The mikania vine is one of Taiwan's most common invasive species. It thrives in agricultural fallows and threatens the country's native plants. In recent decades, environmentalists have been working towards eradicating the vine, and a new initiative led by a group of culinary students has been trying to turn the invasive plant into a delicacy.
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00:00Environmentalist Mr. Liu has been tackling one of Taiwan's most problematic invasive species,
00:06the Makanya vine.
00:08Often referred to as the mile-a-minute vine or the plant killer,
00:12its ability to grow on top of other plant species and snuff them out
00:16has earned it another name, green cancer.
00:19Makanya vine can grow up to 27 kilometers a day.
00:22When it comes out of another plant,
00:25the sunlight from other plants will cover it.
00:28Native to the Americas,
00:30Makanya were brought to Taiwan in the 1970s.
00:33Considered one of the world's top 100 invasive species,
00:36it thrives in warm, humid climates
00:39and quickly became a pest in Taiwan,
00:41taking over agricultural fallows across the country.
00:45In 2003, the government introduced an eradication plan
00:48and in over two decades, environmentalists like Mr. Liu
00:52have worked to rid more than 500 square kilometers of land of the invasive plant.
00:57But they say their work is not done.
01:07Environmentalists say its seeds slip past detection during eradication efforts,
01:12making it nearly impossible to fully eliminate the invasive plant.
01:16But a new initiative led by a group of culinary students in southern Taiwan
01:20is looking to help suppress the vine by turning it into a delicacy.
01:36These aspiring chefs have already begun promoting their Makanya recipes
01:40with packaged products and fresh pastries.
01:43While the invasive plant continues to pose an ecological threat,
01:47these students, along with environmentalists, remain resolute,
01:51working to keep one of Taiwan's most pervasive non-native species in check,
01:56bringing it out from the forests and fields and onto your plate.
02:00Joseph Wu and Wesley Lewis for Taiwan Plus.