Children's Forest Program

In recent years, a considerable number of Japanese people have been visiting China and Southeast Asia to participate in volunteer tree-planting activities. The Children's Forest Program organized by OISCA-International*, a Japan-based non-governmental environmental protection organization, is designed to involve local people in not only planting trees, but also in making sure the trees grow to maturity.
(*OISCA is an acronym of "Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement.")

Schools in a target area purchase seedlings with donated funds collected by OISCA from its project supporters, and local students plant and raise the seedlings. Volunteers from Japan act as assistants to the local students, who are the focal points of the project.

Through the process of planting and raising trees by themselves, local children cultivate respect and affection for forests. They also write and send greeting cards to supporters in Japan, and this serves as a delightful communication tool through which both groups can enjoy their relationship.

The Children's Forest Program was started in 1991, and has spread to over 2,700 schools in 24 countries and regions as of March 2003. OISCA believes that deeper awareness and total commitment by the local parties concerned is important in order to effect solutions to global environmental problems.


http://www.oisca.org/e/project/cfp/index.htm

Posted: 2004/05/22 02:04:58 PM
Japanese version