Kagoshima Nature and Forestry Center (Joint Usage Center for Education and Research)
Kagoshima University Forests
Specially Appointed Lecturer
MAKINO Kousuke
Background and objectives of activities
Takakuma Experiment Forest has a vast forest area of 3062 hectares. It has been recognized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a "Joint Usage Center for Education-Related Research" and offers practical training fields and educational programs both inside and outside the university and in any field of study. In its first phase, the center has accepted a total of more than 3,000 users in the five years through the end of FY 2018; the second phase starting in FY 2019 will add the regional community field. In the second phase starting in FY2019, the second phase will add a regional community field, aiming to deepen education through collaboration with the local community and connection with adult education, and to become a center of learning for higher education institutions nationwide. In addition, the program and other programs offered are being fed back into the University's practical training, steadily expanding the scope of learning.
Summary of Activities
Takakuma Experimental Forest has continued to implement three unique practical programs: "Cooperation with Local Communities," "Forestry Production Expert Training Program (education for working people)," and "Utilization of Advanced Forestry Information. These programs are connected to the fields of forestry education, environmental education, disaster prevention education, plant and animal education, and local community education, and promote the development and implementation of an educational environment that enables hands-on experience of the natural environment, lifestyles, and technology.
Expected Benefits
By experiencing and understanding biodiversity, resource management, regional specificities, and so on firsthand, the program is expected to foster the ability to practically address the various challenges that arise in achieving the SDG goals.