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Northern Goshawks' Forest Trust
Students work together cutting up felled trees in the Northern Goshawks' Forest. 00.01.06/ Temperature: 4C/ Weather: Overcast/ Wind Direction: NW
Current Location: Minami Urawa 35 50 05 N 139 39 25 E
Distance Traveled: 0 km (Rest day)"Just like in tropical rainforests, there are many living creatures living in Japan's secondary forests reads the second line of a pamphlet for the Northern Goshawks' Forest Trust. 'Goshawks' Forest' may first lead one to think of a very remote and wild setting. This isn't the case for the 5.5 hectares of the trust which has been designated to protect what remains of Saitama's zoukibayashi which has recently been losing out to companies buying up the area for waste management. Close to 30 members of Nature Kids, the Minami Urawa Middle School's Environment club, and local volunteers spent the day searching for the wisdom to protect the forest.
We all gathered in the trust's work area located next to a fenced in golf driving range. Power lines stretched down along the narrow street standing tall above the young zokibayashi and narrow fields which lay before us.
"There is a difference between protection and conservation. What we are doing here is environmental protection. We are not only protecting the Goshawks. We are protecting the forests and ecosystems of this area. You need to have nature in order to preserve it. We mainly do this by buying forests." Our morning was to be spent with Miss. Adachi helping to preserve portions of the forest, which are already protected.
"If you work hard, it is likely that we may see a Goshawk. The Goshawks know that working hard protects the forest. They also know that bird watching doesn't. So, if you bird watch, I can guarantee you that you won't see one," said Miss Adachi in a way which could cheer even the laziest into working hard all day..
One of many small companies operating in the Kunugiyama area disposing of various types of waste. Preservation of the forest is something that has occurred for close to 300 years in this portion of Saitama called Santomi Shinden. It was developed during the Edo Era (1603-1867) in order to meet the rising demands of a growing population. Secondary forests along with a residential forest and fields were sold together as one set of property. Leaves from the forest were utilized as fertilizer in the fields, trees for charcoal and fuel, and farmers maintained mini-sustainable farming systems on their own properties.
Splitting up into three groups, we spread out through the forest to cut up fallen trees, split wood, and powderize charcoal, all trying our own hands at the physical labor which has until recently allowed what seems to be an environmentally friendly type of farming
In addition to passing on some of Japan's traditional forest management, the Northern Goshawks' Forest Trust is utilizing charcoal for soil improvement, cleaning rivers, and selling high quality charcoal to raise money to buy and protect more forests from approaching development.
Saitama's Kunugiyama, Tokorozawa, has been widely covered by various forms of media over the past several years. The area has become famous for the number of industrial waste companies in the area and the consequent dioxin pollution from their incinerators.
Perhaps the most ironic thing about increased pollution in the area and environmentally friendly Santome type of farming, which has been around for hundreds of years, is the fact that they are closely related. Since inheritance taxes for flatland forests are extremely high, selling inherited land has become imminent for many young land owners. Once land has been given up, it is only a matter of time before companies move in. With Japan's dense population and scarcity of land, many companies seek to develop the area with cemeteries and waste management facilities which are becoming more and more difficult to find space for.
We took a walk through the Kunugi Mountain area. Recently a 6 meter paved road has been laid through the middle of the area. "New cemeteries will be built here," said Miss Adachi. "Before anyone knew about it, this giant road was built through what used to be zokibayashi." Trash lay to either side of the road. Peering through small cracks and holes in the large sheet metal fences, one could see how the fences served to conceal the mountains of trash.
Passing through an area with several industrial waste management companies, many Nature kids and middle schools students from Minami Urawa were shocked by the smell and the huge amount of trash. "It reeks," said one kid holding her nose as we passed by a steaming waste management center. "I can't believe there is so much trash," said another.
Reaching the end of the road we came out of the zokibayashi to a field of Japanese green tea leaves. The forests we just passed through have been the source of nutrients for farmers' fields in the area for over 300 years. A recent increase in incinerators, industrial waste and food waste companies have made the forests a source of trouble for farmers trying to make a living off of the land their land that has passed through the hands of several generations. Some of these farmers are struggling along with Miss Adachi to preserve the nature that remains.
"There is a lot of wisdom (in Japan)c People just don't know how to use it," said Miss Adachi. "There is no action. People think that someone else will take care of things for them. Children are watching this; that is why people aren't treating the earth importantly." As convincing as she sounded, the action being created by Miss Adachi and the Northern Goshawks' Forest Trust hint at the possibility of a more action oriented Japan. Even the Nature Kids agreed to write to the governor asking to protect the Santomi Shinden area. (Stay tuned for their report).
Greg
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