The Tree Seekers (找樹的人), formed in August of 2014, searches for the tallest trees in Taiwan. The Tree Seekers are forest canopy scientists and tree climbers who use their climbing skills to search for tall trees in Taiwan. The group has grown through adding members who bring new expertise to further the mission.
Taiwan (formerly known as Formosa) is an island
in the southwest Pacific with an area of 36,000 km2. Active
orogenesis has built up an extensive mountain system on the island, including 258
peaks over 3000 m in elevation, with the highest reaching 3952 m. The dramatic
topography hosts a wide range of vegetation, from alpine tundra to tropical
rainforests. Approximately 60% of the island is forested with over 950 million
trees. Extensive logging from 1912 through 1991 significantly reduced the island’s
primary forests, but it is Taiwan’s rugged mountainous terrain which has preserved
significant tracts of old-growth forest.