TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taitung branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency has partnered with an Amis village to restore traditional alcohol brewing plants along the east coast.
The branch on Tuesday planted 200 five-leaved chaste tree and pignut saplings with the help of Torik villagers at a local water source known as “Tafa,” meaning “stream of life” in the Amis language. Each villager was gifted a pignut sapling to encourage more Amis to preserve their traditional fermentation and foraging culture.
In recent years, FANCA has been promoting the restoration of native tree species and distributing native Taiwanese plants to the public on Arbor Day. Torik Village has long collaborated with the branch on community forestry and agroforestry, the Taitung branch said.
Torik Village traditionally used 13 different types of plants for brewing alcohol, including the rosary pea, Basil-Leaf Limnophila, and orange jessamine.
The branch said it will support expanding the restoration of indigenous plants, food promotion, and farming education. It hopes to strengthen forest resilience and sustain the Amis' ecological knowledge and deep-rooted connection with nature.
