LINE 346 Participation in the Ishikawa Forestation Project

A total of 46 employees of NTT West Hokuriku Group and their family members took part in the "Ishikawa Forestation Project" that was held on the three days of June 29, 2019 (Saturday) and July 6, 2019 (Saturday) and July 13, 2019 (Saturday). This project was hosted by Ishikawa Reforestation Promotion Association.

Held twice a year at the three locations of Kaga, Kanazawa and Noto, "Ishikawa Forestation Project" is an initiative for companies and groups to participate in forest conservation activities to preserve and hand down the beautiful nature.
These areas are dotted with historical sites, and offer different walking trails that allow visitors to enjoy interacting with the seasonal plants and insects.
Undergrowth weeding and vine cutting were performed at this round of activity to ensure healthy growth of the trees before the grass overgrow in summer.

Participants of the Kanazawa area gathered at "Yuhidera Kenmin Shizen-en (Yuhidera Healthy Resident Nature Park)" at 8:30 a.m., where they received guidance to perform work safely using the sickles and ways to prevent heatstroke before they proceeded to the designated zone on foot.
The areas around the forest of konara oak and Chinese cork oak trees that were planted in this zone were densely covered with weeds.

Under the humid and hot weather amidst the rainy season, participants needed to bend down to cut the bushes that reached the waist level and pull off vines that coiled around the trees with their hands. Nonetheless, they concentrated on the hard work while wiping off sweat with a towel, and seemed to have grasped the technique by the end of the work.
After work ended, participants were offered cold drinks and rice cakes, and were seen to exchange words of appreciation with each other beside the piles of weeds collected.

The more frequent appearance of bears in recent years is mainly due to deforestation, which resulted in a less well-defined boundary between the areas inhabited by wild animals and residential areas of humans. This year, the forest creation event was on the verge of being canceled after bears and wild boars were spotted in a residential estate inside Kanazawa City. Nonetheless, work could be carried out safely, thanks to the measures put into place by the organizer.
This project has also helped to keep the bountiful nature in balance and maintain biodiversity through human efforts on the forest.

NTT West Hokuriku Group will continue to engage in the "Ishikawa Forestation Project" to hand down the beautiful satoyama (village forest) to future generations.

Participating companies

NTT West Hokuriku Regional Headquarters
NTT Marketing Act
NTT Fieldtechno
NTT Business Solutions
NTT Business Associe West

Venues

Kanazawa City, Yuhidera Temple
Shikamachi, Hiuchidani area
Hakusan City, Shiramine

No. of participants

46