Asaza (Floating Heart) Project アサザ・プロジェクト

A friend of mine from my student days made a presentation about his voluntary involvement with the "Asaza Project"a week ago, and I attended it to learn what he is doing after his retirement from his successful career in the business world.

Asaza is Japanese word for the floating heart, Nymphoides peltata. Groups of this plant were plentiful in Lake Kasumigaura, Ibaraki, years ago, but after the development of water resources of the lake during the years of Japan's rapid economic growth, they have become rare and the species is now on the list of those next to the near distinction.

The project seems to be a very ambitious one: it not only engaged in activities to restore the biodiversity of the lake but also to revitalize local communities and to function as an area-wide environmental education program.

http://www.kasumigaura.net/asaza/en/profile.html

My friend appears to be very happy serving for the project mostly as an advisor utilizing his business experiences.

先週の土曜日は、学生時代からの友人が、現在、ボランティアとして関係している霞ヶ浦のアサザの保護、植栽をはじめとする環境保全・回復のプロジェクトについて、話をするというので、聞きに行ってきました。

たいへん野心的な構想で、難しいこともいろいろあるようです。ただ、多くの環境保全活動の中では、うまく行っているほうの部類らしいです。友人は、会社退職後の活動の場を住まいの近くに見つけて、元気に動いています。

写真は、４年前の９月に、この友人の勧めで花見に行ったときのものです。このときは、無線機も持って行って、茨城県稲敷郡美浦村、JCG 14001/I を少しサービスしました。