Restore 100 Hectares of the Miyagi Coastal Forest

On the 12^th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2023, a group of local baseball players from Natori-Kita High School in Miyagi volunteered at our project site. On normal days, they often practice baseball with bats in their hands, but on that day, they worked with shovels to create drainage canals within our site.

Before the work, one of the students who noticed the uneven growth of the surrounding black pines asked, "Are the big pines and small pines planted in different years?" From what was explained to them, the students seemed to understand how the soil and good water drainage are important to the growth of the black pines. After knowing how black pines do not grow well in areas with poor drainage, the students understood the essence of their work.

As I got to know the students, I learned that some of them were four or five years old at the time of the earthquake. They told me how their memories of the March 11 tragedy were vague, but they were able to tell us, "I lived near the coast, and my house was swept away by the tsunami. My family and I now live in the mountains." The impact of the disaster on each of them may be different, but they all felt the significance of being part of the forest rehabilitation on that day. They expressed their intention to be part of our volunteering activities again.

We have been accepting many high school and university students to be part of our activities. However, we missed working with these vibrant young people during the Corona pandemic. The schools` imposed restrictions on off-campus activities for the safety of their students.

We are aware that it will take several decades of management work until the planted black pines grow into a forest that functions as a windbreak and a sand barrier. We believe that it is very important for the young generation to proactively engage in our activities so that, in the future, they will take the lead in protecting and nurturing the coastal forests. With this, we are taking the initiative to encourage young people by launching a youth leader development activity. As part of this effort, we dispatched a total of seven high school and university students from Miyagi Prefecture to the western part of Japan in December 2022 and March 2023 for them to observe how local residents are protecting and nurturing their coastal forests.

The selected students never had the chance to see the coastal forests of Miyagi before the disaster. They only saw the young coastal forests regenerated by the project. As they walked inside the coastal forest of Iki-no-matsubara in Fukuoka Prefecture, they were blown away by the huge and towering black pines. The students saw the number of people strolling through the forest, and they felt how the coastal forest is deeply protected by the community. In contrast, our project site is still in its restoration process and definitely not yet ready for the general public to casually walk on. The young people seemed to have developed a desire to make the coastal forest a place where local people can enjoy and relax in the future.

 Meanwhile, in Niji-no-Matsubara in Saga Prefecture, the dispatched students, together with local high school students, experienced how to thin trees and how to rake pine leaves. We also gave them the chance to play under the forest canopy and become familiar with pine trees. Now, targeting kindergarten and elementary schools in Miyagi, we are considering the possibility of creating a project to let local children become familiar with coastal forests. Local young people envisioned having a healthy and strong coastal forest in Miyagi Prefecture. With various supports, including the GlobalGiving donations, they are now gradually taking action to realize this vision.

This is our second year of doing thinning. Last year, we covered an area of about 10ha, and for this year, we are scheduled to do about 15ha. This year, we will also be involving volunteers. We are the pioneer organization to conduct thinning in the area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. As we prioritize the safety of our volunteers, we intend to increase the number of people who can provide guidance and safety management. To make this possible, we organized a training session for leaders on January 21.

We had less than 30 participants, who happened to be mostly locals. The first two hours of the session were classroom-based, wherein Mr. Sasaki, the overall project manager briefed us on the project background, its progress, and its impact on the community. During his lecture, Mr. Sasaki emphasized the need of doing thinning and the importance of volunteers` safety. According to him, more than the number of felled trees, volunteers need to prioritize their safety and the people around them.

I had the opportunity to be part of last year`s thinning. However, unlike last year, I did not do the actual cutting since I do not have a license for using a chainsaw. I just helped carried the felled trees to the dropping point. I remember how it takes some power to be able to carry the cut trees. I had difficulty waking up the next day. It felt like hiking Japan`s Southern Alps while carrying my 15kg camping gear.

This year, equipped with safety gear, including a helmet with goggles, sturdy shoes, and a pair of gloves, I had the chance to do the actual cutting using a saw. There were already assigned areas where to cut to avoid confusion on our part. I have heard that professional forest workers can fall for about a minimum of 220 trees per day using their chainsaws. For us amateurs, for a couple of hours, one person could perhaps fall an average of about 10 trees.

The following factors were also emphasized during the training:

1. It is crucial to the growth of strong and sturdy trunks, as well as the horizontal, and deep-rooting of black pines. As a result, it guarantees an established strong coastal forest that protects local communities from

future disasters.

2. It is more cost-effective to thin out early because it is easier and cheaper to cut and dispose of black pines

while they are still young.

3. Before thinning, black pines were densely planted, and because of this, our forest professional workers

had difficulty managing the site. But after thinning, there are enough spaces for them to move comfortably

which will lessen their burdens. In the long run, it will reduce the overall site`s management cost. Furthermore, controlling vines will be easier. Otherwise, these vines, when they reach the top of the black pines will steal sunlight, and thus will inhibit the growth of the trees, or worse will kill them.

 I think that carrying the felled trees to the dropping point is tougher than the actual cutting. One of the local volunteers commented that he cannot imagine how tough the work is if thinning is done in summer under the sweltering heat of the sun.

If the felled trees are too difficult for us to carry, we were advised to cut them into two. Either one felled tree is carried by two members, or it is done in a manner of the relay. Carrying the heavy and newly cut trees may be exhausting, but just thinking of its long-term impact on the coastal forest is all worth it. Moreover, the fact that everybody is doing their part and their best, regardless of age is inspiring.