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Preserving
Mr. Kamata pushes a metal pole creating holes in the soil surrounding a 400 year old buna. The holes allow the tree to absorb water and oxygen. The branches spread around the base are to create nutrients for the damaged soil. 99.10.31/Temperature: 8C/ Weather: Partly cloudy / Wind Direction: NA
Current Location: Fujisato Latitude: 40 18 31 N Longitude: 140 17 32 E
Distance Traveled: o km (Rest day)I was very fortunate to spend the entire day with members of the "Friends Protecting the Nature of Akita," a group which has worked hard for close to 30 years to share and pass on the richness of the Shirakami Mountain Range and its surrounding area. Five core members invited me to help them treat a symbolic 400-year-old buna beech tree and go on a clean up patrol.
Mr. Kamata, representative of the group, says that nature preservation must begin with action. I was able to see just what kind of activities the group is up to.
"The ground surrounding this tree is quite damaged," said Mr. Kamata with a stern face. "Only over the last 5 years since Shirakami has become a World Heritage Site has the damage occurred," he continued standing in front of the tall, awe-inspiring buna. It's thick moss covered trunk was at least 2 to three 3 meters in circumference. One of its giant limbs lay fallen on the ground, a symbol of the trees current condition.
Friends Protecting the Nature of Akita in with the day's trash collection. "Tourists stomp all over the ground here. Gradually the ground just hardens, water isn't absorbed into the soil and the tree is no longer able to keep itself healthy and strong." The morning's work included surrounding the trees roots with buna branches, which will soon decay and turn into nutrients for the towering tree, and making holes in the soil to improve the tree's absorption of water and oxygen.
Five members of Friends Protecting the Nature of Akita, all in the 60's, disappeared into the woods, returning with buna twigs, branches, and even giant tree limbs. Wielding saws and axes, the limber and cheerful group collected enough to cover the base of the tree's roots. Once the limbs and branches were laid out neatly, we made holes in the ground with long steel poles. Pushing the pole into the soil one could tell just how hard the soil has become. In the hardest places one really has to put all of one's weight on the pole in order for it to pierce the soil.
Kiritanpo! Can you guess what it is? "This tree is the 400 year old mother of all of these other buna," said Mr. Kamata pointing to the all of the young trees surrounding us. It is a symbol of the greatness of the buna forests here in Shirakami. It is important for us to share this greatness and have a place for people to learn about the forests." The group has struggled for the protection of the World Heritage Site, but they are also working hard to protect the surrounding environment and the needs of the community. The area that we were in today is not part of the World Heritage Site, but an area designated for education about and use of the buna forest.
Fresh water of the buna forest in Shirakami. The forest is both a natural dam and a natural faucet supplying the surrounding area with fresh clean water yearround. Forest clean-up was the event for the afternoon. "In order to protect nature, you must work at it non-stop," said Mr. Kamata. "The more people that enter this forest, the more maintenance becomes necessary." Protecting the trees is one way of doing this, trash clean-up another. Splitting up into groups we walked the gravel roads of the Dakedai area picking up various trash left behind by tourists. Group members weaved in and out of the forest alongside the road looking for trash. They moved adeptly, smiling each time they came out of the forest. In only a few hours we filled the back of a small pick-up truck.
Asking what the group's secret is to be so lively and positive, Mr. Ishida replied, "The Buna forest makes us energetic. Coming to the buna forest is very healing." Feeling the sun on my cheek as it peaked through the buna leaves, I understood what he meant.
The tight-knit group of elder gentlemen and their passion, cheerful energy, and vision for the Shirakami forest in Akita are very encouraging. Their hard work in finding a new relationship with nature may provide us with some hints in our own exploration to seek harmony with nature.
Greg
PS. Today is Halloween in the US. What are all of you up to?
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