10:45 AM - 11:15 AM
[O05-04] Geopark Initiatives Aimed at Promoting the Value and Appeal, as well as Protection and Conservation, of Geological Heritage in Mikasa.
★Invited Papers
Keywords:Geopark, Protection and Conservation
Mikasa was deeply involved in the development of inland Hokkaido, and when coal was discovered in Mikasa in 1868, detailed geological surveys were conducted, and as a result, it was found that there were abundant coal resources. Subsequently, coal was mined in Mikasa for 110 years, until 1989, and the town acted as a coal mining hub supporting Japan's energy demands.
In the above geological survey, aside from coal, there are descriptions of fossils, mainly ammonites, and Mikasa became famous as one of the leading fossil-producing areas in Japan. Research on fossils such as ammonites has progressed and there are many fossils with the name “Mikasa”. Research is still ongoing at the Mikasa City Museum.
The Mikasa Museum exhibits about 600 ammonite fossils and about 1,000 fossils in total are on display. The Mikasa Museum is famous nationwide as the best fossil museum in Japan and has tens of thousands of fossils in its custody.
The fossils have been excavated and collected in cooperation with the local community, fossil collectors, volunteers, etc., and many of the fossils on display have been received through donation.
In addition, the site where the fossils are excavated is located within the premises of the national government and the Government of Hokkaido, so it is not possible to enter without permission. Since there are no base facilities in the surrounding area, the museum is used as the central location for such activities. Such an environment makes it easy to provide and share information when valuable fossils are discovered, and it is possible to prevent the removal of fossils with high academic value. Furthermore, coming up with the scientific names of the new species of ammonites has been done in a manner that is easy for visitors to understand from the shape and appearance of the ammonite.
By repeating these activities, the value and appeal of fossils will be widely disseminated both domestically and internationally. At the same time, by showing the process leading up to the display of the fossils, we are creating ways to communicate the significance of sustainable efforts in protection and conservation.
After receiving national geopark certification in 2015, Mikasa Geopark was started with the aim of enjoying the elements of “Geo, Eco, and People” in the local area. With the catchphrase "Come on, let's go! Time travel 100 million years!!", we are promoting activities such as education, tourism, protection, and conservation.
Despite such circumstances, fossils were sold in several places in the city as souvenirs of "fossil town", so it was difficult to suddenly stop selling them. For this reason, after being certified as a geopark, we have published articles related to the philosophy and purpose of geopark initiatives in the city's public relations magazines, etc., and continue to disseminate information such as the value of the region and sustainable initiatives.
In addition, as part of school education and community education, classes and lectures were held to convey the significance and importance of protecting local resources. Information is also shared with distributors and others on a regular basis.
In conjunction with the above efforts, with the aim of conveying the charm and value of fossils without using the real thing, we created the "Ammo Friends" button badges with ammonites as characters. These ammonite characters allow people to become familiar with numerous fossils without using the real fossils. They are an alternative good that can be purchased, touched, and handled unlike the real fossils. As for sales, a scheme to reinvest in projects related to the protection and conservation of the geopark has been established, generating sales of several hundred thousand yen every year, making it one of our more effective programs for protection and conservation.
Based on the above, the present situation is that fossil sales have almost disappeared within the local area and this indicates we have achieved a certain level of success.
We would like to continue to make use of the geopark program to strongly communicate the importance and value of geological heritage and local resources, while aiming for sustainable initiatives, and continuing to circulate information such as the need to protect and conserve geological heritage.
In this geopark public session, we would like to introduce the various initiatives mentioned above with case examples, and exchange opinions with participants on initiatives unique to the region, the value of local resources, and protection and conservation.
In the above geological survey, aside from coal, there are descriptions of fossils, mainly ammonites, and Mikasa became famous as one of the leading fossil-producing areas in Japan. Research on fossils such as ammonites has progressed and there are many fossils with the name “Mikasa”. Research is still ongoing at the Mikasa City Museum.
The Mikasa Museum exhibits about 600 ammonite fossils and about 1,000 fossils in total are on display. The Mikasa Museum is famous nationwide as the best fossil museum in Japan and has tens of thousands of fossils in its custody.
The fossils have been excavated and collected in cooperation with the local community, fossil collectors, volunteers, etc., and many of the fossils on display have been received through donation.
In addition, the site where the fossils are excavated is located within the premises of the national government and the Government of Hokkaido, so it is not possible to enter without permission. Since there are no base facilities in the surrounding area, the museum is used as the central location for such activities. Such an environment makes it easy to provide and share information when valuable fossils are discovered, and it is possible to prevent the removal of fossils with high academic value. Furthermore, coming up with the scientific names of the new species of ammonites has been done in a manner that is easy for visitors to understand from the shape and appearance of the ammonite.
By repeating these activities, the value and appeal of fossils will be widely disseminated both domestically and internationally. At the same time, by showing the process leading up to the display of the fossils, we are creating ways to communicate the significance of sustainable efforts in protection and conservation.
After receiving national geopark certification in 2015, Mikasa Geopark was started with the aim of enjoying the elements of “Geo, Eco, and People” in the local area. With the catchphrase "Come on, let's go! Time travel 100 million years!!", we are promoting activities such as education, tourism, protection, and conservation.
Despite such circumstances, fossils were sold in several places in the city as souvenirs of "fossil town", so it was difficult to suddenly stop selling them. For this reason, after being certified as a geopark, we have published articles related to the philosophy and purpose of geopark initiatives in the city's public relations magazines, etc., and continue to disseminate information such as the value of the region and sustainable initiatives.
In addition, as part of school education and community education, classes and lectures were held to convey the significance and importance of protecting local resources. Information is also shared with distributors and others on a regular basis.
In conjunction with the above efforts, with the aim of conveying the charm and value of fossils without using the real thing, we created the "Ammo Friends" button badges with ammonites as characters. These ammonite characters allow people to become familiar with numerous fossils without using the real fossils. They are an alternative good that can be purchased, touched, and handled unlike the real fossils. As for sales, a scheme to reinvest in projects related to the protection and conservation of the geopark has been established, generating sales of several hundred thousand yen every year, making it one of our more effective programs for protection and conservation.
Based on the above, the present situation is that fossil sales have almost disappeared within the local area and this indicates we have achieved a certain level of success.
We would like to continue to make use of the geopark program to strongly communicate the importance and value of geological heritage and local resources, while aiming for sustainable initiatives, and continuing to circulate information such as the need to protect and conserve geological heritage.
In this geopark public session, we would like to introduce the various initiatives mentioned above with case examples, and exchange opinions with participants on initiatives unique to the region, the value of local resources, and protection and conservation.