9月6日 September 6 | Fieldwork Report: Beach Cleanup Activity Conducted at Narugashima
In the morning, participants gathered at the Sumoto Bus Center and departed for the Yura district by public bus! First, they visitedYura Minato Shrine,which is enshrined as the guardian deity of the Yura Sluice. Yura has long flourished as a gateway to Awaji Island, and on the day of the visit, the Shinto priest and negi (assistant priest) shared valuable stories about the history and culture of the shrine.
Afterward, participants boarded a ferry from the Narugashima Ferry Pier and landed on Narugashima. Belonging to the Setonaikai National Park, Narugashima is a long, narrow uninhabited island stretching approximately 2.5 to 3 kilometers from north to south, floating off Yura Bay in the southeastern part of Awaji Island. Due to its scenic landscape of continuous beautiful sandbars, it is also known as "Awaji Amanohashidate." Furthermore, the natural vegetation of Narugashima is registered as an A-rank in the Hyogo Prefecture Red Data Book (2020) and is known as a treasure trove of nature inhabited by rare flora and fauna. In addition, it has been certified as one of the component cultural properties of the Awaji Island Japan Heritage.
Accompanied by Mr. Ikushima, a local natural environment expert, participants strolled around the island to learn about its vegetation and ecosystems. On the other hand, a large amount of driftwood and litter was observed on the beach, including household waste such as plastic bottles and food trays, as well as fisheries-related styrofoam and large plastic containers.
On Narugashima, regular cleanup activities are carried out by local residents. As part of this initiative, all participants conducted a beach cleanup during this fieldwork. Working with high concentration for a short duration of about 15 minutes, they successfully collected about 10 large commercial-use trash bags of marine debris. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Sumoto City Commerce and Tourism Division for their cooperation in providing and collecting the garbage bags.
After the cleanup activity, participants headed toward the observation deck on the mountain while observing the rich nature of Narugashima, enjoying the beautiful scenery overlooking Yura Bay and the Kitan Strait. Finally, the collected trash was transported by boat to the designated collection point at the ferry office, bringing the fieldwork to a close.
Through these activities, participants deepened their understanding of Narugashima's precious natural environment and local culture, while also gaining a valuable opportunity to learn practically about marine debris issues and local environmental conservation efforts.
(Reference:https://www.city.sumoto.lg.jp/soshiki/19/10513.html）
Check out this article for details on the training session:
