Wisdom Report 021

Nature and Curiosity Teach

Mr. Sakino and I after a long day walking.

99.10.03/ Temperature: 4C/ Weather: Rain in the morning,Clear in the Afternoon
Start: Kuma Sawa, Lake Shikaribetsu Destination: Urimaku Bridge, Shikaoi /Latitude: 43 10 12 N/Longitude: 142 58 59 E
Distance Traveled: 28 km

Rain fell softly before departing. Strong breezes swept the fall leaves dancing back and forth. Today was the coldest morning yet. I put on an extra warm layer and my rain jacket and started down the road.

Since "Exploration for Wisdom" began in Shiretoko, a man by the name of SAKINO Ryuichiro has played a huge role in supporting our adventures. He has made sure that I will have a place to pitch my tent, find a plug to charge all of my electric toys (computer, phone, camera) and send out messages to all of you, not to mention all of the other encouragement he has offered.

Deer hoof and ankle. Last winter is said to have been very harsh on the deer population.

Mr. Sakino has made Lake Shikaribetsu his territory as a nature guide for the last twenty years. Today, I was lucky to have him join me for the 28 km >from Lake Shikaribetsu to the outskirts of Shikaoi. Our walk was accompanied by Mr. Sakino's full time nature commentation, as well as his views on teaching kids about nature.

Shivering down the road together, we walked in silence. "Mergansers are out on the lake," said Mr. Sakino, his face hidden behind his binoculars and mustache. "These mergansers were born here this summer. They'll head south soon." Our eyes returned to the road as we continued through the cold. The rain had turned to sleet.

By afternoon, the rain passed over and the sun began to heat our chilled and wet bodies. Mr. Sakino and I headed away from the lake and for the first time on the trip left the hard paved road behind us. An old logging road follows the Shikaribetsu River down on to the Tokachi Plane. The gravel and dirt of the old road cushioned the soles of my boots. My feet thanked me.

Front and rear bear prints next to Mr. Sakino's hand.

As we walked together through the hills, Mr. Sakino shared with me his opinions on teaching young people about nature. "When teachers tell me, 'We are going to do some bird watching so we would like to go to Lake Shikaribetsu,' I tell them there is no need to come all the way out here. Kids can have a good time simply bird watching on their way to school," he said confidently. "How many kids do you think know what kind of birds are in their neighborhoods? Do they wonder why butter bur grows up through the sidewalk?" he asked not waiting for a response. Talking and keeping track of the scenery around him Mr. Sakino continued, "I think creating this kind of curiosity and having people recognize nature that is close to them is the best place for kids to start learning."

"Deer hooves," said Mr. Sakino, excitedly bending down to take a closer look. Bones and hooves of a deer that passed away during the winter lay in the middle of the logging road. "You would never find this on the main road," he said. I remembered how many roadkill my road maintenance friend had collected (see Wisdom Report ?). Mr. Sakino stood up looked around and continued on the topic of teaching kids about nature.

Lake Shikaribetsu and the fall leaves.

Mr. Sakino said, "Nature itself has a lot to teach us. Bacteria from mushrooms often weaken the trunks of trees. As a result trees fall to the ground. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. The trees return to and richen the soil and create the base for other life in the forest. Observing this, we can realize that rotting isn't necessarily a bad thing. I often tell kids that rotting is a good thing. Things that rot are good, those that don't are probably bad. This is the same with people. Those who don't have rotten experiences don't grow up to be strong. There are endless things to discover from observing nature. The strength to discover such things is key."

Bear tracks were are our last discovery on today's walk! The rear paw print was slightly larger than Mr. Sakino's hand. "The bear probably comfortably strolled along this path," he said looking at the prints. "This path is right on the edge of the forest and the open fields. There is a lot of food, it's an open space and it is probably a fun place for bears to wander around," Mr. Sakino said grinning as if he were enjoying the path similarly to the bear.

I wondered what else Mr. Sakino had learned from his years here in Lake Shikaribetsu. In the little time I have spent with Mr. Sakino I have learned to set my curiosity antenna. Just today Mr. Sakino brought my attention to mergansers on the lake, deer hooves and bear prints on the logging road, and different way to view the forest. Like Mr. Sakino suggests, if we look around us nature has endless amounts to teach us. I'll keep up my antenna as I walk and hope to hear from all of you about what you discover in each of your own areas.

Greg

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