The educational purpose and significance of the \u27Satoyama\u27 Restoration Project

This paper aims to explain the educational methodology and significance of the "satoyama" restoration project being carried out on the campus of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kinki University. "Satoyama" is a kind of secoundary woodland formerly managed by rural communities. This project was selected as one program of the Good Practices for Education Scheme of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. In the "satoyama" project, we teach environmental education, utilizing the suitable location of the Department of Agriculture. Originally, "satoyama" had been used as woodland for the collection of organic fertilizers and firewood. By regularly utilizing the "satoyama", local people had been able to maintain the productiveness in agriculture and its biodiversity. Accordingly, students can easily understand the deep relationship between people and nature by learning the functions of "satoyama". This project plays a partial role in educational advancement in the context of agricultural sciences. It comprises three main aspects: 1) restoration and maintenance, 2) research and evaluation, and 3) interchange between the University and other sectors of society. We believe this project can contribute to deepening the eco-consciousness of students on the levels of both scientific and empirical knowledge. Finally, through this project, we will try to create an eco-museum campus which will be opened to the public.記事区分：総