Home > Four Stories > Part 4 Dreams for the Future
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On July 17th 2005, Shiretoko was officially inscribed in the World Natural Heritage Site list of UNESCO. But this was not the final goal for the people of Shiretoko. Efforts have already begun to realize an ambitious dream a century or more in the future.
A new initiative called "the 100 m² Movement Forest Trust," which is the second stage of the "Shiretoko 100 m² movement" is now underway in Shiretoko. It is a movement most emblematic of Shiretoko, aiming to regenerate natural ecosystems by reviving the forest that once grew on the cleared lands that are being conserved with donations from around the country.
Regenerating forests is not a simple matter of buying and planting saplings. Saplings of native tree species that once thrived on these lands are first grown in a separate nursery, and then transplanted. Tanks are carried in to supply water to the saplings, which need to be weeded, protected from wind damage, and carefully nurtured one by one for decades or even centuries.
Meanwhile, daily efforts are made to prevent the overgrown deer populations from feeding on the saplings.
Much ingenuity and effort, as well as new rules, are required for humans to truly coexist with nature.
The Shiretoko Nature Foundation is making various efforts to ensure the harmonious coexistence of humans and wildlife in the national park while keeping in tune with the changing times and social circumstances, with the key concepts of "learning, protecting and communicating."
These activities include:
- Continuous long-term research activities for the conservation and management of wild flora and fauna.
- Patrols by specialists and other measures to prevent conflict between wildlife and humans.
- Promotional activities to expand the community of nature lovers by getting more people to learn about and fall in love with nature in Shiretoko.
These activities have drawn attention across Japan as well as from overseas; there have been increasing requests for know-how from outside Japan. The Shiretoko Nature Foundation is actively communicating the results of its work both within and outside of Japan, so that its findings can be applied to human resource development and conservation of natural environments in other regions as well.
The Shiretoko Nature Foundation is also engaged in environmental education activities, such as lectures and seminars on the nature and environment of Shiretoko, as well as outreach programs and the development of traveling educational kits for schools both in Hokkaido and elsewhere, as an important pillar of its activities to "communicate."
The effort to protect the natural environment and hand it on to future generations is an endless process of trial and error. In Shiretoko, it is achieved through the power of ordinary people - local residents as well as volunteers, experts and many others - and their "learning, protecting and communicating" activities.
There are still many people in Japan and elsewhere in the world who don't really know about Shiretoko. Getting them in touch with Shiretoko in all its reality is the starting point of all these activities.
- Looking for "something each one of us can do" -
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Development of Firefox is being carried out by a worldwide community called the Mozilla project. Based on a common wish "to make the Internet better for everyone," its goals are not just limited to browser development. Many other web-related projects have also been launched to innovate for the future.
Of these, the work at Mozilla Labs is probably the most remarkable. In Labs, many technologies are being investigated that give a glimpse of the future of the web, such as a model of Firefox for mobile phones, and development of an interface to make searching the Internet easier than ever.
Furthermore, the research at Mozilla Labs, like that of Firefox, is totally open to the public, so that anyone can view its progress even on a day-to-day basis. This would be totally unthinkable for research at a corporation.
The speed of innovation on the Internet is breathtaking; technology beyond all imagination today may be taken for granted a few years from now. From Mozilla Labs we can learn about the potential for future evolution in Firefox.
There is much to be gained from being involved in Mozilla and Firefox. In addition to acquiring technical knowledge, you can make friends with like-minded people around the world, and bring your ideas to fruition for hundreds of millions of Firefox users world-wide. Such an environment is made possible by the openness of the Mozilla project, and its manifesto:
- To articulate a vision for the Internet that Mozilla participants want the Mozilla Foundation to pursue;
- To speak to people whether or not they have a technical background;
- To make Mozilla contributors proud of what we're doing and motivate us to continue; and
- To provide a framework for other people to advance this vision of the Internet.
These core messages are spreading worldwide, linking more and more people to Firefox's circle of cooperation. There are still many people who don't really know about Mozilla and Firefox. Getting them in touch with Mozilla and Firefox in all its reality is the starting point of all these activities.
- Looking for "something each one of us can do" -
