1st Umeda River Waterside Raku School Council 2022

Midori Ward's "Fureai Talk" is held in which organizations working in Midori Ward and Mayor Midori exchange opinions on local issues gained through these activities.
On February 28, 2023, we spoke with the Steering Committee of the Umeda River Waterside Raku School Council.

　It was established in 1997 and consists of Neighborhood Association, elementary schools, junior high schools, PTAs, NPOs and governments around the Umeda River. It was first registered in the prefecture in the "Waterside Raku School Project" (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) to deepen understanding of humans and the environment and foster rich humanity. We continue our efforts to convey the importance of local ecosystems to children while protecting the rich nature. The Council has established a “Management Committee” to examine the activities.

※Duplicate parts and phrases are organized to the extent that the sentence is not impaired. The name in parentheses is the name of the organization to which the participants belong.

• Advisor Izumi
  　This council was launched as the prefecture's first “waterside paradise school project”. The principals of two neighboring elementary schools serve as chairman and vice chairman, and the schools, Neighborhood Association, NPOs and governments work together. The Umeda River basin is a place that seeks to improve the quality of aquatic organisms through river improvement. Until now, we have been conducting a party to enjoy playing on the waterside and a “waterside creature survey” to check creatures with children. The name of the fish is difficult, so we ask the government to cooperate in creature surveys to give accurate names. Recent activities include cleaning up at the Umeda River Reservoir in winter, removing naturalized species, and observing creatures with children.
• Mr. Yoshitake (Shinji Satoyama "wa")
  　Shinji is an area that has long been attracting attention for its nature. Since its inception, the participation of various organizations in the Neighborhood Association and Umeda River basin has been epoch-making. However, since it is difficult to act in large organizations, we have also organized a steering committee as a working unit since last year.
• Chairman Kawashima (Principal of Shinji Elementary School)
  　In the nature of the Umeda River, "Kaibori" and "Creature Survey" were conducted in cooperation with the government, local communities, and elementary schools. Through these activities, children were able to learn about "naturalized species" and "don't let go of what they keep" as an exciting experience. In the "Creature Survey", with the cooperation of the Institute for Environmental Science, we sorted each type and asked Izumi Advisor to explain. Shinji Elementary School has an aquarium called "Umeda River Aquarium", which keeps creatures collected in a creature survey last July. Third graders are raising them while thinking about how river creatures are easy to live. In class visits, children made a “creature quiz” to parents and presented them. . I felt that this was an independent learning.
• Mr. Wada (Ipponbashi Medaka Hiroba Waterside Protection Association)
  　Neighboring children often learn about nature, but in fact, adults (parents) are a problem, and some people take river creatures without permission. There is also a desire to have children learn about nature and creatures so that they can be transmitted from their children to their parents.
• Advisor Izumi
  　In the past, we had a play event that was familiar with water every summer, but the number of participants gradually increased, and finally as many as 300 people entered the river, exceeding the allowable amount of the river . Since there is also a negative effect on nature, we have discussed at the council and stopped play events, and changed to activities centered on "creature surveys".
• Mr. Kano (Meeting for Enjoying Umeda River)
  　"Creatures" Regarding this, there are forests in the Umeda River basin that are filled with unpaved water, such as citizen's forests, and abundant creatures inhabit. By all means, I would like you to pay attention to the nature that connects mountains and rivers.
• Mr. Maruyama (Miho Nenjuzaka Play Park)
  　There is a river nearby where children can play at Miho Nenjuzaka Play Park. Because of the shallowness and flow of small children, children are also playing. Sometimes they find and pick river creatures, but if they tell them what role they play in nature, their children will go back to their original location. We share knowledge with our staff and work while valuing nature.
• Mr. Toda (Boy Scout Yokohama 125th Group)
  　As a boy scout, I clean the Umeda River every year with thanks for being able to work. It is often said that it is amazing to continue the council activities for such a long time, but this is because this council is a reasonable gathering where various organizations that love the Umeda River can meet each other and exchange information and share problems I think. Your organization is active regardless of the presence or absence of this council. However, it seems that the connection here allows everyone to work together.
• Advisor Izumi
  　If you continue for a long time, your activities will also change. When the observation party was held at Miho Elementary School, many people from Neighborhood Association participated and cooperated in watching the children. The adult who participated in the watching also returned saying that he had studied.
• Vice Chairman Yasutomi (Principal of Miho Elementary School)
  　Neighborhood Association also cooperated with the observation party at the elementary school, saying, "If the child of Miho Elementary School participates." Through relationships with local people, I think that learning that there are adults who do this, and that someday we can work as a member of the community will help the child grow. . I am grateful that I am doing what I can't do with school alone. In addition, schools also have the opportunity to communicate what the children have examined to parents through class visits, so I think there are many things that can tell them from children to adults and move their feelings.
• Chairman Kawashima (Principal of Shinji Elementary School)
  　Since local adults are watching over, children have commented that "there are many adults and I am relieved." Children raised throughout the region become adults, and they seem to be natural to want to return to the community in the same way.
• Mr. Yoshitake
  　Earlier, a college student from Shinji Elementary School came to Shinji and told me that he wanted to protect nature. . He remembers the activities he participated in when he was a child.
• Mayor Okada
  　Thank you very much for your valuable story. I felt that the current nature was preserved because everyone protected it. It is a difficult problem how to protect nature as a ward, but it is important to make use of the goodness of the Umeda River while maintaining a balance between development and nature conservation. Midori Ward also wants to work together. I also participated in the Creature Observation Meeting three times, and I think these activities will trigger children who have studied at elementary school to return as adults. . We look forward to seeing you in the future. Thank you very much for today.