To ensure that animals inhabiting the areas around the sporting venues do not lose vital vegetation, plants they need have been transplanted. The woods of Happo'one in Hakuba Village, where the finish area of the men's downhill course is located, are a breeding ground of the Gifu butterfly, designated a natural treasure by Hakuba Village. The Gifu butterfly, a species of swallowtail, is cherished and is known popularly as the "goddess of spring" because that is when it emerges from its cocoon. In order to save this habitat, some 4,400 miyama-aoi grass plants, used by the butterfly for food and laying eggs, were transplanted from the site to a nearby grove before work on the course began. The careful transplanting was done enthusiastically by some 300 volunteers, including local middle school students. Also transplanted were some 870 yellow-blossomed barrenwort plants, some 1,300 dogtooth violets, and other flora, so that the woodland was kept as close as possible to its natural state as it was moved to its new location. The people of Hakuba will again be able to confidently await the flowers and butterflies of spring.