The 2020 Water Environment Teen Guardian Training of Environmental Protection Bureau, Hualien County has rocked. Together with four river picture books jointly created with the renowned illustrator Luo Ren-Jie from 2015 to 2019, the Bureau has launched a series of promotional activities to show the lifelike beauty of rivers of Hualien, including Meilun River, Siouguluan River, Liwu River and Hualien River. It is hoped that, through the reading of picture books, all citizens will have in-depth insight into the water environment, humanistic connotations, history, geography and ecology of river. The water quality testing teaching class is also included therein to train elementary school students into teen guardians of water environment and encourage them to regularly inspect the quality of natural water body nearby the school. This will facilitate the objective of building a firm foundation for water environment conservation and environmental education.
 
At 9:30 am on the 13th of this month (March), Environmental Protection Bureau, Hualian County and Sanzhan Elementary School not only presented video-based electronic sound book to show students the beauty of river in picture books, but also led teachers and students to learn how to minimize domestic sewage in ordinary life through interactive games; promoted the importance of taking care of themselves when engaging in water activities; and educated them to take trash away after the activities to ensure the sustainability of our beautiful river environment.
 
Besides, the highly experienced volunteers of water environment watch patrol also assisted in holding the water quality testing teaching class by interacting with the children. This activity enables school’s students and teachers to test the water quality of nearby rivers using simple water quality test kit, and to gradually record the water quality using the simple water quality record sheet specially designed by the Bureau. Through the regular and long-term monitoring of water quality, students will be learned to understand the changes of water quality and how to prevent river pollution. These teen guardians were also invited to give some data feedback to the Bureau, enabling the Bureau to timely control the status of rivers’ water quality.
 
        Principal of Sanzhan Elementary School Chang Ping-Ren expressed his pleasure with the Bureau’s decision of holding this Water Environment Teen Guardian training. He said that, as this river was considered as a river that accompanied the children to grow up and the children often played in this river, he hoped that the children will learn the importance of maintaining water environment and how to identifying the water quality in order to build a firm foundation of environmental protection. Children who participated in this activity also said excitingly about becoming a guardian of water environment in the future in order to play in this beautiful and clean water without worries.
 
The Bureau also hopes to train more water environment teen guardians through the promotions of the picture books, so that the County’s water environment will become better and even more beautiful. Schools or groups that desire to join the teen guardian activities, please contact the Water Pollution Prevention and Treatment Division, Environmental Protection Bureau, Hualien County by dialing 03-8237575#245.