:::
202404/22
Trails are the best way for people to experience nature, learn about ecology, and truly realize the value of existence. The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) has long been pursuing the vision of “Sustainable Forestry, Ecological Taiwan.” For this reason, it invited experts to gather Taiwan’s more than twenty years of experience and achievements in constructing hiking trails. The experts consulted new international trends in the field and formulated guidelines for the construction and design of nature trails suitable for Taiwan’s diverse environment. Their efforts culminated in the publication of the Trail Design and Building Manual, the first text of its kind in Taiwan, aiming to promote the building of hiking trails with nature in mind.
FANCA is in charge of planning the blueprint of Taiwan’s hiking trail network. To this end, the agency is formulating design specifications and conducting human and natural resource surveys to gradually craft a map of trail network totaling more than 607 kilometers in length. The general principles and specifications for the design and phases of hiking trail construction projects are not yet comprehensive. The new manual is intended not only as a toolbox for trail design and construction, but also as an invitation to partnership. The authors of the text hope that the idea of eco-friendliness can be conveyed to people in Taiwan and become part of the DNA of trail construction projects.
Trail Design and Building Manual was published as a four-volume set. The set contains the main volume and three volumes organized by the main categories of hiking trail building, namely “Trail Surface Materials,” “Trail Drainage,” and “Trail Facilities.” Each set costs NT$1,600. The text’s introduction begins with a description of the innate qualities of hiking trails and goes on to explain the rationale for writing the manual and its use. The book summarizes 15 types of problems commonly associated with trails and introduces 108 construction methods suitable for trails in Taiwan. This allows the reader to examine the interactions between different construction methods and different environmental factors. The manual serves as a reference for selecting construction techniques, design principles, and priorities for maintenance and management of trails.
Trail Design and Building Manual is a handy and practical tool for agencies responsible for trail management, designers, engineers, and even anyone with an interest in the natural environment. The text not only enhances the safety of tourists and landscape quality, but also helps to protect natural resources in the hope that trails will become a bridge between people and nature, giving everyone more opportunities to get closer to nature.
Trail Design and Building Manual can be purchased at the Government Books Store (address: No. 209, Songjiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City; telephone: 02-25180207) or Wu-Nan Books (address: No. 6, Zhongshan Rd., Central Dist., Taichung City; telephone: 04-22260330) in person or online.