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Nagoaka Elementary teaches about the forest
A volunteer student stands with me at the front of the classroom wondering what he has volunteered for. He huffed and puffed when he carried my backpack for 10 meters. 99.12.11/ Temperature: 6C/ Weather: Rain/ Wind Direction: NW
Current Location: Nagaoka City 37 27 50 N 138 50 06 E
Distance Traveled: 0 km (Childrens' Point)How important is the forest for our environment? The students of Nagaoka Elementary School Affiliated with Faculty of Education and Human Sciences , will be able to give you a detailed and convincing answer to this question. I spent the day with them learning about their studies.
After talking with the students a little bit about exploration for wisdom, it was their turn to teach several visitors from the forestry industry and me about what they have discovered. Split into several different groups the students explained to us visitors about the good things about trees, the green mark, healing effects of nature, and lumber made by maintaining the forest. Posters, pictures, tree acorns, wooden benches, forest products and more surrounded us visitors. There was enough visual and oral explanation to satisfy even the most skeptical of people.
Nagaoka students give explanations to various visitors invited to share in learning with the young environmentalists. At the "good things about trees" groups they listed all of the benefits of trees. Trees serve as a protective barrier from the wind; we can make firewood charcoal, and furniture; mushrooms grow plentiful in the forest; a forest is a paradise for animals, trees help clean the air, water, and humans; trees prevent natural disasters such as landslides; and forest provide a healing environment for humans. "Rather than forcing people to protect the forests, we thought it would be better to convince people about the benefits or good things about the forest. This is why we studied the good things about forests," said one student. Their list, a long and convincing one, continues even further. The insight and action oriented nature of the class was fantastic.
Not only were students interested in the good things about trees but they also were interested in finding out how they could participate in helping to increase the forest. After studying about the green mark, they realized that if they collect the seals posted on ecologically minded products, they could receive tree seedlings to plant. Their studies have not simply ended with a mere explanation but have led to their own actions to make a difference.
Concerned with the fact that many people can't just go out into the forest to receive its healing effects, students studied about ways in which humans can get the same effects of the forest right in their own homes. They soon discovered that the smell of the forest can be trapped in extracts, bark, incense, and sprays. Students told me, "forests and human health are closely related so if we have these forest products in our homes, it makes the forest more accessible. The one problem is that making such products requires many trees. This is why we have also decided to protect and increase the forest."
Another group worked hard studying about lumber and forest management. If planted forests are not thinned, the root systems of trees are less sturdy, forest fires become more of a danger, and the forests in general are less healthy.
The young environmentalists had so much to share with guests from various forestry agencies and me. They explained with such great confidence I am sure that their actions are effecting all that are touched by their message. A guest from the forestry cooperative told the students, "I am very happy to see that all of you are studying things which university students normally study." Another gentleman encouraged the students saying, "In the next century protecting our environment will be the most important issue. Forests play a huge role in this protection and I am glad that all of you are beginning to see this."
Nagaoka how can the rest of WSN help out? Do any of you other groups have any ideas?
Greg
PS. I went to a very interesting sewage plant with three students from Nagaoka. I am hoping that we might be able to get a report on our trip from them so stay tuned.
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