TAOYUAN (TVBS News) — The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSR, 台灣高鐵公司), the island's bullet train operator, partnered with the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FNCA, 林業及自然保育署) to mark Earth Day with a popular seedling distribution event at Taoyuan Station, a major transportation hub serving Taiwan's international airport region. Commuters and environmental enthusiasts lined up from early morning Tuesday (April 22) to receive their share of 1,200 indigenous tree seedlings, including fragrant orange jasmine, yellow gardenia, and the distinctive Tashiro's grouper wood.
The eco-friendly initiative, which began at 10:30 a.m., aligned with this year's global Earth Day theme, "Our Power, Our Planet," promoting low-carbon transportation choices and digital ticketing alternatives. Organizers offered bonus seedlings to participants who demonstrated sustainable behaviors, such as displaying the railway's T-EX Express (T-EX行動購票) mobile ticketing app, presenting a same-day train ticket, or showing evidence of walking more than 8,000 steps between April 1 and 22 on fitness tracking devices.
Station representatives emphasized the project's comprehensive environmental approach, noting their use of biodegradable pulp containers and fully compostable seedling pots that eliminate plastic waste. These innovative containers allow recipients to transplant the young trees directly into garden soil or larger containers without removing them from their original pots, which gradually break down into natural fertilizer. The thoughtfully designed program demonstrates the transportation sector's growing environmental consciousness while providing Taiwan's commuters with a tangible opportunity to participate in reforestation efforts. ★
