Environmental Leader Seminar & Fieldwork in Nagano

July 29-31, 2011

7 students from regular course participated in seminars and a fieldwork in Nagano.

Hikaru NISHIZAKA (M2)

From July 29th to 31th 2011, the program was conducted in Nagano. Seven mastercourse students attended. In this program, we went to KEEP (Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project), an organization dedicated to education, outreach, and service to others, for our field work. In fact, we attended an environmental education program seminar. We took a guided walk during which KEEP staff spoke about yamane (Japanese dormouse), other animals, and plants in the Yatsugatake woods. Recently, we hear over and over about the phrase “environmental conservation”. However, KEEP has provided environmental education for 30 years. A staff member said that if we only said “Save the forest!”, most people wouldn’t understand. However, everyone would get the message if we said, “Save the yamane’s home!” I should use expressions and explanations with which everyone can sympathize, to argue that environmental conservation is absolutely imperative.
We also attended classes about such topics as “business and environment” and “diplomacy and environment”. We discussed issues with Prof. Norton, who is at Shinshu University. Shinshu University introduced the new “Green MOT (Technology Management) education program” aiming to nurture human resources capable of supporting environmental management of local area SMEs. In order to boost the capabilities of local environmental management, one differentiating factor is the “understanding of and sympathy for environmental problems and the theme of sustainable development”. In this program, through participation in environmental surveys related to Lake Suwa, a practical understanding of nature and ecology will be enhanced.
I had only a short, three day program, but it was a valuable experience and opportunity to think about environmental conservation and education thorough real experience.

Workshop at KEEP Forester's School

Hongyu JIANG (M1), China

At the end of July, we went to the forest school - KEEP Corporation in Yatsugatake Nature Center, enjoyed interesting fi eldwork and an impressive lecture about human beings, economy and environment. Here are the summaries of the fi eldwork and lecture.
***** Fieldwork *****
Observation ability         As future environmental leaders, we need to exercise and improve several kinds of abilities and background knowledge. To enhance our abilities, it is important to be able to observe, because we should be aware of subtle transformations in nature. For example, being aware of changes in floristic composition and population structure in tropical forests, or the natural migration of wildlife.
Five senses of cognition         As all we know, human beings have five basic senses: the ability to see, hear, touch, smell and taste. We can sense new things by these means. Mr. Masuda, who led a wonderful workshop in which we were able rediscover nature. By using all our senses appreciating the smell or surface of leaves, for example and through proper stewardship of natural materials, we will be able to create a new, quite different world.
By participating in KEEP activities, we learned many things which we might have forgotten or ignored in our daily lives.
***** Lecture *****
There are three ways to solve environmental problems: making regulations, developing technological innovation and doing environmental education. The most important solution is education, because it is the basis of everything. We all hope our society is free of environmental problems in the future. That means: a sustainable, peaceful society for everyone, and a good relationship with nature. After we set these goals, we have to think about how to achieve them. Thus it is necessary to find the right balance of economic development, social development and environmental conservation. Because society requires that we act and not merely criticize, it is very important to “THINK GLOBALLY,ACT LOCALLY.”