Biodiversity Restoration Along the Tsurumi River

Spring has just come to our fieldthe lower segment of the Tsurumi-river Tsunashima Riverside Green Belt in Yokohama Japan, where the Oghi grass ,the target native plant species to be restored in this area during these several years, is going to wake up from their hibernation in several weeks.

During the winter we have been tending the Ogi by removing the winter growing foreign grass ,the rat rye grass, that may extract nutrient from the soil that should support the awaking Oghi grass in coming April, and also cause severe pollen allergy among nearby people in May and June.

Also we have been preparing nursery bed for a native herb Heracleum sphondylium.

This plant species is famous as a plant that rear caterpillars of a large beautiful butterfly Papilio Machaon (old world swallowtail )and so we plan to replant them in this late spring among the Oghi community under restoration , with a hope to make up a mixed plant community of Oghi and Heracleum sphondylium.

We hope that we can show you photos of the lovely river-side scene whith lavishly growing Oghi shoots and (though , perhaps, still small in numbers) flowering Heracleum sphondylium bearing many caterpillars of swallowtail on their green leaves.

See you in May.