Regenerating 100-Hectare Forest in Mt. Fuji

It is still winter in Japan, and Mt. Fuji is still covered by snow. The roads to our project site are still closed, inaccessible, and not safe for us to visit or conduct activities. However, in preparation for the scheduled activities from May 2024 onward, we organized a general meeting involving our project stakeholders and members of the Mt. Fuji Reforestation Promotion Council in January. We also took the opportunity to officially present the results of our activities during the year 2023, including the growth of the planted trees. Through the monitoring survey conducted by our research team, despite the harsh natural environment of our project site and the abundance of destructive wild deer, some of the planted local species of trees have grown over six meters high.

We are grateful to our donors, including the GlobalGiving supporters, for their generosity. It enabled us to purchase and install bamboo and nets to protect the growing trees from deer. Part of the donations were also used in our overall operation, mobilizing local forestry workers who help maintain our project site. It is also true that GlobalGiving supports and encourages members to continue and expand the project.

Originally planted with a single species of tree, the growth of the different species of local trees is crucial to the improvement of Mt. Fuji`s biodiversity. Now that the thriving wildlife is highly noticeable on our site, we are considering exploring the restoration of the understory species in the near future.

Now that we are in the 18^th year of our project, we are committed not only to planting trees but also to creating a diverse forest in collaboration with more individuals and organizations. We look forward to your support as we prepare to begin our activities in the spring.