OISCA Japan joined in the 5th Annual Gakkarin Summit held in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture

Aug 9, 2011OISCA Japan joined in the 5th Annual Gakkorin and Yuyu-no-Mori Children Summit that was held in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan on the 4th and 5th of August. Gakkorin and Yuyu-no-Mori which means school forests are forests that can be used for educational purposes. The Gakkorin Summit spearheaded by Gakkorin Yuyu no Mori Children Summit Committee in which OISCA International is one of the core members is participated by 20 schools mostly from Hokkaido, Nagasaki, Aichi and Nagano Prefecture. The participating schools are maintaining their own school forests represented by at least two students and one teacher. The Summit was organized to further promote the importance of forest maintenance emphasizing the effective and optimum utilization for the improvement of biodiversity and in celebration to the International Year of the Forest.

OISCA Japan with its Japanese staffs and four former OB trainees who are working in Chubu, Shikoku, Kansai Training Center and Tokyo Headquarters promoted the activities of OISCA International especially the Children Forest Program and emphasized the connection and importance of doing environmental activities involving the school children not only in Japan but also in other countries. This has been made possible through powerpoint presentations supplemented by the panels and exhibition of greeting cards and posters made by the CFP students.

The highlight of the two day event is the presentation of every school participants of their activities and recent development of their own respective school forests. This way, the participants will learn from each other. The Gakkorin Summit was culminated by the four hours nature walk with the guidance of the Chubu Shinri Kanri Kyou (Chubu Regional Forest Office) staffs and Yamaboushi Nature School staffs, OISCA and other members of the committee in Utsukushigahara (beautiful field), a plateau situated in 2,000 meters elevation. Through this activity, the participants especially the students learn the importance of biodiversity, the interrelationship of living and non-living things and the importance of native species protection. It paved the opportunity for the students to be exposed, to experience, and explore nature in its own grandeur.