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Nagano Kids Doing Their Part for the Environment The ECO KIDS, founded in 1995 with the support of Japan's Environment Agency, is an important group working for environmental awareness in Japan. "Kodomo" means "kids," and that's just who are in the club--some 45,000 of them throughout the country! The elementary and middle school students who make up the some 3,000 local chapters of the club take part in activities like recycling and the observation of animals in their natural habitats.
There's a branch of Kodomo Eco Club in Nagano City, too. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the mountains and rivers of Nagano, the members here have a lot to work for. The students have been stepping up their activities in preparation for the Winter Olympic Games, which are being planned around respect for the natural environment.
In November 1997, the Nagano City Kodomo Eco Club played a big role in hosting the Second Children's Environmental Conference in Nagano. This gathering provided a place to recognize the efforts of kids involved in environmental activities, and for students to exchange views with one another on ecological issues. In all, about 300 people, including some 150 Kodomo Eco Club members and supporters, attended the conference.
Activities at the conference included reports on club members' environmental observations. The science club from Sakuragaoka Middle School in Nagano City, for example, presented their research on local plants and soil quality. There was a panel discussion on ecological concerns, and students in the cities of Ina and Iida in southern Nagano Prefecture took part using video phones. Last, the children assembled at the conference made their declaration: "A Message from Nagano to the World." In it they described the wisdom of the people of the past, who lived in harmony with nature, and expressed their hopes that humankind would once again learn to respect and honor the natural environment.
