Restore 100 Hectares of the Miyagi Coastal Forest

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to those who have been continuously supporting the OISCA project through Global Giving since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011 and at the same time, to report on the latest situation at the project site.

Through your support, the following activities are made possible.

• Maintaining a total of 180,000 nursery seedlings
• Planted a total of 56,000 seedlings in the area of 11 hectares
• Employed a total of 1,000 people
• Mobilized 2,000 volunteers
• Organized report meetings and promotions 30 times and attended by 5,000 people

Our efforts in the disaster recovery work is gaining support and recognition within and outside Japan. In terms of seedling production, despite being an amateur in the competition as the best seedling producer, OISCA Natori Nursery was hailed as second among the 23 nurseries within Miyagi Prefecture. In order to produce high quality seedlings, the survivors have to control the water supply, fertilizer application and the the1-year-old black pines have to be elevated above the ground to meet the ideal size of 25-35 cm height of seedlings. At least twice a year, the nursery has to be sanitized to control the spread of diseases that could affect the growth of the seedlings. At least 5 months before transplanting, container seedlings have to be spread out with a distance of 20 cm for the seedlings to have an ample amount of air and sunlight, factors that are crucial to their survival.

The scope of the project is too big that it would be impossible for us to cover without the help of the volunteers. Now that we are maintaining a total of 37 hectares planted with 190,000 black pine seedlings, and 180,000 of seedlings in our nursery, the mobilized volunteers were a big help.

Normally, black pine seedlings grow up to 60 cm a year. Since some of the first batch of seedlings have grown into 2-meter high, somehow the main goal of the project to create a natural shield to protect the community from salt-sprays and wind-blown sands is gradually being met. Apparently, the gradual recovery of coastal vegetation in Natori City leads to the gradual return of the lost biodiversity as manifested on the presence of animals like racoons, birds and others.

Within OISCA, it is important for us to maintain professionalism and often exhibit transparency, accountability and good communication so as to gain build and trust among the stakeholders. For more than 4 years of lobbying and project promotion, we still need to work hard to raise more than 45 % of the 12 million USD budget needed to implement the 10 years Coastal Reforestation Project.