Return to the Wild: Rediscovering What the Weeds Never Forgot｜SDGs-15 Plants and Ecosystem Issues Series｜LACSPEC
What comes to mind when you think of human civilization? Is it the mysterious, majestic ancient structures scattered across the Earth?
Or the ubiquitous convenience of modern technology? One perspective might be the notion of “pioneering with hardship, opening up the wilderness,” imagining a time when our environment was not yet “fit for survival.” But does “civilization” inherently oppose “the wild”? Must human progress necessarily come at the expense of natural wilderness? The book “Civilizations” explores the interactions between civilizations and their natural environments throughout history. It argues that human civilizations emerged from a “creative relationship with nature,” reminding us that coexistence with nature is not just a desired future but perhaps a forgotten past.
This semester, SPEC’s SDGs series activity Return to the Wild: Rediscovering What the Weeds Never Forgot focuses on SDGs-15 (Life on Land). By spotlighting plants, this program invites participants to start with the “weeds” around them and progress to immersive experiences in wetlands, exploring what we may have forgotten but what the weeds still remember.
Event Details
Lecture – Weed Day: Healing Self and Nature Through “Contemporary Foraging“
Time: November 26, 2024 (Tuesday), 7:00–9:00 PM (Dinner at 6:30 PM, session starts at 7:00 PM)
Location: Zhixing Building Room 406, Yangming Campus
Livestream: Comprehensive Building 1 Room 633, Guangfu Campus
Collaborating Team: Weed Day
1-Hour Community Activity Recognition for Liberal Arts Practicum
Reconnect with the “weeds” around us with the Weed Day team. These seemingly inconspicuous plants hold the potential to heal both nature and the self. Through contemporary foraging, explore how to forge a closer bond with nature and return to its rhythm.
Working Holiday – Habitat Guardianship: Wanli Wetlands Work Experience Camp
Time: December 1, 2024 (Sunday), 9:30 AM–4:00 PM (excluding transit time)
Location: Wanli Wetlands Environmental Education Center (transportation provided from both campuses)
Collaborating Organization: The Society of Wilderness, Taipei Branch
2-Hour Community Activity Recognition for Liberal Arts Practicum
Join an immersive field trip to Wanli Wetlands on Yangmingshan, guided by experts from The Society of Wilderness. This hands-on workshop introduces wetland ecosystem conservation, teaching participants how to safeguard nature and experience the resilience of ecological environments.
Lecture – The Lost River : What the Zhiben Wetlands Remember
Time: December 4, 2024 (Wednesday), 7:00–9:30 PM (Dinner at 6:30 PM, session starts at 7:00 PM)
Location: Zhixing Building Room 406, Yangming Campus
Livestream: Comprehensive Building 1 Room 633, Guangfu Campus
Speaker: Huang Han-Yao (Author of A Lost River)
1-Hour Community Activity Recognition for Liberal Arts Practicum
Special guest Huang Han-Yao, author of the award-winning A River Without a Mouth, shares the ecological and cultural memories of the Zhiben Wetlands. From the perspective of plants, this lecture weaves together the interplay of Indigenous culture and natural history, inviting us to rethink the dynamic between civilization and nature.
Workshop – From Weeds to Creations: Contemporary Foraging and Handicraft Workshop
Time: December 21, 2024 (Saturday), 2:00–5:00 PM
Location: Yangming Campus
Collaborating Team: Weed Days
2-Hour Community Activity Recognition for Liberal Arts Practicum
In collaboration with the Slow Weeds team, participants will learn about local “weeds” through foraging activities, followed by a hands-on crafting session to transform collected plants into creative expressions.
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Rediscover our forgotten connections with nature. Join us!
