Taitung native offers ‘adventure therapy’ in the form of tree climbing

Taitung native offers ‘adventure therapy’ in the form of tree climbing

2023-08-17

A Taitung native is offering “adventure therapy” in the form of tree climbing. Hsu Yueh-ping is a social worker as well as tree-climbing coach. She says that humans and trees recover from injuries in basically the same way: with good care. Students come to Taitung Forest Park to get a workout and get close to nature.

A child is helped to put on their helmet and check the harness. Care is needed for each step in the process of getting ready to climb a tree. Taitung Forest Park offers these treeclimbing events to bring people closer to nature and help them take care of their emotions.

Student
It’s very cool, and fun, and it feels good.

Student
It’s relaxing. I feel relaxed.

Tree climbing is good for young and old alike – but it does take some expertise, both to set up and to climb. The climbing wear and ropes as well as the techniques all require an expert on hand for guidance.

Hsu Yueh-ping
Tree-climbing coach
Tree climbing and rock climbing are quite different. You pull some of the main ropes much tighter for rock climbing. In tree climbing, you need to keep your legs really relaxed, to make it easy to reach out with the legs.

Climbing coach Hsu Yueh-ping throws the rope out. Her students range in age from four to 60. But this is not her only job.

Hsu Yueh-ping
Tree-climbing coach
My main job is social work. At that time I wanted to find a tool I was good at, to offer adventure therapy. Recovery means that after we’re injured, and we’ve gotten good care, then we recover. Trees are just the same.

Lee Chih-peng
Taitung County Forestry Bureau
Taitung Forest Park is a national wetland, and a conservation forest. It has beautiful natural scenery. We wanted to see how we could use it imaginatively.

As a Taitung native, Hsu knows how beautiful her county is. She combines her social care expertise with her tree climbing mastery in these special classes. Students learn not just how to climb, but also learn about how to prune trees and ecological knowledge, and how to relax in the arms of a woody friend.

"攀樹"體驗療癒身心台東社工護樹也助人

2023-08-17

台東有位攀樹教練許月萍，本業是社工師，她將自身專業與攀樹結合，發展冒險治療，也藉著家鄉的環境優勢，讓更多民眾接觸這門活動。攀樹的同時，她也提倡護樹運動，邀請大家一起保護環境。

幫小朋友戴好安全帽，再仔細檢查吊帶。準備攀樹之前的程序，一個都不能馬虎。台東森林公園舉辦攀樹體驗，不只讓民眾親近自然，也能幫助放鬆情緒。

[[參與學童]]
“很涼，很好玩，就是很舒服。”

[[參與學童]]
“很輕鬆，覺得滿輕鬆的。”

雖然是老少皆宜的活動，不過攀樹的裝備和動作也有大學問。從服裝、繩結，到攀爬的動作，都需要專業人員在一旁協助指導。

[[攀樹教練許月萍]]
“攀樹和攀岩不太一樣，攀岩它的一些支帶會拉得比較緊，攀樹的話尤其腿部的部分是要鬆鬆的，因為要方便我們跨步。”

用力將攀樹繩拋出，攀樹教練許月萍的學生，從4歲到60歲都有。而她除了是一名攀樹教練，其實還有另一個身分。

[[攀樹教練許月萍]]
“我本業是社工，我那時候想找一個我可以擅長的工具，來做冒險治療。復原就是我們受了傷，被好好照顧之後，人會復原，樹也一樣。”

[[台東縣政府林業處科長李志鵬]]
“台東森林公園，它是國家級的溼地，也是保安林地，有漂亮優美自然的景觀，我們就想說可以怎麼活用。”

藉著家鄉台東的生態優勢，許月萍將原本社工的專業知識與攀樹運動結合。除了指導攀樹，她也推廣樹木修剪與環境教育，讓人們在爬樹的同時，邀請大家一起愛護自然環境。

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