NACS-J - THE NATURE CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF JAPAN -

Anywhere! Anyone! Anytime!
Let's watch your neighbouring nature

We conducted training course for NACS-J Nature Conservation Educators. They are volunteer leaders for local nature watching and conservation. The framework of training course was established in 1978 and made continuous improvements. More than 24,000 people have registered. It's become largest nationwide volunteer networks in Japan.

National Nature Survey is one of the most typical program on our nature conservation education policy, started in 1995. NACS-J sets different watching targets every year, develops original survey manual and calls for date collection nationwide. The outcome provides us the latest biodiversity trends and solution for halting the loss of biodiversity.

Survey framework has cooperative structure. Scientist and experts, medias, companies, student interns, volunteers and many children join our partners. This project has also educational effects itself. That is, through this survey, citizen become aware of their neighboring nature and its importance.

First pilot project on integrated
biodiversity management in Japan

Biodiversity restration is one of key future challenges. NACS-J, close cooperation with Forest Agency, local government, scientist and local community, is carrying on AKAYA and AYA project.

Actions for Restration based on Ecosystem Approach

SATOYAMA monitoring Program: Key tools for sustainable society

SATOYAMA is complex rural landscape in Japan. It contains semi-natural forest, rice paddy field, grassland, stream, pond and etc, as well as social and cultural properties and activities. Those areas have been maintained by traditional agriculture and minor subsistences. SATOYAMA also provides various habitats and maintains high biodiversity.

We developed nine type of monitoring manual (mammal, bird, water quality, plants, vegetation map, butterfly, harvest mouse, frog, firefly), disseminate them and establish nationwide monitoring-sites network. As of April 2008, more than 200 sites are monitored by local volunteers.

Collected data from monitoring-site are compiled and evaluated by our science boards. Up-to-date status and trend of biodiversity at national and local level will be expressed by a series of biodiversity indicators.

"Fureai" Survey - relationship between people and nature

Fureai Survey is achieving sustainable regional livelihood as well as coexistence with nature based on wish of local people.

Objectives

• Rediscover, protect and succeed local precious contact with people and nature in the region.
• Overlay data of contact between people and local nature and biological and environmental researches and utilize outcome as common information for nature conservation and city planning.

Two components of Fureai survey

• Recognition of local values and knowledges including historical wisdom, technic and culture, built up through local livelihood
• Visualizing local memories, wishes and opinions for local nature in future

Measures for Fureai survey

• Regional meeting, questionnaire of experiences in nature
• Field study, Interview
• Fureai mapping workshop

SISPA ---Strategic Information System for Protected Areas

We collect three type of geographical information (inportant area, protected area and threatened area) and utilize for conservation priority setting, protected area design and sophisticated information management.