Regenerating 100-Hectare Forest in Mt. Fuji

Hello GlobalGiving Supporters.

Thank you very much for supporting the “Regenerating 100-Hectare Forest in Mt. Fuji” project.

   Our project team is unable to enter Mt.Fuji during the winter season. Therefore, we are going to report on deer.

   Have you ever heard of deer from Nara Park, one of the famous tourist attractions in Japan?

   Nara Park is a large park in Nara Prefecture, home to approximately 1,300 wild deer. (According to a survey in July,2024)

   These deer have been cherished and protected for a long time as sacred animals due to a legend stating that the god of Kasuga Taisha Shrine arrived in Nara riding a white deer. Recognized for the long history of coexistence between wild deer and humans, they have also been designated as a national natural monument.

References:
Nara City Tourism Association: https://narashikanko.or.jp/en/feature/deer/
Nara Prefecture Tourism Bureau, Nara Park Office: https://www3.pref.nara.jp/park/1003.htm

   As above, deer have played a significant role in Japan's history and culture, and this relationship continues to this day.

   On the other hand, beginning with the forest from the “Regenerating 100-Hectare Forest in Mt. Fuji” project, planted trees have been eaten by deer which are overpopulated due to various reasons. Protecting seedlings from being eaten is becoming one of the problems.Currently, one of our main activities at Mt. Fuji is repairing deer protection nets wrapped around trees to prevent them from being eaten.

   Every year, our monitoring team conducts surveys and reports on the area. This year's report showed a slight decrease in the deer population compared to last year, confirming that the deer protection nets are functioning effectively.

   Although deer damage is a major concern for forest restoration,  Japanese have had a long relationship with deer. Moving forward, we will continue to carefully consider ways to manage the forest while maintaining a harmonious relationship with deer. Our goal is to create a forest that is livable for deer and many other species.

Photo Caption: Trees monitored by the survey team. In areas with good growth, trees have reached over 5 meters in height. Deer living in the Mount Fuji area.

   When spring comes, we will be able to enter Mt. Fuji site again.Our main activity for 2025 will be repairing fallen deer protection nets.There are many nets that need fixing, but we will work together to repair them!

Photo Caption: Repairing fallen deer protection nets by rewrapping them around trees and securing them with bamboo stakes. This prevents deer from eating the trees.

Thank you very much for your continuous support.