In 1989, Yang held an exhibition of paintings of Taiwanese birds at the Howard Salon and published an album of his paintings. Though unexpected controversies resulted in both the arts and environmental conservation communities, they did nothing to cool his ardor for eco-painting.
1989 年，楊恩生在福華沙龍舉辦「台灣特有種鳥類畫展」，同時出版畫冊，結果在藝術界與生物界都引發極大爭議，讓他始料未及，卻澆不熄他對生態繪畫的熱情。