1,000 Kids Meet in Kyoto Prior to COP3
--Junior Conference on Global Environment--
Around 1,000 elementary and middle school students in the city of Kyoto gathered on November 1 to report on what they learned about living things in their midst. An awards ceremony was also held to honor prize-winning essays, drawings, works of calligraphy, and slogans that were submitted prior to the conference.
The Junior Conference on Global Environment was held to build momentum for COP3, a major international conference on climate change that's being held in Kyoto in early December.
The lead-off presentation was made by Takeshi Akome, a fifth grader at Shugakuin Elementary School, whose submission before the conference was awarded the top prize. Takeshi explained how growing traffic around a neighborhood park affected the ecosystem of cicadas.
Takeshi explained that he has been observing cicadas around the park for three years between July and September each year. He identified the species, collected the shells cicadas cast off, and made comparisons. A parking lot built next to the park this year seems to have had an adverse effect on the ecosystem, Takeshi concluded. He said he found as many as 40 shells two years ago, but this year he came upon only 4.
"The number of cicada shells decreased because the heavier traffic polluted the insect's habitat, making it unsuitable for laying eggs," Takeshi said. "Even a small change can affect their ecosystem, so it's really important that we protect our natural environment," he added.
Sharing the top prize with Takeshi were members of the biology club at Takano Middle School. The students created a habitat for insects and birds on the school grounds and made observations. They found that dragonflies and butterflies deposited eggs there and that birds came to drink the water in the pond. Club members said they were also trying to breed fireflies and other species that live in the habitat "because their numbers are declining rapidly," one member said.
Another group making a presentation was Life Kids, a club for students at the Number 4 Sujaku Elementary School. Members described their experience of growing cosmos flowers. The seeds of the flowers were collected and distributed to local residents. "It'll be great to see flowers growing from the seeds that we helped gather, and I hope we'll see many more such flowers around our entire city," a Life Kids member said.
Students at Onogo Middle School, meanwhile, reported on their findings regarding the environmental health of a river running through their neighborhood. "It's not always easy to do what's best for the environment, but we're determined to do whatever we can," they said.
The conference came to a close with the issuance of an appeal calling for peaceful coexistence with nature, conservation of natural resources, and greater efforts in recycling.
Mai Nakanishi, a ninth grader at Seiryo Middle School, served as moderator. The junior conference was sponsored by the Kyoto Board of Education and other groups and held at the Kyoto International Conference Hall, which will be hosting the COP3 meeting in December.
Photos: (From top) A song at the opening ceremony; Takeshi presents his findings; prizewinners receive their awards; at the Conference reception desk. (Kyoto Board of Education)
