5:15 PM - 6:45 PM
[MZZ46-P04] Initiatives to protect the richness of the ocean -from the bottom-up example of Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark-
Keywords:Geopark, SDGs, Toyoura town
As part of the bottom-up activities of local residents, the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark Seminars, eight of which were held in 2023. The course introduced here was held in November last year at the suggestion of residents.
In many geoparks, the ocean is closely related to the formation of geology and is an inseparable entity. At the Literary Monument Park in Toyoura Town, one of the constituent municipalities of the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark, you can see a geological formation called hyaloclastite, which is formed when magma comes into contact with seawater and is cooled. It has become an important topographical and geological site that tells the story of submarine volcanic activity 3 million years ago.
In Toyoura Town, the local government and volunteers regularly clean up the coast. However, due to its topographical characteristics, floating debris tends to accumulate and washed-up garbage, such as plastic waste and detached buoys, has become a problem. Therefore, local residents formulated a plan and held a geopark course to clean up the coast of Literary Monument Park. With SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in mind, the project included volunteer activities to clean up the coast and incorporated interaction among participants with a scallop dish produced in Toyoura Town, and a guided tour of scallop farming at the adjacent fishing port. We hope to establish this as a new style of program that would allow students to learn and experience the benefits of geoparks while utilizing their five senses.
In many geoparks, the ocean is closely related to the formation of geology and is an inseparable entity. At the Literary Monument Park in Toyoura Town, one of the constituent municipalities of the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark, you can see a geological formation called hyaloclastite, which is formed when magma comes into contact with seawater and is cooled. It has become an important topographical and geological site that tells the story of submarine volcanic activity 3 million years ago.
In Toyoura Town, the local government and volunteers regularly clean up the coast. However, due to its topographical characteristics, floating debris tends to accumulate and washed-up garbage, such as plastic waste and detached buoys, has become a problem. Therefore, local residents formulated a plan and held a geopark course to clean up the coast of Literary Monument Park. With SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in mind, the project included volunteer activities to clean up the coast and incorporated interaction among participants with a scallop dish produced in Toyoura Town, and a guided tour of scallop farming at the adjacent fishing port. We hope to establish this as a new style of program that would allow students to learn and experience the benefits of geoparks while utilizing their five senses.