【Mongolia】Children's Forest Program Underway

In Mongolia, Children’s Forest Program (CFP) was started in 2010, and the CFP activities are slowly but firmly taking root in that country.

CFP tree-planting activities were carried out at Kindergarten No. 1, Erdenet City, Orkhorn Province, and Bugat Village Elementary School and Hangal Village Elementary School in Bulgan Province on May 12, 2012 which coincided with the “National Tree-planting Day” in Mongolia. Bulgan Province where tree-planting took place, is famous for having produced skiers, and in winter 2011, OISCA Mongolia, took initiative in collecting used skies from Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido, and donated them to the province. That triggered the participation of these schools in CFP.

On the day of tree-planting, 30 kindergarten children and 35 elementary school pupils took part and also their families and neighborhood residents joined. It was the first experience for the children to plant trees, and they were all excited. They planted willow and elm which grow in subarctic and temperate zones, and fruit trees such as apple and raspberry.

Four Mongolian female OISCA trainee alumni played a central role on the tree-planting day. They underwent training at OISCA Nishi Nippon Training Center and Shikoku Training Center from 2008 to 2011, after returning to their home country, they are playing active role by utilizing the training results in their respective workplaces. Eager to promote the OISCA activities, they are also striving hard to implement CFP in the country.