On returning home, Hsu found that for almost a century going back to the days of Japanese rule, large swathes of woodland had been cut bare, particularly on low-lying land along the forest road that had been leased to local residents. He talked the landowners into letting him plant trees on both sides of the road and resolved to become a "tree planter" in his native township.
回到家鄉，看到利嘉林場經過日據到國府近百年的開墾，樹木遭到大量砍伐，包括承租給居民的低海拔林道也大片光禿，於是許瑞明說服林道兩旁的地主讓他種樹，決心當個「回鄉種樹的男人」。