Yokohama National University “Satoyama ESD Research Base” (Representative: Professor Kaoruko Kurata) will host “YNU Forest Workshop Festival” on November 16th, 2025. From this fiscal year, the operations have been led by students of Yokohama National University as part of the regional issues practicum “Satoyama Community Design / YNU Triennale Initiative / Tokiwa Forest Research Group,” and they have been responsible for the entire process from planning to implementation. This year, in order for participants to experience the diversity of nature and culture firsthand, the students worked together to develop ideas and prepare activities. A variety of workshops were held for elementary school children, using natural materials found on the university campus, so that they could feel the connections between life in the satoyama and the living creatures around them. We also devised the program so that participants could walk around freely and join the activities that interested them. The application period was from October 17th to November 13th.
In one of the main programs, bamboo brush making, participants shaved pieces of bamboo to craft their own brushes. Using the brushes they had made, they created large calligraphy works, boldly expressing their feelings toward the forest and nature. In the Plant Exploration Team activity, children explored Yokohama National University’s Tokiwano Forest and engaged in various creative projects using natural materials such as fallen leaves and nuts, including making masks inspired by what they found. Through these activities, the students themselves also had valuable opportunities to engage deeply with the natural environment of Yokohama National University and to learn about the value of utilizing these natural resources.
