TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The desktop calendars designed by Taiwan’s Forestry Bureau have been so popular that they have become a brand and a source of income for the government agency.
Launched in 2018, the calendars have featured illustrations of the fauna and flora of the country’s rich forest resources, which are as informative as they are aesthetically appealing, wrote CNA.
The limited-edition calendars became available for sale in 2019, and demand was so high, the hotly sought-after items have flown off the shelves ever since.
The popularity of the calendars surprised Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶), director-general of the Forestry Bureau and the driver of the initiative. The official said Taiwan boasts 1.62 million hectares of national forests but many people are unfamiliar with the natural treasures of the mountains.
With exquisite drawings of animals, plants, indigenous tree species, and animals living in the woods, the calendars are tasked with educating the public on biodiversity and how the various lifeforms interact with each other, he said.
About 22,000 units of Forestry Bureau-designed calendars are printed each year, and the products now generate a net profit of NT$2 million (US$65,880), according to Lin. The product has also been well-received among foreign diplomats, with the bureau mulling the roll-out of English versions in the coming years.
(Forestry Bureau images)
