“It is not half so important to know as to feel.”

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These are the much-quoted words of Rachel Carson, from her essay “The Sense of Wonder.” The concept of “conservation” in “conservation of green spaces” is sometimes explained in the United Kingdom as being “like raising children.” “Taking care” of “nature” (or children)—that is, not standing back and simply letting things happen—means to take a hands-on, eyes-on approach to nurturing, or maintaining relationships. Such attitudes and behaviors are necessary for families, for communities, to share healthy lifestyles, to share time and space, with nature in a sustainable manner.

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This laboratory targets green space environments in suburban areas and rural communities, which are nurtured within such relationships between people and nature. Through human conservation management, the biodiversity, amenities, aesthetics, production of agricultural and forestry products, disaster prevention, and other public-interest functions of green space environments are maintained. The laboratory’s research aims are to provide society with conservation designs (plans/designs) that contribute to the relationship between people and nature by carrying out research and education, making recommendations, and implementing projects in cooperation with local residents, government agencies, and specialists, committing to social issues in order to promote sustainable community living environments as well as conservation/regeneration of the natural environment, analyzing historical and natural contexts, and clarifying conservation mechanisms. Our ultimate goal is foster human resources capable of sensing and conveying the beauty of the environment.

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Our main research themes are conservation of secondary nature and forests, ecological research of secondary woodlands, research related to rehabilitation of agricultural land through mutual assistance in disasters, research related to volunteer tourism, and research related to green space conservation in Bangladesh. With the flow of these research themes, going forward we seek to develop various activities that can better address issues facing the real world:

• What form should secondary nature/forest conservation models take in the future in order to be successful as small-scale businesses?

• How should agricultural villages in hilly and mountainous areas develop amidst the depopulation of local society?

• How should value be added to traditional crop plants and landscapes, and how should these be conserved through industrial development?

• How can communities capable of coordinating mutual assistance and cooperation be created?

• Can secondary nature/forest conservation topics be developed through art?