragonflies have to resort to trying to lay their eggs in puddles on car bonnets; the leaves in the parks all get swept away, making it hard for insects to survive.... Too many kinds of problems to even mention face wildlife in the cities. To humans, the wilderness may appear an eyesore and economically worthless, but to animals, it's what they need to survive. It is this, the need for environmental conservation, that the SOW has been striving to teach since its inception.

Since the land around Kuantu, at the mouth of the Tanshui River, is insufficient for the migratory birds that flock to the area, the SOW hopes to use the Wuku Wetland Park in Taipei County's Erhchung Floodway as an extension of that, giving sandpipers, snipes, lapwings, plovers, and other such birds a place to breed, and also having volunteers work there as guides.

At the start of this year, the SOW took under its wing the Fuyang Community Forest Park in Taipei City. In the past the park was the site of an ammo dump, which was removed after the opening of the Second Northern Freeway, leaving behind it a primeval woodland. To protect this section of rare wilderness, the SOW wanted to take on managerial responsibility for it, and they then set up a few small groups of guides to explain the importance of its conservation to the populace.

You'll never walk alone

"Protecting the environment is very much worthwhile," says Chang. The groups acts through press conferences, public meetings, and lecture tours, along with pursuing legal means to force the authorities to open the lines of communication. This hard work has resulted in a "virtuous circle," a peaceful, gentle revolution.

"Our goal has nothing to do with crippling business or government in any way. We just want to help them improve themselves," says Chang.

Lee Wei-wen, society chairman, explains that environmentalists don't need to play the role of impassioned "holy warriors"; rather, working to change how people think, to educate them, is a more lasting way to go about it. Only by changing people will we be able to change the environment.

The SOW has not been alone in their journey over the last decade; every year they face expenses of NT$20-30 million. This is partly covered by the membership fees paid by their over 9000 members, each paying NT$1000 a year, or half that for students, while some comes from their events, some from charity sales. The group also picks up some funding from projects outsourced by the government, which, say Chang, they are happy to participate in if they have the needed skills to offer. For example, they have been involved in the Forestry Bureau's carnivorous plant protection zone project for almost six years now.

Still, "our most important means of support are our members and the membership fees," says Chang. More than 500 members have paid 20 years' worth of membership fees-a total of NT$20,000-to become life members, making a huge contribution to the society's ability to carry on their work without concerns over financial stability. Despite the fact that some members let their membership lapse and some lose contact, with the general public's awareness of the need to protect their recreational environment having made huge strides in recent years, membership numbers have continued to grow slowly but steadily.

"By framing conservation as a necessity for the next generation, we are even more able to persuade people of the importance of having something to pass on down the generations," says Chang. For years now the group has been trying to promote the idea of "investment" in non-profit organizations amongst the population. "Donating money to an NPO is an investment rather than simple charity," explains Chang, "Everyone spends money on insurance, so why not get right down to the foundation of things, invest in the society, and improve the environment?" After all, a healthy mind and body come from a healthy environment, so improving the environment, rather than hoping for medical cures, is the best way to keep healthy.

Going international

With 21 chapters and contact points throughout Taiwan, the SOW has recently started expanding into other countries. Due to Taiwan not being a member of UN, Taiwan's NPOs suffer a lack of international support, being excluded from technological or resource-based support and from international meetings, and some major international organizations, such as the World Bank and World Wildlife Fund, can't be applied to for support. For the Society of Wilderness, which is not government affiliated or subsidized, this makes life difficult.

Fortunately the society has found an alternative: "Once we've established chapters in three UN member nations, we can be recognized as an international organization," explains Chang. They've started working on this in recent years, with offices or preparatory offices in Nicaragua, the Malaysian state of Sarawak, Australia, and Japan. In the future they'll be able to have their headquarters here in Taiwan and from there apply to become an international organization.

Relations between the head office and the overseas offices are very close, says Chang. One result of this has been, for example, that the management of Mombacho Volcanic Area in Nicaragua's Granada Department has expressed a desire to hand management of their rainforest over to the society. Each year the society holds "tropical rainforest experience" camps in Borneo, Indonesia, and the two parties have long since established a platform for the exchange of technology and information.

As well as providing a springboard to international recognition, the overseas offices also provide bases from which the society can serve the overseas Chinese community. "People who move overseas should contribute to their new home," Chang says. In the past, Chinese migrants have been looked upon as rich invaders and exploiters, but now by getting involved in conservation of the local environment, they can not only benefit themselves and others, but also help change the image of Chinese migrants.

The wilderness has a spirit, and through the dedication of the Society of Wilderness, Chinese in Taiwan and abroad can dedicate some of their spirit to maintaining and improving the natural environment around them.