Whole Earth Nature School sponsored by National Labor Banks, 5th Anniversary Symposium December 9, 2009
Introduction was made at the Kiyosato Forum and we were able to participate this symposium. National Labor Banks established this symposium to contribute to help creation of skilled manpower for the forest and forestry considering the environmental elements for the duration of 10 years in celebration with their 50 years service to the public. This time was the 5th year symposium. Most interesting session was discussion with the panelists each other. Kawakita-san of IIHOE with his own data and remarkable experience, Fukui-san of Tokyo University of Agriculture introducing every corner of rural areas of Japan and pioneer Hirose-san of Whole Earth Nature School were taken the lead and well coordinated by MC Okada-san, Chairman of National Labor Banks. Worsening food situation due to lowering the Japan’s self food sufficiency ratio in addition to financial mess caused by the low birthrate, CSR and social contribution does not match, etc. were very interesting topics. Okada-san indicated
that this nature school symposium were planned by the banks with the strong support and enough founded covering 10 years.
Kiyosato MeetingNovember 14 & 15, 2009
This year, we have participated this meeting with total 4 peoples. Thanks on the given opportunity to make presentation and to explain about ‘paper-product made chop-stick’ which made a great interest from the audience. In connection with the COP10 to be held in Japan this year, the main theme of the meeting was ‘biodiversity'. The word, ‘biodiversity’ is not so familiar in general. However, plenty of presentation were performed by the professionals regarding this subject. Professor Anzai of Wild Bird Association showed very interesting talks and we were able to learn a lot about the subject from the bird in general. Professor Tamio Nakano’s work shop was also an interesting session where every one performed as non-human body and watched the lost of elements of nature, the play was on the green grass and we felt it was like a school's parent day.
Signing Ceremony with Noto government office, Ishikawa Pref.,November 7, 2009
Signing Ceremony with Noto government office, Ishikawa Pref., on Forest Conservation action(Details will be reported later).
Sea Forest tree-plantation eventSeptember 20, 2009
NPO Green Wave will participate with the booth for this event.
Mowing grass volunteer event at the Sea Forest placeAugust 29, 2009
Place-Sea Forest project
Volunteer’s Committee of Nursery tree preparation for the Sea Forest ProjectAugust 6, 2009
Tokyo Metropolitan Main Building No.2 10F
Full 9 months has past since NPO Green Wave participated as a volunteer to the nursery tree preparation for the Sea Forest Project organized by Bureau of Port and Harbor, Tokyo Metropolitan Government. We have seen several volunteers a few time in the past, however this time, we could meet almost all volunteers. Secretariat people made the wrap up report on the technical areas of nursery tree preparations, thoughts, recognition, etc. which all volunteers were willing to exchange those topics. It helped a lot.
Ricoh Patent Solution Fair, at Tokyo Kokusai ForumJune 18, 2009
Kindly invited again from Richo Company and we were able to participate the Richo Patent Solution Fair Exhibition held at Tokyo Kokusai Forum for two days. More spaces with more visitors than last year. It is a great company policy that all of Richo company staffs have pure recognition towards the Environments and its related activities. Normally, the word, ‘Ecology’ is well know by general public, however how and what way commodity or manufactured items will contribute the ecology and environment. Those are usually very difficult to explain to the public in general. Staffs of Richo Company have kindly explained the concept of overall company philosophy and product items are helping the environment very much. This thought might come from the company’s strong slogan toward the ecology and thus each stall are well aware about how to contribute ecology and environment.
Tree Plantation event in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Opening of the port of YokohamaJune 11, 2009
The city of Yokohama this year is conducting various event to celebrate its 150th Anniversary of the opening of the port. And our participation of tree plantation was the one of the events. Thanks for the invitation from the city of Yokohama, Environmental Bureau for our participation. Green Wave has been supporting the theme of 1.5million tree plantation project that the city of Yokohama projected. This day was with a lot of rain, however with the many elementary school children’s participation, the even went very smooth with the feelings of enjoyment. Mr. Miyawaki who is known as Japan’s most contributed planting the trees has also participated and told to everyone proper way of planting. Mr. Miyawaki told us that rain will stop at the time of plantation and it stopped. Every body were so much surprised. We all hope that some day in the future our tree plantation will bring the success for the formation of area forest.
15 minutes walk from Sachiura Station
rain continued during the ceremony
Mr. Miyawaki
nursery trees for plantation
tree species are Castanopsis(shii), Palm(kasha) and Machilus Thunbergii(tabu)
digging the holes 50% bigger than the pot size
ground was rather hard due Argilliferous soil zone
tree plantation by the groups
ground was rather hard due Argilliferous soil zone
first plantation tree
Green Wave did total of 8 trees planted
suvenior Vase made from Quercus Crispula
Special Seminar by Mr. Yasuhiko OKADA, Kankyo Keiei Sogo Kenkyusho Company Ltd.March 11, 2009
Main theme of ‘Development of Global Environmental Human Resources’ by Mr. Yasuhiko Okada, Former Administrative Vice-Minister, Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan dated March 11, 2009 which I could attend and learn a lot about environments. He has covered quite a lot relating to environmental segments. He has mentioned in the beginning that ‘Environments’ has many doors to get into and looks like too wide doors. However, he clearly mentioned that all doors/or subjects relate to environments will anyhow connect in the bottom. For example, garbage/trash, global warming, chemical substance, layer of ozone, biodiversity, etc. or we could list up much more but in the bottom line, they are all related to the Earth-main body. Logically, peoples know about the importance of environments, however there are quite few peoples to study deeply and intensively about the environmental issues with the serious manner. Mr. Okada mentioned that it is so difficult to solve the hurdle of the environments covering this land-the Earth. Therefore, we should study about the Earth from its beginning, how it has changed, what was the major factors that constitute this land, etc.
Nowadays, most important energy resources are fossil-fuel, we mostly know that this important fossil-fuel was the generated fossil-remains for more than several billion years. We know that this fossil-fuel is the finite resources and we must recognize that this energy is valuable and very precious resources. In the daily life, we will not feel any inconveniences at all by just spending same as past, however we should recognize that it has a limit in this important energy resources. And therefore, we thought that we should study more about the history of the Earth which will give us lot of valuable information about the environmental issues currently faced in our global atmosphere. By doing so, we feel more people will know about the real environment issue and future methodology to ease the seriousness.
The 7th Forestation Planner Seminar at Eco Plaza, Minato-kuFebruary 26, 2009
Effectiveness of Forest’ Exhibition at Mt. Fuji sponsored by Whole Earth Natural School at the Ministry of the Environment’s Lake Tanuki Nature SchoolFebruary 17, 2009
Whole Earth Natural School which has over 25 years history as NPO company where I’ve participated to attend and studied its concept on their Environmental Education methodology as well as effectiveness of Forest’. Thinking of environment living in the big city like Tokyo vs full of natural resources such as Mt. Fuji area made completely difference upon recognizing and actual feeling the atmosphere and fresh breathing everywhere. To me, it was such a nice experience to get real touch of the natural atmosphere of Mt. Fuji, in fact, I’ve made climb 6 years ago. The great Mt. Fuji lies and covers its eternal heaven and earth in front of us, Mt. Fuji is there and never changing. This time I also could observe the good sample of village forest types(Satoyama), name of this place is Aokidaira. It took over 9 years with the start of trash clearing the place nearby, dig weeds, tree thinning, artificial pruning, etc. as a result, real and healthy forest has born where human being and animals now could enjoy the spirits and gentleness of forest, harmony of Satoyama. Once you take a step into this forest, you can feel the softness of the grass land, well combined with the variety of trees the lights falling on the ground through the those trees.
Therefore, I could observe very typical village forest of Aokidaira its growth which is idealized forest. Besides this, we could also visit the tree special reservation land, Shiraito Property ward, listened to their activity such as treatment of forest, Nordic walking, various forest environmental programs including effective use of thinned woods, artificial pruning materials for making pencils for art and drawings.
Mt. Fuji covered by snow in the opposite side
Current Aokidaira Forest, well treated and grow up strong and spiritually, could not imagine it was full of the trash area in the past!
Hand made lodge using lumbers from thinning
Everybody listens to lecture of Mr. Watanabe of Shiraito Property land
Japanese Cedar/Hinoki Cypress trees from thinning-Good quality!
Once scene from Forest environmental activities-
Bore with the drill by hand power
Typical original pencil-only one in the world!
CDM Tree Plantation Project Seminar and Study course(middle grade) at Rinyu Building meeting roomJanuary 28-30, 2009
In addition to the basic course of above, to further strength the knowledge of the skills, I’ve attended the study course(middle grade) for total of three days. We could meet some same peoples that we participated in the basic course and exchanged the information. At this course, we studied on the preparations to make documents on the projects, PDD(Project Design Document) which is necessary upon starting CDM tree plantation. To us, the word-PDD-was so far away to recognize, however it is becoming very common to us after the study and covered the elements of its purpose. Nowadays, CDM tree plantation project application itself is increasing at the United Nations, however only ONE project has been granted so far. We would like to encourage the growth of such project to target to be materialized by U.N. We hope that tree plantation will go along with CDM concept in future.
Japan International Forestry Promotion & Cooperation Center-COP14 reporting at the National Olympic Memorial CenterJanuary 20, 2009
At this seminar, it was very valuable that we could listen and study with the reports made by Mr. Akabori and Mr. Watanabe who participated COP14 and CMP4 as Japanese representatives. Many new words relating the environment with their presentation and able to know more about the CDM and REDD. Some questions were raised from the media about the progress of COP14, presentation person replied that some solution will be discussed and talked at the next COP15 meeting to be held in Copenhagen. It is hard to estimate what kind of solution will be decided at the meeting as of this date.
The 6th Forestation Planner Seminar at Eco Plaza, Minato-kuJanuary 15, 2009
The first forestation planner seminar for the year was presented and supported by Saraya(http://www.saraya.com/), good sample of industrial environment activity by the corporation. Saraya is famous with its product, Palm Tree Cleaning substance. It has been said that palm tree oil is bad for environment, we shouldn’t use and not purchase its products. Honestly speaking, we did not know the details of product system about it, normally palm tree oil must be good because it came from natural resources, however, on the other hand, we came to know that production system of palm tree cleaning substance were made from single forestation plants after destruction of forest. By doing that, many animals in the forest are faced with their serious from survival of life. We thought it is creating the deforestation if we continue in using the products. Saraya’s presentation gave us very meaningful and understanding. For example, palm tree oil is used mainly for the food supply. 85% is for the food supply and 15% is for the cleaning substance. In Japan, 4.2kg of palm tree products were taken annually as a food per person. In other words, palm tree products are helping our daily life and we also noticed that an activity by Saraya-san is doing their best to adjust damaged forests and thinking always how to treat and maintain healthy forest environments. Typical human being who always think ‘environments’ might have one-sided eyes on one-direction. It will make some misunderstanding to make right decision and idea. This day really brought us to reconsider all things surrounding our daily life. We should take flexible thought and eyes upon making decisions.
Japan Overseas Plantation Center for Plupwood on ‘Global Environment Conservation and Overseas Industrial Forest Plantation’, at the University of Tokyo, Yayoi Auditorium HallJanuary 14, 2009
It was fortunate to have valuable time and gained information at this seminar from those participant such as Oji Paper Company, Ltd., Toyota Motor Company and Forestry Agency. Topics have covered overseas industrial forest plantation, environ-mental forestation by general corporations, CDM forestation and REDD conducted by the Forestry Agency which gave us very comprehensive information and could update our thoughts. Now, total economical situation in the world is uncertain, we worry much on the global policies on the environmental activity and step, specially on the move related to REDD-Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.
