The Otsu Kids' Eco Club was started in 1990. Last year 65 students attending elementary and middle schools in Otsu--Shiga Prefecture's capital--took part. Club activities were supervised by an official of the Otsu City Office.

Club members met once a month between June and November for expeditions to learn about the local ecosystem and to become familiar with various environmental issues.

Otsu is on the southwestern shore of Lake Biwa, and club members were exposed to diverse forms of life in their natural habitats around the big lake. There were also expeditions to see some of the 125 rivers feeding into the lake.

On the trail of fireflies
In June, for instance, members saw fireflies. They first learned about the ecology of the insect then at night, they visited the Senjo River, a habitat for fireflies, and watched them glow in the dark.

"I saw these insects in the wild for the first time in my life. There were so many of them glowing at night, and it was very beautiful," a female member said.

And another member added, "It would be so much better for the insects if we can keep Lake Biwa and the rivers around it cleaner."

In July members went on an overnight trip to Katsuragawa, a town surrounded by forests and rivers. They stopped by a river to examine the kind of creatures living there and checked how clean the water was.

"I picked up a rock in the river and turned it upside down," one participant said. "And I was surprised to find a cluster of eggs. This was a new experience for me, and I'm really glad I went."

Participants hiked through the forest during the day and watched stars at night, one of them saying he saw "more stars than I could have ever imagined."

Minimizing damage
In August, they examined the water quality of Lake Biwa from aboard a boat. They first checked for the existence of plankton by using a microscope. They learned about what needs to be done to keep the water clean. They were taught, for instance, that soap is less harmful to the quality of water than detergent.

In November, members walked through their city and picked up the litter that was scattered on the streets. This made them aware of the importance of recycling.

"The club's activities taught me a lot about nature and the environment. I feel that we have to preserve our natural surroundings because once they are destroyed, they're never going to be the same again. I'm now convinced we've got to do a lot more to preserve the environment," said one member.


Photos: (Top) Members of the Otsu Kids' Eco Club; (middle) learning about organisms that make the riverbed their home; (above) checking Lake Biwa's water quality.(Otsu Kids' Eco Club)