Students: Hello, Chairman Chen Chang Yao.
MR. Chen: Hello, kids. I’m Chen Chang Yao,living here since I was little.

Student: How long have you lived here?
MR. Chen:  Forty seven years. And I am forty seven-year-old now.

Student: Is there any difference about the Plum Tree Creek those years?

MR. Chen:  Yes, lots of changing, including the shape of the river and the arrangement of the shape.
Student: How were the water quality and the environment of the Plum Tree Creek before?

MR. Chen:  Both the water quality and the environment were influenced by the surrounding, also the whole river basin. Therefore, you are needed to have a deeper understanding about the Plum Tree Creek and keep it.
Student: If we want to improve the Plum Tree Creek, what should we do?
MR. Chen:  Basic environmental protection and personal health habits are needed to be improved first. In order to protect the Plum Tree Creek, reducing water contamination and hillside development is essential.

Student: What did the Plum Tree Creek look like when you were little?
MR. Chen:  When I was little, the Plum Tree Creek looked like a Chinese dragon, curved and full of water. It was quite clean.
Student: When did it start to be contaminated?
MR. Chen:  It was polluted slowly without notice. When we found that the river was polluted and want to protect it, the water quality was already changed. Therefore, we do have no idea when did it start. But, before 1979, the water quality was quite well. Since 1986, it changed because of hillside development, such as house building, court exploitation and pig farmers, which have an impact on the river.
Student: What should the locals do to protect the river?
MR. Chen:  We need the professional environmentalist to tutor the locals so that they can protect the river together. The most essential part is the education. All ages are needed to be educated how to protect the river.

Student: How was the ecological environment before?

MR. Chen:  There were lots of fishes, crabs and shrimps in the river and plenty of vegetation, insects and butterflies along the coast. Here were a lot of terraces and nature ecosystems were rich.
Student: If there is more vegetation planed around the Plum Tree Creek, will the ecological environment and the water quality be better?
MR. Chen:  Plant more vegetation? Yes, one of the functions of vegetation is filtration and it can grip the soil in the river. After being filtrated, the water will be cleaner and the water quality will be better also. Water from this river was provided to locals as drinking water before. There was no running water. All people residing here relied on this river. People reside and live with the river.

Student: Is there any way to let more people protect the river together?
MR. Chen:  The less benefit the river creates the better protection and preservation it can get. Only if the land doesn’t have high value and neither be developed, the value of the river can be preserved. To achieve the goal, education is the most important.

Student: Are there any methods to make the water quality of the Plum Tree Creek become well?
MR. Chen: Through education and time. First thing is educating the locals. Once they agree with the value of river, they won’t keep polluting. All ages are needed to be educated. And then the river will recover over time.
Student: Could you share some interesting or funny things happened at the Plum Tree Creek when you was child with us?
MR. Chen:  When I was little, I could swim, catch crabs, do shrimp fishing and play on the swing. There were many trees around the river. We tied tree with ropes so that we could swing from one side to the other. Sometimes, we swung high and then jumped into the river. We also had competitions about passing the river by jumping on stones. The faster the winner. Therefore, all the kids living here are agile as monkeys.

Student: Is there abundant water before?
MR. Chen:  The water level was much higher than nowadays. It is because the land hadn’t been developed. After houses and factories were built and trees moved, the water level became lower.
Students: Thanks for being interviewed.

Reflection：
After interviewing chairman Chen Chang Yao a series of questions about the Plum Tree Creek, we have a deeper understanding on it. We know more knowledge about vegetation, the funny things happened here, what did people do with plants and what kind of nectar is eatable. The Plum Tree Creek was important for people before. Without it, people wouldn’t have water to drink. Because of the hillside development, pig farmer and improper protection methods, there are no fishes and shrimps in the river which make it looks like a ditch now.