Regenerate ecological connectivity linking land, rivers, and the sea
chotto
People just need to give a 'little touch' ('chotto' in Japanese).
The rest, nature will take care of.
The key is to spark a chain reaction where nature regenerate itself.
It all comes down to whether we can consistently nurture this process.
In the end, it’s just whether we do it, or not.
These are the words of Tomonori Yano, a Japanese landscape architect known for 'Daichi no Saisei®' (means 'regenerate the earth') and the documentary film 'Mori-bito' (A Doctor of the Earth).
There are various approaches and philosophies when it comes to protecting, restoring, and regenerating the natural environment, but our volunteer group focuses particularly on the "connection and circulation of water," aiming to regenerate natural ecosystems from water sources to rivers and all the way to the ocean by giving a little touch, 'chotto', to let nature regenerate by itself instead of the the mindset of "Humans should control" or "Human can control".
*Activity Location: Miura Peninsula (Ōgusu Mountain Range – Sagami Bay watershed) in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
*Registered as a "Community Development Supporter" organization of Yokosuka City.
Since rivers, retention basins, and beaches are under the management of the city, we conduct our activities with the permission and cooperation of the authorities.
News
Until now, we have been maintaining streamside areas with permission from the local government. However, starting this year, we have also received permission to care for the Shonan Village Retention Basin, which lies along the stream.
For nearly 20 years since its construction, this basin has received little human intervention. As a result, the slopes surrounding the pond have become overgrown with bamboo grass, reducing the soil’s water retention capacity. This has led to soil erosion caused by rain and wind, with sediment accumulating in the pond and disrupting the natural water flow.
To address this, we conducted a hands-on workshop using environmental civil engineering techniques.
The workshop focused on installing several soil barriers, work paths, and other measures to promote rainwater infiltration, encourage undergrowth vegetation growth, and enhance mud filtration—ensuring that maintenance work can be carried out without destabilizing the slopes.
Below are links to a digest video and a blog post about our activities (sorry, it's in Japanese only).
・Shonan Village Retention Basin：the second Saturday of every month 1pm~evening (Participation fee: free)
*If you would like to participate, please apply by email by the evening of the previous day. We will provide information on the meeting location, necessary items, and the planned activities. email address: chottjapan@icloud.com
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