But how is a carnival parade related to conservation? According to Arker Chen, project manager of Jane Goodall Institute Taiwan, a carnival parade is the best opportunity of extending environmental education and a stage for kids to explore their imagination. The Animal Parade of 2006 and the Shih-fen Parade held earlier this year are two of the best examples. In the parade, adults and kids dressed in animal costumes appeal for animals while having fun with self-made crafts. ¡§Art, the best medium for communication, can touch people¡¦s hearts,¡¨ said Chen.

¡§Children in Asia don¡¦t have much chance to participate in a fun-filled gala and are accustomed to standardized education; they listen, they watch, but seldom take part,¡¨ observes Chen. ¡§A carnival parade encourages people to engage in creative thinking and put their ideas into practice.¡¨ Some kids seem uninterested at the beginning but become increasingly engaged as they started using their hands, according to Chen, who has a rich experience of assisting schools in holding carnival parades.

¡§Only if we can understand can we care; only if we care will we help; only if we help shall all be saved.¡¨ Grown-ups can learn something from participating in the parade as well. You can be a black-faced spoonbill, a chimpanzee or a toad, and by studying their specific movements and sounds, you gradually become familiar with these animals. Taiwan¡¦s biodiversity will also be displayed as participants walk with various indigenous animals in the parade.

So what are you waiting for? Come join our Dream Parade 2007 this October 20 to share our hopes for our ecology, community, and culture.