When plants, ecology, and art collide, what new dialogues can be generated in education? Associate Professor Chen Hongling of National Chiayi University invited Professor Lu Jianming to share his practical experience in eco-art and indigenous culture through interdisciplinary lectures and workshops. From originality and ecological management to co-construction actions, the workshops guided teachers to rethink how environmental issues, aesthetic education, and social-emotional learning (SEL) can be connected in the teaching setting.

The 2015-2016 academic year included the "Plants, Ecology, and Artistic Power—Cross-Domain Aesthetic Empowerment Lecture on Environmental Issues" and the "Plants, Ecology, and Indigenous Cultural Wisdom—Cross-Cultural Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Cross-Domain Aesthetic Empowerment Workshop".

On December 12th, National Chiayi University hosted an in-depth dialogue spanning art, ecology, and education, inviting artist Chien-Ming Lu to provide guidance. This lecture and workshop attracted faculty and students from National Chiayi University's visual arts, music, and biology departments, as well as local elementary and junior high school teachers, to jointly explore the diverse aesthetic practices of environmental issues.

Professor Lu introduced and discussed the definition of Eco-Art, focusing on the issue of nativeness within it. He considers "ecological management" an integral part of art, emphasizing the symbiosis between humans and nature, and explaining his important creative journey. Furthermore, Professor Lu excels at connecting academic institutions, government departments, and communities, providing theoretical frameworks and practical technical support. For example, in "South Island Native and Revitalization Action" (Weipi, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts): by removing dominant invasive species (such as silver acacia) and planting native plants, this process was transformed into an educational setting for architecture and indigenous studies. In his work "Under the Wings," Professor Lu, along with students from the Indigenous Studies program at Keelung Badou High School and the Department of Architecture at Chung Yuan Christian University, deconstructed complex architectural steps within the context of "external schools" and "migrated cities," making construction no longer a high-barrier technology, but rather an experiment of integration.

They also collaborated with the Daxi branch of Little Grass Bookstore to teach children easy-to-learn construction skills through a series of workshops, fostering the spirit and methods of teamwork and division of labor that are important in co-construction.

In the final discussion, Ms. Lu pointed out that these collaborative activities were in-depth practices of "Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)". Through collaboration, participants and children progressed from "self-awareness" in recognizing their own abilities to learning "interpersonal skills" in communicating with partners, ultimately gaining a profound understanding of the true meaning of teamwork.