Forest Maintenance, Nature Watching and Craft Workshop at Takao Forest Nature School

On May 27, as part of this action, 26 volunteers made up of Kanto Area employees and family members, including elementary school students, carried out forest maintenance, did some nature watching, and made bird calls from materials gathered in the school’s grounds.

Takao Forest Nature School staff gave an overview of the facility and explained about the day’s activities, after which the participants headed to the forest maintenance area where they cut bamboo grass and other weeds, as well as removing thinned out or withered trees and logs. They focused on their tasks while cooperating as a team, and were able to steadily expand the size of the maintained area beyond the bounds of the previous work.
After that, they went to do some nature watching at the insect hotel created by Hitachi High-Tech Group volunteers three years earlier. They removed the bamboo and branches stuffed inside the hotel to check for the presence of insects, and observed pollen and other objects brought into it by the insects. The participants also enjoyed the experience of making bird calls (whistles that make sounds similar to those made by birds) using wood gathered on-site.

Thanks to the lecture on conserving biodiversity from members of the nature school’s staff, and to the activities carried out in the forest maintenance area, the volunteers were able to learn more about the relationship between natural forests and humankind, and about the diversity and importance of woodland lifeforms. Going forward, we will apply the results of participant surveys etc. and endeavor to revise and improve the content of these activities.

For information on the Hitachi High-Tech Group's efforts to conserve biodiversity, please visit the following website.