The reason we wanted to launch the channel clean-up activity was because when we first went to Pingding Ancient and New Channels for survey, we founds fallen leaves and branches blocking some road sections of the channel. Although the maintenance unit, Chi-Sing Irrigation Association routinely assigned personnel to remove weeds and clean up the river course every March, July and November, we still decided to contribute our efforts in loving the nature after returning to school and discussing. We wanted to put in practice our action in loving hometown resources while walking and touring the channel. Hence we designed the tools for cleaning up the channel, using existing materials to design the “leave catching net” for cleaning the channel and carried the homemade “leave catching net” in our next survey to Dengfong Channel, in order to examine if we could remove the massive quantity of leaves fallen into the channel. The following is the description of our process of making “leave catching net” and our review on the actual implementation of channel clean-up.

Channel Clean-up Review

In our first survey, we discovered that there were often garbage and fallen leaves drifting on the water. When we returned home, we decided to make our own net to catch these garbage. Our net was made of the red net bag for potatoes, using thick metal wire as the metal ring, tangled by thin wire and bundled with the broom.

On the day of departure, our teachers let us choose our nets and many people chose the nets that looked compact and convenient, and made of mopping mast. However when we actually tried to catch, we discovered the weight of the net was really heavy and we could not easily catch the leaves without the support of the broom brush.

After we got on the Dengfong Trail, I couldn’t wait to stick the net into the water. We all tried to catch the leaves from the channel. However, someone dropped the notebook into the channel while we were walking, so we used our homemade net to catch the notebook from the channel.

I have caught many leaves today and felt a sense of achievement from seeing the aqueduct becoming so clean. I also understood the difficulty in maintaining the cleanness of the channel. I hope we will have more opportunity to clean up the channel again.

When we were surveying in Pingding Ancient Channel and New Channel last time, we discovered many fallen leaves and branches from the aqueduct, which seemed to block the entire channel. Although the Irrigation Association routinely removed the grass, we wanted to also contribute our efforts by deciding to conduct an eco-friendly “channel clean-up activity” in our next channel survey. Since most people did not have insect catching net, we eventually thought of DIY a “leave catching net” to remove the leaves fallen to the channel.

However on the day of making the net, I could not participate since I was busy for other things, so it was until the noontime on the day surveying Dengfeng that I saw the net. This “leave catching net” was previously made of wire and red mesh net. My classmates making the net explained to me how the other students making the net spent many efforts in making the “leave catching net.”

But my beautiful impression on it also vanished upon first sight. I thought it would have looked really exquisite and powerful but I didn’t expect it to look like this. Although it is said that what looks nice may be food for nothing. I changed my mind and believed that something that looks weak can also be useful. So I was fully confident and followed the teachers and students for conducting survey in the mountain.I discovered the power of this tool after using it in the mountain, and I could really catch lots of leaves. But I didn’t know how to catch from the beginning and I could not catch any leaves. Later when I discovered the know-how, I could then catch more skillfully and thereby more leaves. I felt a sense of achievement when I caught so many leaves and I was also happy to clean up the channel.

I thought this activity was quite meaningful because channels hidden in the mountain doesn’t mean they will not get polluted completely. The flowers and grass on the side could not endure wind blowing and change in season, which could fall into the channel by accident. However this is a natural phenomenon and human could not do anything about it. To co-exist with the nature, we could only do our best regularly and carry out some works that will sustain the long-term use of channel, in order to improve the environment for the better.