This summer (2019), the annual two-day, one-night youth camp “Macaque Nature Exploration Camp” organized by the Shoushan National Nature Park on July 6-7 (Saturday-Sunday) came to a successful conclusion! The Exploration Camp entered its fourth year this year. Over the past four years, it has attracted enthusiastic participation from numerous children, where they bravely explored nature together with their new friends!

In order to let the students get a glimpse of the background of the naturalist Robert Swinhoe, the event opened with performance art at the Shoushan National Park Headquarters. The children were introduced to the camp’s main character, “Swinhoe”, and his cute and vibrant little assistant, the Macaque Monkey. The lively and fun theater play provided a comprehensive introduction on the historical figure and cultural background, as well as the unique animal and plant characteristics of Shoushan. For example, Formosan macaques were confirmed as endemic species of Taiwan by Swinhoe, so the two have a special relationship. The performance was an exciting opening to the two-day, one-night camp.

After the play, the students immediately boarded a yacht and went to explore the British Consulate and Official Residence at Takao, using this unique method to begin their adventure into the unknown. Here, the students must carefully collect the clues of each mission task, relying on mutual assistance and cooperation, in order to solve difficult puzzles and successfully find a way to return to modern times. The children loved the experience and said that “This is not a mission that can be completed alone!” Real-life puzzle-solving is not only fun, but also allows the children to feel a sense of accomplishment!

Night fall is also the most lively time in nature. Encouraging the children to use all five senses to learn about nature, Shoushan National Park Headquarters gave a comprehensive introduction to astronomical knowledge to the students in the exhibition hall; in addition it gave a detailed introduction to the common animals of Shoushan. The museum has more than just a collection of animal specimens. In order to deepen the ecological impression on the students, Shoushan National Park Headquarters collaborated with the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology for the first time to bring precious specimens, such as animal droppings and bones, together with animal footprints and other elements made by the staff, into indoor evening activities that added to the adventure.

The next day, the students were guided on a walk along the southern Shoushan paths to observe the habitat of the Formosan macaque up close. In order to appreciate the experience of naturalists, each student took on the role of a young naturalist towards the end of the camp. During the lecture when they were taught the preparation method of plant specimens, they took notes by themselves on the time and place of plant specimen collection. This taught them about the details and techniques required during fieldwork.

Shoushan National Park Headquarters has been holding the camp over the years in the hope that children can inherit the naturalist’s daring and detailed spirit of observation during the exciting and content-rich journey. At the same time, the children are encouraged to deepen their connection with nature through artistic expression, such as writing, creating pictures, or producing plant specimens.