Regenerating 100-Hectare Forest in Mt. Fuji

Dear GlobalGiving supporters,

We are always deeply grateful for your warm support and generosity.

In this report, we want to share how your donations powered our wildlife survey.

These annual surveys are an important part of this Project’s biodiversity monitoring, as they help us understand how environmental changes we make together affect local wildlife. The surveys are acoustic, meaning they rely on bird vocalizations (songs). Specifically, we are tracking the population of the Japanese bush warbler, whose songs are widely known in Japan. You may know the bush warbler by its Western nickname, Japanese nightingale, given due to their similarly beautiful songs. In Japan, however, this bird also holds a deep cultural significance.

You may already know that Japanese people have historically lived in close connection with nature, being attentive to and finding beauty in seasonal changes. Each season is represented by its own words – kigo. For example, words like fireworks and cicadas represent summer, momiji (colorful foliage) – fall, and snow –winter. For spring, it is the bush warbler. Since ancient times, its song was associated with the arrival of spring, which is why it is also called harutsugedori (the bird that announces spring). While this bird is hard to spot in the wild, Japanese people instantly recognize its song, which allows us to involve volunteers and Project team members in surveys.

As always, for this survey we also collaborated with bird researchers and monitored ten locations, spaced evenly across our project area (see attached map). By annually surveying the bush warbler population at each of these sites, we are building a continuous, long-term dataset to measure the true impact of our shared work. At each location, we counted the birds’ songs heard within a certain time limit, while also noting their approximate distance and direction. Because these birds call from various directions and distances, accurately distinguishing each individual sound is no easy task. Calls may come from right nearby or from far off in the distance. To ensure no song goes unheard, we conducted the survey in groups of multiple members.

Beyond just helping us gather data, these surveys also have a distinct therapeutic effect. Listening to birdsong is believed to improve mental wellbeing, offering relief from mental fatigue and stress. Stepping in the forest and listening intently to the birdsong helps us notice diverse sounds of nature - the rustling of the trees and the calls of other birds. Considering such positive effects, we are looking into initiatives to leverage our project site to help improve health and mental well-being of project stakeholders. 

Connecting humans with nature through our activities, we are committed to nurturing a sense of appreciation and respect for the natural world.

Dear Mt. Fuji Project Supporters,

Please accept our belated New Year greetings. May this year bring happiness and countless blessings to all of you.

We look forward to working together towards our shared goals in 2026.

As the project marks its 20^th anniversary this year, our Project Manager prepared a message reflecting on two decades of experience and offering a future vision.

“To restore a biodiverse mountain forest for future generations, OISCA initiated and committed to all stages of reforestation, spanning from seedling cultivation to aftercare. Especially in the past years, we focused on monitoring and maintenance of the forest. Specifically, we organized regular weeding, as well as installment & repair of protective nets which shield young seedlings from animal damage. By involving many volunteers, we also worked to spread awareness about the importance of reforestation. And it is with your generous support that we continued these efforts, contributing to conservation of Mt. Fuji as a World Heritage site.

However, this initiative faced numerous challenges, including damage from deer grazing and a decline in volunteers due to the pandemic. We approached each challenge proactively together with project stakeholders. Particularly, we adopted a “council-style” approach in which diverse sectors – government agencies, NPOs, companies and organizations, researchers, and local forestry workers – collaborate with one another. By pooling the resources each party brings – expertise, know-how, funding, and volunteers – the project operates a PDCA cycle that involves sharing the results of on-site monitoring surveys, conducting discussions, formulating countermeasures, and implementing them.

To develop new initiatives and ensure the continued success of this project, we are planning to initiate efforts to evaluate our past activities and their outcomes. We will share updates the Mt. Fuji Project through GlobalGiving reports.”