Finding Wonder in Nature Close to Home--Invitation to Nature Conservation

The Nature Conservation Society of Osaka, or "Nature Osaka," is a group of citizens who love nature and hope to protect and nurture it. The society, located in Osaka, the second most populous prefecture in Japan, has been conducting activities to familiarize people with local nature and promote its conservation since it was established in 1976.

Their activities cover a wide range, such as
1. conducting research and studies on animals and plants,
2. promoting conservation of "satoyama" woodlands,
3. advising government and administrative offices on nature conservation,
4. getting in touch with nature,
5. organizing workshops and lectures to learn about and experience nature,
6. restoring ecosystems, for instance, through creating biotopes, and
7. building organizational networks.

The activities listed in item 4 above include field trips in nature and parks in Osaka Prefecture, designed for different seasons and various nature settings, as well as several unique events such as an "Acorn Festival" and a "Grasshopper Hopping Contest." The society has also organized handicraft workshops using natural materials such as acorns and wood arising from forest management, games including "lea£æ-card games" and "acorn-top spinning" as well as nut-tasting. Both adults and children enjoy these events, helping them to discover that even in parks near where they live, they can get in touch with nature and enjoy themselves.

Despite its strong image as a big city, Osaka still retains many precious nature sites. This society continues to develop sustainable activities to learn from the surrounding nature and promote its conservation.



Posted: 2004/05/18 01:23:29 PM
Japanese version