Feature II Fostering Rich Forests and Living Creatures - Before, forests were lost by mine development. That’s why DOWA considers earnestly recovering rich forests through afforestation and maintaining biodiversity. -
Biodiversity refers to the situation where many, different, complex living creatures exist on earth.
In connection with the deteriorated natural environment, biodiversity is decreasing rapidly and drastically. The loss of biodiversity could disturb the entire ecosystem. It could also lead to loss of genetic resources that are useful resources for development of disease resistant agricultural species and new drugs.
The DOWA group is committed to the conservation of biodiversity through afforestation, consideration conservation of natural environments in mine development, and development of water purification methods that are friendly to wildlife habitats.
Scene of Bio Palette excursion
Scene of a planting ceremony01 Fostering Rich Forests
Scene of plantingForests have many functions: provide wildlife habitats, supply wood resources, absorb global warming CO2 gas, and conserve water resources. In the future afforestation, we should focus on fostering forests that have these functions. DOWA Holdings, Co., Ltd. prepared the forest management plan in 2005 for those planted forests on its premises that used to be mines. According to the plan, those forests will be cared for and thinned to keep them healthy.
We also started a test case of planting broad-leaf trees such as crispula and zelkova serrata in a single species-forest of acacia in Kosaka in order to diversify the forest.
We are also actively planting trees on the premises of former mines, where afforestation was not an easy task before. In these projects we try to plant various species native to those lands, under the supervision of the Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology led by Honorary Professor of Yokohama National Univetsity, Prof. Akira Miyawaki. In this way, we can realize flora and fauna diversity and sustainable habitats for wildlife. Last year we planted 17,800 trees consisting mainly of quercus, maple and beech native to the land of the former mine of Mt. Karami, Kosaka. Also, at the event of care-taking of the forests or plant new trees, we set up planting ceremonies or educational classes on forests for parents and children there to foster good relationship with local people and to deepen their understanding of our environmental activities.
At the second “Kosaka Home Town Afforestation planting ceremony” in November last year, a total 430 people gathered including present and former DOWA employees, 170 students from local elementary schools and high schools of Kosaka, and planted 6,000 young trees, such as quercus , beech and maple native to the area. These young trees planted will be expected to grow to forests in the harsh local environment, and in ten years the trees shall grow to be about 8 m high in ten years, just about the same time when the elementry school children shall be grown up as adults. We will continue afforestation to foster and create Kosaka’s forests for the next generation as part of our environmental activity aimed for the future of local children.
Yasuharu Yauchi, the Administration Department Head of Kosaka Smelting and Refining