Environmental Education and Appreciation
- Nature Guide Training Support
- Children's Educational Hikes
- Environmental Seminars
Nature Guide Training Support
Working with the Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J), Toshiba supports employees who wish to gain certification as nature guides. Certified guides lead volunteers in local conservation and in efforts to develop forests in nationwide Toshiba initiatives.
- November 6, 2010: Nature Guide Skill Enhancement, Umi-no-Mori (Sea Forest), Tokyo
- July 11, 2010: Nature Guide Skill Enhancement, Shibasaki Coast, Hayama
- September 20-22, 2008: 420th NACS-J Nature Guide Training, Shizuoka
- September 22-24, 2007: 404th NACS-J Nature Guide Training in "Toshiba Forest," Gotemba
- September 22-24, 2006: 384th NACS-J Nature Guide Training, Shizuoka
- September 17-19, 2005: 372nd NACS-J Nature Guide Training, Kanagawa
November 6, 2010: Nature Guide Skill Enhancement, Umi-no-Mori (Sea Forest), Tokyo
A supplemental training session was held for 22 Toshiba volunteer nature guides and family members at the planned Umi-no-Mori (Sea Forest) park to be created on reclaimed land by a breakwater in Tokyo Bay. In the morning, the 34 participants planted trees and created a seedling book at the park. Moving to Shiokaze Park in the afternoon for nature observation and training, the group imagined what Umi-no-Mori Park would look like in 15 years.
Under fine fall weather, participants spent some time in vigorous physical work and other time exercising their powers of observation, as they considered the significance of the landfill park and learned about vegetation.
July 11, 2010: Nature Guide Skill Enhancement, Shibasaki Coast, Hayama
This supplemental training for Toshiba nature guides involved observation along the coast by the city of Hayama. Director Hitoshi Ikeda of the Hayama Shiosai Museum led instruction of 21 volunteer nature guides. Study at the event, the fourth semiannual follow-up session in a series, helped the participants gain the skills needed to organize and conduct their own educational outdoor activities as certified guides.
Under pleasant overcast skies and with the boundary between currents in clear view, the group observed a rich coastal ecosystem that has been chosen by the Showa Emperor for their own studies of marine biology. On the shore, the aspiring guides diligently studied the basics of observation.
September 20-22, 2008: 420th NACS-J Nature Guide Training, Shizuoka
The 420th NACS-J nature guide training session was held at "Toshiba Forest" and YMCA Tozanso in Gotemba. Despite the ongoing rain, 36 Toshiba employees and 26 members of the general public were certified as volunteer nature guides. The meeting this year marked the fourth training session co-sponsored by Toshiba. Over time, events organized by past participants are gradually taking root across Japan.
September 22-24, 2007: 404th NACS-J Nature Guide Training in "Toshiba Forest," Gotemba
The 404th NACS-J nature guide training session was held at "Toshiba Forest" and YMCA Tozanso in Gotemba. All 30 Toshiba employees and 30 members of the general public were certified as volunteer nature guides. As nature guides, Toshiba volunteers will be educating people and helping them appreciate the valuable role of nature in their communities.
September 22-24, 2006: 384th NACS-J Nature Guide Training, Shizuoka
A NACS-J nature guide training session was held at "Toshiba Forest" and YMCA Tozanso in Gotemba. All 30 participants from the Toshiba Group and members of the public completed the curriculum and were certified as volunteer nature guides according to Nature Conservation Society standards. It was the second training session attended by Toshiba volunteers since last year, bringing the number of NACS-J-certified employees to nearly 60. Reaching out to their respective group companies and communities, the 60 volunteers will be holding educational outdoor events at Toshiba-managed forests and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, training will continue, with the intention of certifying more NACS-J nature guides across the Toshiba Group not only to lead community-based conservation activities but also to organize educational hikes to encourage an appreciation of nature, which we view as a facet of corporate citizenship.
September 17-19, 2005: 372nd NACS-J Nature Guide Training, Kanagawa
NACS-J nature guide training was conducted at the Toshiba Training Center. All 30 participants from the Toshiba Group and members of the public completed the curriculum and were certified as volunteer nature guides according to Nature Conservation Society standards. NACS-J trains nature guides who will organize community-based educational hikes and lead and expand voluntary efforts to observe and protect the environment. Each three-day, two-night session introduces participants to basic concepts in conservation and methods of observation, through indoor lectures and practical outdoor exercises. Contrary to popular belief that nature guide training involves memorization of wildlife names, trainees instead gain insight on key conservation issues by studying natural mechanisms, ecosystems, and the best ways for people to interact with nature today and tomorrow. These trained volunteers will lead educational hikes and conservation activities near various Toshiba sites.
