Changhua County Changtai Junior High School — Good Stories of Trees

The fundamental question of campus aesthetics: How to achieve a balance between campus safety, management, and aesthetics?

Changtai Junior High School boasts a diverse array of trees, serving as a vital green lung for the community and functioning as both a learning space and a recreational area. However, in recent years, due to over-pruning, root rot, or considerations of traffic flow, many trees have been removed, their shapes damaged, or have died, gradually diminishing the campus's aesthetic appeal. Therefore, the school participated in an interdisciplinary aesthetics project, inviting founding members and tree-protection groups to share their tree-planting stories and proper pruning techniques. The school also interviewed the General Affairs Office to understand their perspectives on tree pruning and felling management.

By enhancing teachers' professional skills and connecting teaching with real-life campus scenarios, we can improve students' understanding and feelings towards campus trees, thereby guiding them to think about the dilemma between environmental aesthetics and practical needs, and initiating a dialogue between teachers and students on the issue of campus trees.

We hope that campus trees will no longer be merely objects to be managed, but rather life partners that are understood and cherished. This will lead to the establishment of a campus governance philosophy that balances safety, aesthetics, and ecology, implementing the concept of environmental sustainability, and leaving a healthier and more vibrant campus environment for all students.