A report meeting was held on the “Current Evaluation of Initiatives Related to Biodiversity Monitoring and Environmental Education in Noto GIAHS,” followed by a workshop with stakeholders to discuss future actions. This investigation, aligned with the revised Noto GIAHS Action Plan from 2016, aims to evaluate biodiversity across the Noto region, develop monitoring methods, and create common educational materials related to Noto GIAHS. OUIK compiled the foundational information in collaboration with Kanazawa University Noto Campus.
The study analyzed the action plans and basic environmental plans of the nine municipalities that constitute Noto GIAHS, as well as biodiversity-related surveys conducted by local governments and the prefecture. It also reviewed the status of educational activities related to biodiversity, such as observation events in local elementary, middle, and high schools. A total of 25 participants attended the workshop, including members of the Noto GIAHS Promotion Council (representatives from the nine municipalities), members of the Noto Biodiversity Research Group, and participants from the Noto GIAHS Utilization Executive Committee.
At the beginning of the meeting, Researcher Iida from OUIK presented an overview of the report. Subsequently, participants were divided into four groups, with OUIK members and faculty from Kanazawa University serving as facilitators to work on developing educational materials for effectively communicating Noto GIAHS to the next generation. Each group presented ideas for stories that could be used as common environmental education materials for Noto GIAHS, focusing on marine products like oysters, sea cucumbers, and seaweed, while illustrating the connections between these elements and forests and rice paddies. Active discussions ensued, and it is expected that these outcomes will lead to ongoing collaborations in 2017 for creating educational materials and developing biodiversity monitoring projects for Noto GIAHS.
