COMPAL x SOW “2023 Golden Leather Fern Restoration at Tamsui River”

Hot summer has arrived! On July 15 (Sat), Compal staff and their family members carried out a full-day Golden Leather Fern Restoration at Sheliu Wetland with the Society of Wilderness (SOW) and Hydraulic Engineering Office. Mr. Chen De-Hong and volunteers from the Society of Wilderness (SOW) delivered an wonderful environmental class to Compal staff who have mostly worked in the air-conditioned room all day long!

Since 2012, Mr. Chen from the Society of Wilderness (SOW) has brought four clumps of Golden Leather Fern to the Sheliu Wetland. Over the years, volunteers and the Taipei Hydraulic Engineering Office have continued to conduct restoration and plant division. There are over 200 clumps of leather fern growing healthily in Sheliu today. Leather fern is the only fern among mangrove plant that affect the biodiversity of insects and fish! In the face of climate change, blue carbon ecosystem plants at Tamsui River mangrove wetland have the ability to sequester carbon, increase carbon sinks, and be friendly to the natural environment.

As led by the team of Society of Wilderness (SOW) and Taipei Hydraulic Engineering Office, Compal staff accessed Sheliu Wetland in two groups, and they worked hand in hand to remove Mile-a-minute Weed, cuscata chinensis, reeds, and riverside trash that affect the growth of fern. Under the sun and clouds with natural breeze of birds, insects and sweat, we had observed the ebb and flow of tides, mudskippers jumping and crabs crawling on the mud. We have realized that only by experiencing it yourself that you can then feel about the difficulty and hardship in restoring mangrove fern and protecting the diversity of wetland!

Only by actual participation, we can then actually practice environment sustainability and love the mother nature than simply a slogan.