Context
Yamato Town is located in the center Of Kyushu. About 70% of its total area is forest, of which about 70% is privately owned. Most of the forest owners are small-scale foresters.
The town is said to be the birthplace of organic farming, and the terraced rice paddies in the town are home to a wide variety of living creatures, including the endangered "Black-spotted Pond Frog", "Japanese killifish", and "Giant water bug". In addition, Yamato town is truly a hotspot of biodiversity, as the Kyushu Mountains are home to rare species such as “Japanese serows”, “wildcats” and butterflies called “Shijimia moorei”.
Continuous forest management is becoming difficult due to lack of manpower and funds. As a result, the areas of clear-cuts are not reforested after being exploited. The threat to native species endangers the forest's ecosystem, which is very rich in biodiversity.
Supported Project
In 2022-2023, L'OCCITANE Japan supports the project of the NPOER, aiming to plant native tree species to protect the rich ecocystem of the Yamato Town forest.
In order to create an ecosystem-rich forest, a vegetation survey will first be done to determine what is the ratio of native species in the forest. After this study of the forest, tree planting, installation of wild animal invasion protection and underbrush cleaning will be carried out by local counterpart of the forest cooperative. By planting several types of trees, the projects aims to nurture an ecosystem-rich forest where living creatures can return.
Some Figures
Budget 155,925 euros
Goal O.4 regenerated hectares
