Reading新竹市風城社區大學
參訪親子植物探索：高峰植物園探索之旅，2003/12/06
[社大英語課程閱讀資料]
92/12/05
ReadingGaofeng Botanical Garden is located in the south-east of Hsinchu City. In 1932, a nursery garden was established for seedlings by Chituqi Forestry Experimental Field in Hsinchu. After the restoration of Taiwan, the nursery garden was merged with Agriculture and Forestry Improvement Field in Hsinchu. In 1952, the garden belonged to Forestry Management Bureau.
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a corner of a botanic garden |
Dillenia Indica Linn |
The cultivation of the plants in Gaofeng Botanical Garden reveals the strong objective of colonization because it was constructed when Taiwan was ruled by Japan. For example, Japan government cultivated temperate Dillenia Indica Linn and tropical Common Lantana for research. Costarbean was planted for the need of national defense. Furthermore, Japan government used Zhaohe planes to spread the seeds of economical crops, Nodding burnweedm, on the land for people to eat. So the crops are also named "plane grass." At present, this garden is a outdoor classroom for junior high schools, elementary schools, and local environment protection groups. For example, The Society of Wilderness often makes regular narration tours in Gaofeng Botanical Garden.
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Gaofeng botanical garden, strictly speaking, hasn't developed completely so far. Let me introduce a big scale botanical garden, Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG). RBG is the largest botanical garden in Canada. The establishment of RBG traces its origin to the redevelopment plan for the city's northwest entrance. In the 1920s, Thomas Baker McQuesten persuaded the Hamilton Board of Parks Management that a botanical garden should be contained in the plan. Later, the gardens was constructed step by step. In 1930, the garden occupied 162 hectare land and was named Royal Botanical Gardens with Royal assent. In the late 1940s, the land base of the Gardens had grown to almost 809 hectares. With modernization, RBG combined educational, scientific, recreational and aesthetic objectives.
One man is observing |
ferns |
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desert plant |
Compared to a home garden, a botanical garden is a place not only for recreation but also for education, science, and conversation. First, people are busy working for surviving in the old times. Nowadays, most people seek for recreation more and more without the lack of essential substance. In the past, the growth of economics resulted in the reduction of natural environment, so one of botanical gardens' functions offers people a space for relaxing by watching green, colorful, or unusual plants. Second, children or adults can acquire biological knowledge directly from botanical gardens instead of books by observing real plants themselves. Even they can learn how to use herbs. Third, scientists can do some researches or even develop new varieties by collecting samples from botanical gardens. Fourth, even a man-made botanical garden could also be like a wetland, which can conserve, create and restore habitats for maximum diversity of flora and fauna.
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Three children played in a botanical garden |
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desert plants |
As a Hsinchu resident, you may never go to Gaofeng botanical garden. According to Community University' s faith, you are guilty. Even if Gaofeng botanical garden hasn't developed to fit different needs of the public, the plants there are worth observing and researching. In the following years, Bamboo Community University will lead adult students to do research in the lovely garden. Through the observation, you can gain your comprehension and analysis. Once you know more about nature, you would know how to protect it from destruction and enhance the life quality.
Glossary|
Water Garden and Tropical Conservation |
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Reference
