Science Camp with Saijo High School from December 13 to 14, 2025.

A science camp was held with students of Ehime Prefectural Saijo High School in Saijo City. In the morning of the first day, a lecture was given at the Saijo City Regional Revitalization Center on the significance of learning locally. In the afternoon, the students visited the Senjo district of Saijo City, where they learned about how people in depopulated villages manage their areas and about the vegetation in areas transitioning to forests.

In the morning of the first day, we provided a lecture on environmental issues in rural areas of Japan. We confirmed that issues such as abandoned farmland, depopulation, and forest degradation are rural problems, but are also related to us who live in urban areas.

 

In the afternoon, we visited Senjo district of Saijo City, where, with the cooperation of a local resident, we were given an explanation of the current situation in the Senjo district. The photo shows a managed forest, and we were given an explanation of how it is managed.

We harvested shiitake mushrooms from a log-grown shiitake plant. These mushrooms were planted several years ago in collaboration with Mishima High School. In the evening, we tasted the harvest (lol). They were surprisingly delicious.

The next day, as part of a workshop, participants looked at illustrated scrolls of plants they had collected on site and learned about the transition of vegetation after people left an area where they had lived.

Finally, each group gave a presentation. A resident also participated. The students from Saijo High School had excellent sensibilities, and we all made new discoveries and I think their presentations were really really really !!! excellent!!!!

At the end of the science camp, we presented the participants with their science camp certificates and took a commemorative photo. Thank you for your hard work over the past two days!