Anyone know of a school like this around here?
David (dstrother@pop.dn.net)
Wed, 17 Mar 1999 21:48:16 -0500
VOX POPULI, VOX DEI Editorial in Tokyo Asahi Shimbun 3/17/99
Students work to save local song birds
A recent NHK morning news report talked about a primary school
that is about to be closed down. Its pupils are trying to save
trees on the school grounds for wild birds. To get the details,
I called the TV station for the school's name and phone number,
and contactedthe school to find out more.
Kamiinageda Primary School in Haga, Tochigi Prefecture, has two
kocho--the homonym stands translates both as "school principal"
and "school bird."
The latter is the Japanese wagtail, a bird common to school yards
and fields in the nation. In a nest on a second-floor balcony,
some chicks have hatched. When the children voted to choose a school
bird, the wagtails won by a landslide.
A hill rises to the east of the school. Below the hill stretch rice
paddies, pear orchards and vineyards, dotted with small irrigation
ponds. It is likely this environment that attracts wild birds --
something like 70 to 80 species, including pheasants, pigmy
woodpeckers, long-tailed buntings, larks and daurian redstarts inhabit
the area.
Just as the school song goes, "From the green hill/ From the valley/
Birdsongs are heard ..." The children love those birds. At the end
of each day, each class makes a report on what birds were seen and
heard.
Birdhouses and feeders have been installed around the school grounds.
In front of the gym, fruit-bearing trees have been planted to provide
food from autumn through winter. The school has repeatedly won awards
in bird lovers' contests. Many of the youngsters can identify the birds
by just listening to their chirping.
The entire school is made up of 49 pupils and 13 teachers. The second
and third grades are combined to form one class.
To make sure the birds will keep coming after the school closes down,
it was decided that each grade should choose one fruit-bearing tree and
plant it. The first grade has chosen Japanese privet; the second and
third grades, umemodoki, which is a kind of holly; the fourth grade,
inutsuge, also a kind of holly; the fifth grade, Japanese rowan; and
the sixth grade, Japanese yew.
The school was established in 1873. Golden bells are in full bloom now,
and dandelions will follow soon. The graduation ceremony is scheduled
for March 19. After that, a closing ceremony will be held March 24 --
just a little too early for cherry blossoms.