Jhang lives in Mujha, and he has long understood that Taiwan has paid dearly for economic success. Environmental degradation is common. Jhang grew up in the country, and he misses the natural surroundings and wild animals in his childhood.

After his retirement, Jhang took a course in Wenshan Community College, and learned about the issues facing Taiwan¡¦s environment. The pollution is so bad that once the rivers reach the plains they are considered dead. Field trips opened his eyes to the heavily polluted Jingmei River near his home. Seized with an urgent concern after the course, Jhang started a club in the college to protect the river. Together with his classmates who share his passion, they patrol Jingmei River on a regular basis to monitor the water quality, observe wildlife, and to report pollution. They hold seminars, and invite neighbouring schools and the zoo to be part of the protecting effort. The Jingmei River Blog shares their observation notes online.

According to Jhang, the volunteers do encounter difficulties. Both Taipei City and Taipei County has long been collecting trash at regular times and places, yet Jingmei River is still a popular place for dumping rubbish. These trash piles run into the river when it rains heavily. Jhang said, ¡§Some of the town councils are willing to clear these rubbish piles, but othert simply say no because they claim they do not have the budget for it.¡¨

The worst thing is watching religious groups release fish into Jingmei River for the sake of ¡§saving lives.¡¨Willfully introducing alien species into the river tends to destroy the delicate ecological balance. The released fish may not adapt to the river and die as a consequence.

Once, Jingmei River was polluted by an unknown source, and the river was afloat with many dead fish. Jhang scooped out the dead bodies, sorted them out, and reported to the authorities in the hopes of finding the culprit.

Although it is a lot of hard work and commitment, the volunteers enjoy the process extremely. Everything big and small holds a delightful surprise for them. They are amazed at the structure of the river bed layers. While making an inventory of the river bank flora, they came across plants that are commonly found along the sea-coast.

Jhang believes that becoming a volunteer has enriched his life after retirement. ¡§It is never too late to learn. There are simply too many issues for us to show our care and concern!¡¨Jhang insists. You can do your part too. Do not pollute the river, conserve water, avoid chemical cleaning agents wherever possible, report to the authorities about polluting factories¡K.these are things you can do. You can also be part of your local conservation group and help protect our rivers!