Revived wetlands host international arts festival

Chenglong Village in Kouhu Township, Yunlin County is an area that suffers from severe problems with land subsidence. Over time, the salt-laden farmland, village pond, fishponds, marshes and ditches have become a huge refueling station of migratory birds, known today as Chenglong Wetlands (成龍溼地). Covering an area of 170 hectares, migratory birds such as the black-winged stilt and mallard are common guests.

In 2010, the forestry bureau entrusted the environmentally focused Guan-Su Education Foundation (觀樹教育基金會) to help raise the curtain on Cheng Long Wetlands International Environmental Art Project (成龍溼地國際環境藝術節).

In 2010, the foundation invited the American sculptor and nature-based installation artist Jane Ingram Allen to serve as the first curator of the festival. Although now entering its fourth year, the festival is still coming up with novel themes and exciting installations, conveying to the world the importance of environmental conservation and the beauty of wetland ecologies.

In addition to the arts festival, Guan-Su Education Foundation has collaborated with the local Chenglong Elementary School to establish an environmental study area, combining facilities for research, conservation, environmental education and boarding. The theme for the 2013 Cheng Long Wetlands International Environmental Art Project is “On the Table,” a continuation of last year's festival theme "Who’s coming to dinner?" both of which aim to explore farming and environmental issues in the Chenglong region.

PeoPo 公民新聞 by 輔大生命力新聞

Revived wetlands host international arts festival
URL:http://www.peopo.org/news/112055

(以下是中文對照)
重拾廢耕農田 造國際溼地藝術節

雲林縣口湖鄉成龍村地層下陷的情形嚴重，隨著時間的推移，具有高鹽份的農田反倒與村中的埤塘、漁塭、沼澤及溝渠等形成了候鳥過境的中繼站，也正是今日所見的成龍溼地。在面積逾一百七十公頃的成龍溼地中，經常可見高蹺鴴、綠頭鴨等候鳥在上頭遊憩。林務局於二○一○年委託致力於環境教育的觀樹教育基金會進駐成龍村，為成龍溼地國際環境藝術節拉開序幕。

二○一○年，基金會邀請美籍自然裝置藝術家艾婕音(Jane Ingram Allen)擔任第一屆藝術節的策展人，藝術節至今已邁入第四個年頭，每年仍然以全新的主題與藝術創作，向世人傳達溼地的生態之美與環境保育的重要性。除了藝術節之外，基金會也透過與村中的成龍國小合作，將成龍溼地定位為環境學習的公共場域，兼具研究、自然保育、環境教育及休憩等功能。二○一三成龍溼地國際環境藝術節的主題為「餐桌上」，延續去年的藝術節主題「誰來晚餐？」，皆在探討成龍地區的養殖與環境間的議題。