Let's Get Moving and Take Your Own Trash Home
In recent years, the droppings of wild yellow-throated martens at the Yushan National Park have been found to have bioaccumulations such as plastic particles. Such findings indicate that improper recreational activities of humans have caused an impact on the local ecosystem and also affected the effectiveness of national park conservation efforts, especially short-term recreation such as tourists who take tour buses not taking their lunch boxes and food waste with them and instead discarding them in the trash cans by the Tataka recreation area or even piling them on the top of trash can lids. The actions have attracted Formosan macaques, yellow-throated martens or other wild animals further developing related ecological issues worthy of the public attention and concerns.
Going Plastic-Free and Trash Can Reduction Are Specific Acts of Kindness to Protect Wild Animals and Ensure Eco-Friendliness
In order to reduce the environmental burdens and impacts in the Tataka area, the Administrative Office of the Yushan National Park (referred to as the Yushan Administration) will begin to withdraw the trash cans placed in the Tataka recreation area from New Year's Day in 2023. Only two iron bear-proof garbage cans in the square of the entrance to the Tataka Visitor Center will be retained, and they will only accept general garbage. It is hoped that these protection measures will help the Yushan National Park area maintain a clean and beautiful appearance.
The Yushan Administration stated that the implementation of the "Take your own trash home" measures has been successful since March 2019. Dumpsters in the original designated locations have all been removed in 2019. The annual 40 tonnes of garbage and recyclable waste in the area have been reduced over the last years. In 2020, the total has been reduced to under 30 tonnes. In 2021, the total has been reduced to under 20 tonnes, showing that the efforts have brought concrete results. In order to continue waste reduction efforts, the Yushan Administration will carry out a number of conservation promotion and preparatory works from October to December this year (2022). Garbage cans for general waste, paper and others, and PET bottles and tin cans will gradually be removed. It is expected that by New Year's Day of 2023, all garbage cans in the Tataka recreation area will be removed. After clearing the outdoor garbage cans, the Yushan Administration will continue to promote and broadcast the new measures through radio the messages, reminding visitors to take their own trash home. The ultimate goal is to reduce the impact of improper recreational activities on the local environment and the interference with conservation efforts, taking the environmental protection of the Yushan National Park to a new milestone.
When you visit Tataka, please cherish the fragile alpine environment here, and be sure to take your garbage with you. A small step for you is a giant step for making the environment clean. We kindly ask those who love Yushan and the national park to give us more support and assistance.
Implement Promotion Guidelines for Plastic Reduction in National Parks to Protect Wild Animals from Plastic Pollution
The Yushan Administration pointed out that in order to monitor plastic pollution in the park, it has gradually carried out the plastic reduction measures introduced by the Environmental Protection Administration of the Executive Yuan and the promotion guidelines for the plastic reduction in national parks, which include relevant meetings, training, briefing sessions on environmental education and promotion materials, hoping to phase out single-use plastics in the area.
Shops in designated locations inside the park will no longer provide plastic shopping bags, straws and other plastics, single-use utensils and over-packaged merchandise. The designated locations will not provide bottled water, either. Visitors who come to the Yushan National Park for climbing or sightseeing should prepare their own canteens or eco-friendly cups to get water from dispensers in the visitor center and various designated locations. The improvement measures can prevent wild animals from being disturbed by human recreational activities which may change the animals' habits, and protect their habitats.
Feeding wild animals in the national park is prohibited. Please store food properly. Do not allow wild animals to touch or consume human food, as it may draw them closer. It is recommended that you maintain a simple diet while taking a trip to the mountains, as it is good for your health and environmental sustainability. Make the Yushan National Park a plastic-free and natural national park, so that you can leave the future generations a clean homeland.