Teaching Children "Wood Education" Experiential Lessons Held in Fukuoka Prefecture

 

To further advance the "Wood Education" initiative—a nationwide project supported by the Forestry Agency aimed at fostering healthy Japanese forests—the Norinchukin Bank is collaborating to implement "Prefecture-Original Wood Education Projects" targeting elementary school students across various regions. Supervised by university professors and with cooperation from local forestry organizations, these classes are part of social contribution activities. They aim to deepen children's knowledge of forests, foster familiarity with wood, and enhance understanding of wood culture by exposing them to timber from an early age.

On January 16th, a class was held at Munakata City Hinonishi Elementary School in Fukuoka Prefecture, with approximately 50 fifth-grade students participating. The session included both classroom instruction and hands-on learning. The classroom portion covered local forest challenges and jobs utilizing wood, while the hands-on activity involved using wood and saws to learn about the process by which forests become timber. Fukuoka Prefecture's original textbook and locally sourced timber were used to spark greater interest among the children. The children shared their impressions of the class, saying things like, "I learned that planted forests won't grow well unless they're cut and used," and "Forest work seems interesting." On February 12th, a similar class was held at Fukuoka City's Akasaka Elementary School, with about 80 children participating. Last year, the program was implemented at elementary schools in Nagasaki, Saitama, and Yamagata Prefectures, drawing attention as a new educational activity. The National Agricultural and Forestry Bank intends to continue implementing this program in various locations going forward.