4th Eco School at the Urahoro Test Site

On July 30, Hitachi Construction Machinery hosted the fourth Eco School at the Urahoro Test Site. This “school” is a part of the Youth Leaders’ Training Seminar, which is sponsored by both the Urahoro Board of Education and the Urahoro Children’s Association Liaison Council. Fifth and sixth graders from the Urahoro school district took part in this year’s program.

In the first part of the program, children are taught about nature in the Tokachi and Urahoro areas. Then an outdoor hands‒on learning program is conducted. The head of the Tokachi chapter of the Wild Bird Society of Japan provided an explanation, including the characteristics, of plants and insects that were observed and collected from the grove of trees and lake on the test site. During lunch, the students are given a lesson by a dietary education teacher on food and its relation to plant and animal life.

The program offers students a chance to think about environmental conservation through environmental education and on-hands experience in a rich natural environment, and also come in contact with large construction machinery with they do not see on a regular basis. The program was well received by the students. HCM aims to continue to carry out its environmental conservation activities through events such as this half-day program.