Organized by Shih-Chi
SOW Wild Name
(A) The Origin
The Society of Wilderness (SOW) is a public interest group. The society emphasizes on taking participation, and through the individual efforts, it hopes to bring positive influence to others, whether family or friends, to devote more time and effort to protect the ecosystems around the world. In Taiwan, there are many people who become SOW volunteers, taking actions into their own hands to protect Taiwan’s nature environment. Their accomplishments can be seen and recognized by many people.
Source: Wilderness Crossing
Source: Wilderness Crossing
Although the volunteers have different duties and responsibilities, they have one thing in common, is each of them have a wild name. The name can be an animal, plant, or any living species in nature. Every volunteer has a wilderness nickname that is often selected based on personal interest and is easily memorable and recognized by others.
Source: Wilderness Crossing
Source: Wilderness Crossing
The origins of wilderness nickname came from Mr. Xu, Ren-Xiu a well-known writer and ecological photographer. When he lived and worked in the Philippines, he found it interesting that other than their real names, the locals also had nicknames related to nature. People’s nicknames not only allow others to gain more knowledge and understanding of a species, inducing the society to care more about the environment, which can also reflect their personality.
Source: Wilderness Crossing
Source: Wilderness Crossing
(B) Our Wilderness Wild Names
Yeh, Shih-Chi's Wild Name – Formosan Macaque
Based on my mischievous, positive and playful personality, as well as banana being my favorite fruit, I decided to take “Formosan Macaque” as my wild name as it reminds me of the Monkey King – Sun, Wu-Kong. The Monkey King is optimistic, free, and full of vitality. I hope I will have the courage to face all challenges like the Monkey King. After deciding on the wild name of Formosan Macaque, I researched a lot of monkey-related information online, which allowed me to gain knowledge of various monkeys.
Hsiao, Tzu-Ning's Wild Name – Snowy Owl
My wild name is Snowy Owl. Snowy Owl is also known as White Owl, a massive owl covered with snow white feathers with black fan dots on the top of the head and end of the feather. I first learned about snowy owls from the Harry Potter movies. In the movies, the snowy owl “Hedwig” is Harry’s pet owl and a smart and loyal messenger.
I learned that different from other owls that sleep during the day, the snowy owl is active during the day. They are native to the Arctic regions and have strong adaptability to harsh environments. The snowy owl has limited natural enemies, similar to many other species, they are threatened by the human beings’ destruction done to the environment. The reason I picked the snowy owl as my wild name is that I want to be smart and strong like it. I also hope to raise everyone’s awareness on the importance of environmental protection.
Yang, Hao-Cheng's Wild Name – White Rhino
When I first saw a white rhino in the zoo at age of three, I became attached to its cute round figure, and it has been one of my favorite animals since. Its biggest appearance feature is the handsome horn. Although it is the second largest land mammal, its running speed can reach 50 km/h, earning the nickname of “Prairie Tank”. However, due to the nutritional value of rhino horns, white rhinos have been cruelly hunted by humans. As a result, white rhino is classified as an endangered species. The animal has a gentle personality and tends to avoid starting conflicts, which is similar to my personality. In addition, the Chinese character of “white” is part of the word “Hao” in my name. Therefore, I picked white rhino as my wild name.
Ho, I-Chia's Wild Name – Blue Whale
Blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, which echoes my tall and strong appearance. Blue whale is very agile and flexible despite its weight, which echoes my passion for dancing. Blue whale is also the loudest animal on earth, louder than a jet, just like my voice, loud and clear. Blue whales can swim very fast, but it often prefers to cruise in the water, which recalls my extroverted and introverted sides of personality. Blue whales are listed as endangered species due to overfishing by humans. Please join me to protect them.
Yu, Yu-Chen's Wild Name – Azure Tit
My wild name is Azure Tit, which has an eye-catching appearance. It has frosty white and various shades of ice blue colored feathers. Elegant and beautiful, Azure Tit has bright-blue and light grey tail and wings, and a white breast with dark blue patch on the breast, as well as a dark line through the eyes. It is the crystal queen among birds, which is also called the Elsa of birds. Azure Tit gives an unique mysterious vibe that makes you want to know more about it. I think Azure Tit is very beautiful and attractive to me. Therefore I have chosen Azure Tit as my wild name.
Lee, Chia-Kai's Wild Name – Penguin
My wild name is Penguin. Due to human activities, global warming has caused sea ice to melt, destroying habitat for penguins. I really like the way penguins walk. Different from other birds, despite having feathers, penguins have flippers instead of wings. They cannot fly but they are excellent swimmers. They have thick body fat to shield themselves from cold waters. It would be a pity if such cute animals were to become extinct. Therefore, I want to protect penguins and choose penguin to be my wild name.
Lin, Bo-Hsiang's Wild Name – Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk is my wild name because the word “Hsiang” in my Chinese name has the meaning of flying, and hawks are one of my favorite animals. Red-tailed hawk is a mid-sized bird of prey also known as chickenhawk in the United States. There are many subspecies that vary in appearance, mostly in color. For example, there are three subspecies of B.J. calurus separated by light, medium, and dark reddish-brown color. One characteristic of Red-tailed hawks is that they are territorial and very protective of their family. This is the reason why I have decided to use Red-tailed hawk as my wild name.
Chen, Hsin-Ai's Wild Name – Magpie
Magpie is approximately 45cm in length with black, white, and aquamarine colored feathers. They are omnivorous birds that are widely distributed and highly adaptable to the environment. Over 80% of their prey are insects that are harmful to crops, which makes magpies very beneficials to humans. Magpie’s call is loud but monotonous. Similar to Confucianism’s belief that sages and gentlemen must have the characteristics of stability, perseverance, and consistency. Confucianism sees magpies as “sage birds'', which also symbolizes auspicious and lucky. In the ancient Chinese legend, magpies use their bodies to form a magpie bridge for Cowherd and Weaver to meet each other on Chinese Valentine’s Day. I picked magpie as my wild name because of its strong adaptive ability, good appetite, beautiful appearance, and stable calls. I also hope that I have magpie’s lucky charm!
Wang, Tzu-Chun's Wild Name – Killer Whale
My wild name is Killer Whale. The first time I knew about killer whales was at Sea Worlds in San Diego. I was there to watch the famous Shamu Show. The poor killer whale was captured and forced to be separated from the family. It has been living in a narrow tank like a prison, and has to go through cruel training. I heard that the killer whale would not get any food if it does not perform well or makes mistakes. If I were a killer whale, I hope I can swim freely in the ocean and not be a “killer” as I would not actively attack humans. So please do not capture more killer whales, dolphins, and sea lions for entertainment.