【Chigasaki-born】A New Model for Environmental Protection from Daily Life: "Chigasaki Regenerative Satoyama Model" Announced, Connecting Schools, Businesses, and Communities.

NPO Furusato Farmers (Chigasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture) has announced the "Chigasaki Regenerative Satoyama Model," an urban-suburban regional model that aims to connect the natural environment of satoyama and Japanese agricultural culture to the future, based on three pillars: "nurturing, transmitting, and connecting."

Instead of approaching environmental issues as an entry point, the model aims to create a society where the environment is protected as a result of people connecting through daily life.

This model is an urban-suburban regional model that fosters a community mechanism where people and nature coexist, set in the satoyama of northern Chigasaki City.

In busy daily lives, seasonal events and food handicrafts bring small richness to life. Within these warm connections, people engage in farming and satoyama activities, and before they know it, they are protecting satoyama and the environment. It is a regional model that connects agriculture, food, culture, and community, protecting satoyama through daily life.

We will disseminate this model from Chigasaki as a regional model that can be expanded nationwide in areas where cities and satoyama are close.

■Background of the Model's Birth

In recent years, while the importance of environmental issues and the need for initiatives are widely discussed, it is not easy to continue them effortlessly in daily life and work.

Furusato Farmers operates while valuing nature and the environment. However, that is not the only reason why everyone comes to the fields. People are drawn to the joy and richness of growing vegetables, enjoying seasonal handicrafts, and spending time together, making it a place where people naturally gather and are drawn to.

We value Japan's ancient "Yui" culture (an activity where people support each other's lives). Through engagement in the fields, farmers, members, and local residents naturally remain connected, and as a result, satoyama and the local environment are protected.

To share this way of being with more people.

From there, the "Chigasaki Regenerative Satoyama Model" was born.

■What is the Chigasaki Regenerative Satoyama Model?

The Chigasaki Regenerative Satoyama Model is a regional model that restores the relationship between people and nature and circulates it sustainably, connecting children, agriculture, food, community, and businesses, set in the satoyama remaining in urban suburbs.

Based on the three pillars of "nurturing, transmitting, and connecting" that NPO Furusato Farmers values, it loosely connects agriculture, food, culture, and community through experiences in fields and rice paddies, seasonal handicrafts, environmental education with schools, and regional collaboration with businesses.

Through these daily activities, relationships where people support each other are fostered, and as a result, the natural environment of satoyama and the regional cycle are protected.

This is a new way of community that can only be realized in Chigasaki, where the city and satoyama are close.

◾️Regional Issues Addressed by This Model

Challenges in School Education

In recent years, while the importance of inquiry-based learning and environmental education in school education is increasing, practical learning opportunities connected to local nature and life are not sufficient.

This model provides an inquiry-based educational environment where children can learn by interacting with nature and agricultural culture, serving as a "local learning field" set in fields and satoyama.

Challenges for Government and Local Society

In many regions, increasing abandoned farmland, weakening local communities, and decreasing children's nature experiences are issues.

This model aims to be a regional model that contributes to sustainable community building by creating a mechanism for people to continuously engage with nature and satoyama, spanning environment, education, and community development.

Challenges in Corporate Social Participation

While corporate interest in regional contribution and environmental activities is growing, there are still not many specific opportunities for continuous engagement with the community.

This model proposes a new form of co-creation that generates opportunities for employee-participatory environmental activities and regional exchange, allowing companies to continuously engage with the community and create value.

By connecting schools, businesses, government, and communities, each playing their role, a regional mechanism is created where satoyama and the environment are naturally protected through daily life.

■Specific Initiatives

The Chigasaki Regenerative Satoyama Model undertakes various initiatives connecting children, agriculture, food, community, and businesses to pass on the natural environment of satoyama and local life to the future.

Environmental Education in Collaboration with Schools

We collaborate with elementary and junior high schools in Chigasaki City to implement environmental education programs through visiting lectures.

We design lesson content with homeroom teachers according to school policies and grade-level learning, providing "fully customized" lessons that set themes and questions for each class. By tailoring content to schools and children rather than uniform programs, we foster proactive learning.

Over 30 classes and more than 2,000 children have participated. The lessons have inspired children to visit fields and satoyama, expanding community-rooted learning.

Farm Experiences and Seasonal Handicrafts in Satoyama

In addition to farm experiences in fields and rice paddies, we hold events to share Japanese seasonal handicrafts such as miso making and mochi pounding.

Through these activities, local people naturally engage with satoyama, fostering "Yui" relationships where people support each other.

Regional Collaboration Programs with Businesses

We carefully analyze each company's vision and initiatives in advance, identify common ground with agricultural, satoyama, and environmental perspectives, and design content for each company.

Employees collaborating in nature also serve as an opportunity for team building and sharing values.

Environmental conservation activities and regional exchange create time for employees to interact beyond their titles. Working together in nature reveals individual personalities and strengths, leading to insights not easily gained in daily work. Such experiences contribute to corporate organizational development.

Satoyama Environmental Regeneration Activities

In addition to creating fields through no-till farming and maintaining satoyama, we hold "Satoyama Clean" once a month, continuing activities to protect the satoyama environment with local residents.

Through these daily efforts, we will pass on the natural environment of satoyama, where we coexist with soil and living creatures, to the future.

*"Hasu Club" is a volunteer organization composed of people working for and retired from Fujifilm Business Innovation and its affiliated companies, operated spontaneously and autonomously.

■Past Achievements

NPO Furusato Farmers has fostered new forms of learning and community development where schools, businesses, and communities interact, through environmental education and regional collaboration initiatives connecting children, agriculture, and the community.

In recognition of these activities, NPO Furusato Farmers received the 2nd Kanagawa Decarbonization Award. This is the first time an organization in Chigasaki City has received this award.

Collaboration with Schools

In Chigasaki Municipal Umeda Elementary School's 5th grade class 3, a visiting lecture sparked children to think about themes such as "aging farmers" and "making farming an admired profession."

Subsequently, the children themselves approached the Board of Education through a city council member, leading to the first initiative in Chigasaki City where posters created by children were displayed in the city hall.

Inspired by the children's voices, a new form of learning connecting schools, communities, and government is emerging.

▼Related Press Release

【Chigasaki-born】"Make farming an admired profession." Elementary school students achieve unprecedented city hall display, "No-Till Farm School" receives overwhelming response.

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000012.000147288.html

Collaboration with Businesses

In collaboration with businesses, a regional co-creation project has begun with companies in the Shonan area to plan experiential programs where children engage in farm work and interact with nature in satoyama.

We aim to expand these initiatives with more companies. We will create new forms of collaboration where businesses and communities connect through satoyama and agricultural sites, fostering the future.

■Future Outlook

Because Chigasaki is close to both urban areas and satoyama, it is possible to foster learning opportunities where children can interact with nature and agricultural activities, engage with the community, and think about the environment and the future through daily life.

NPO Furusato Farmers will nurture these initiatives as the "Chigasaki Regenerative Satoyama Model" and gradually expand the circle of people involved by collaborating with schools, businesses, and communities.

Learning in schools connects to satoyama, collaboration with businesses creates new relationships with the community, and opportunities to interact with nature increase in daily life. We will carefully foster this cycle within the Chigasaki region.

Instead of making environmental issues the entry point, we will foster a life where people gather and warmly support each other.

Beyond that, before we know it, satoyama will be protected, and the earth will be protected.

Even without doing anything special, the future will be protected through daily life.

We will continue to foster such a community with the satoyama remaining in urban suburbs.