What is there to do in Taoyuan? Taoyuan is home to the longest coastal wetland in northern Taiwan. Beyond its millennia-old algal reefs, the Taoyuan coastline boasts four major coastal ecological highlights: Xuzicuang Wetland, Caotuo Sand Dunes, the Guanxin Algal Reef, and the Xinwu Stone Weirs. Last year, BlueTrend launched an ocean citizen scientist workshop at the Guanxin Algal Reef. This year, the team has prepared two new themed coastal workshops: one to explore the lesser-known Xinwu Stone Weirs — the largest stone weir complex on Taiwan's main island, nicknamed the "Hundred-Year Great Wall" — and another to discover the remarkable oyster reef and the important migratory bird staging ground at "Xuzicuang National Wetland of Importance."
When you visit the coast, do you mostly just take photos and watch the sunset? BlueTrend now has a new way for you to experience it. First learn, then engage — by observing coastal ecosystems through guided mission-based tasks, you'll deepen your understanding, enrich your learning, and through these workshops, everyday people can step up and become coastal citizen scientists!
The Xinwu Stone Weir complex in Taoyuan — one of the hidden gems along the Taoyuan coastline.
Xinwu Stone Weir Citizen Scientist Workshop
This "Xinwu Stone Weir Citizen Scientist Workshop" takes the century-old stone weirs as its starting point, guiding participants to explore the intertidal life surrounding them. The stone weirs along the west coast are built from large cobblestones and are mostly "family weirs" — structures constructed and passed down within families. Xinwu currently has 11 stone weirs, some of which are still used for fishing.
The structure of the Xinwu Stone Weirs in Taoyuan differs greatly from those in Penghu, giving rise to a uniquely distinctive ecosystem.
Compared to the well-known Penghu stone weirs, which sit in a purely marine hydrological setting, the Xinwu Stone Weirs receive freshwater inflows from the shore. Combined with their structurally distinct design, this creates a particularly unique coastal ecosystem. The coastal citizen scientist workshop runs for approximately five hours, covering local environmental introductions, identification of common stone weir species, photography tool tutorials, an intertidal treasure hunt, and a final photo review session — guiding participants to discover the overlooked wonders of the coastline.
The ferocious Sally Lightfoot crab is a common sight in the stone weir zone.
During the workshop, instructors share what creatures can be spotted inside the stone weir zone, how to identify them, and what special behaviors intertidal organisms exhibit. Compared to coral reef waters, the ecosystem around the Xinwu Stone Weirs may lack the riot of color found underwater — but after the instructor's vivid species introductions, even hermit crabs suddenly become fascinating. Those clusters of hermit crabs we so often overlook? They're actually engaged in an important real-estate transaction: watch closely and you'll see them using their two claws to measure the opening of another hermit crab's shell, evaluating whether it's worth moving in.
Then there's the periwinkle — sometimes called the "ocean Robinson Crusoe" — stacked one on top of another, busy trying to beat the heat. They cling to each other to minimize the surface area in contact with the hot rock. Flip over a boulder and you might find a Asterina coronata (crown sea star) of varying sizes — the most common small sea star along the northern coast, with a remarkably variable body color that shifts to match the surrounding rocks. Its arms are short and stubby, making it easy to miss.
The chubby-armed crown sea star hides beneath the stones of the weir.
Beyond the usual crabs, snails, and shore crabs, participants were surprised to discover flatfish, Takifugu alboplumbeus, Anthopleura nigrescens sea anemones, nudibranch, and other creatures they had never noticed before. Once participants understood the habits and habitats of these organisms, a new generation of citizen scientists was born — adults and children alike were earnestly turning over rocks, quietly observing creatures, photographing and documenting them using the techniques learned in class, and enthusiastically completing their recording missions.
The seemingly barren sandy bottom was hiding an adorable little surprise — a matutine crab.
The Xinwu Stone Weir complex still retains its fishing function. If you choose the right tidal conditions and weather, you may have the chance to join the local stone weir association in casting nets — witnessing a centuries-old traditional fishing method come to life up close!
In addition to preserving the stone weirs, the local association also offers hands-on experience programs — highly recommended!
So the stone weirs really do catch fish!
Xuzicuang National Wetland of Importance
For this exploration of the precious bird migration staging ground at "Xuzicuang National Wetland of Importance," BlueTrend invited instructor Xu Jingyan from the Taoyuan Wild Bird Society to lead participants in discovering this coastal wetland ecosystem — recognized by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area, yet largely overlooked by the general public. Each year, Xuzicuang Wetland provides habitat for hundreds to thousands of waterbirds. During migratory bird transit seasons in particular, species such as the Kentish plover, little egret, Chinese egret, and little tern have been recorded here, along with a variety of resident and migratory birds. A total of 13 conservation-listed bird species have been documented at the site.
At Xuzicuang Wetland, you can observe the behaviors of a wide variety of migratory and resident birds — a high-magnification telephoto lens and binoculars are essential!
During the workshop, participants get hands-on experience with DSLR cameras and high-magnification telephoto lenses, heading out to the wetland with the instructor to photograph rare bird species. You may even be lucky enough to spot little terns or Black-faced Spoonbills.
Wait — when moving through Xuzicuang Wetland, always watch where you step! If an adult Kentish plover is chirping loudly nearby or performing a distraction display (broken-wing act) to draw your attention, there may well be a nest of newly hatched Kentish plover chicks right at your feet, freshly out of the shell and waiting to be fed.
A newly hatched Kentish plover chick.
The milky fiddler crab, found all across the wetland, waves its large claw with great enthusiasm.
On the seaward side of Xuzicuang Wetland, a broad swath of unique oyster reef lines the shore — often overlooked because of its unremarkable appearance. Oyster reefs are commonly found along turbid coastlines; oysters survive by filtering impurities from the water. Because the gaps and structural complexity within oyster reefs are relatively limited, and their tough shells make burrowing difficult for other organisms, the intertidal life surrounding oyster reefs tends to be made up of smaller creatures, such as mollusks and crabs.
On the sandy beach at low tide, you may also spot fast-moving creatures darting past in a flash — these could be horn-eyed ghost crabs or sand bubbler crabs. The sand bubbler crab, also known as the "sand painter," is about 1 to 2 cm in size. It uses its two claws to scoop up balls of sand, filters out the organic matter, and neatly piles the leftover pseudo-fecal pellets on the beach around it. Because they are highly sensitive, the best way to observe them is to stand still at one spot and wait — they will gradually "paint" their way toward you.
Hailed as the master sand painters, sand bubbler crabs get to work at every low tide.
BlueTrend leads the public in documenting the ecology of the Taoyuan coast while providing core training for citizen scientists. The curriculum is built around two main pillars: photography skills and species identification. Through a systematic, hands-on, field-practice-focused teaching approach, nature and ecology enthusiasts can easily join the training program — with the goal of turning everyone into a citizen scientist.
With the will to learn, anyone can become a citizen scientist.
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