As the concept of environmental culture has spread throughout the island through research for national park designation and CEPA efforts, Kagoshima University has developed a human resource development program based on a reaffirmation of Amami's environmental culture in order to halt the decline of the local culture and community due to the decline in the local population and the spread of modern lifestyles. The program is designed to help local people to develop their own business skills. More than 100 people participated in the program, including local entrepreneurs and local government officials. Participants in the program, who learned to integrate environmental culture with modern knowledge and skills, are now independently developing product development and experiential tour businesses, school education, and welfare programs. Municipalities are incorporating environmental and cultural ideas in rebuilding aging meeting halls. In addition, the number of outside collaborators and immigrants is increasing, and local communities that had been on the decline are becoming more active. In addition, as an extension of the environmental culture that has been used in the past, efforts are underway to consider how to interact with the natural environment in the future. The environmental culture approach has improved livelihoods and enhanced the spirit of the local community by strengthening ties between them, resulting in increased attachment to the island and improved community well-being.

Through the efforts of the government, local government, and local residents, the Amami Islands were designated as a NP in 2017.　
Subsequently, the extermination of non-native species such as mongoose and wild cat etc. became a challenge in maintaining the island's biodiversity in preparation for the registration as a World Natural Heritage site, and preserving the unique natural environment that forms the basis of the island's environmental culture.  The mongoose, the biggest challenge of all, has been exterminated under the government's initiative and will be completely eliminated by 2024. Meanwhile, measures against wild cats and monitoring of non-native plants were carried out with the cooperation of Kagoshima University, the Ministry of the Environment, local governments, and local residents. In the case of wild cat countermeasures, precedents from overseas were introduced and considerations for owners in their daily lives were shared. In terms of invasive plant monitoring, continuous training sessions for local residents have been held to improve their capabilities and share the results.
 

When the Ministry of the Environment was seeking the designation of the Amami Archipelago as a national park for the purpose of registration as the World Heritage site, it proposed two management concepts, “Ecosystem Management Type” and “Environmental Culture Type,” with the support of Kagoshima University, which had launched the Kagoshima Environmental Studies Project, a public-private collaboration aimed at solving environmental problems in the region. The “Ecosystem Management Type” concept aims to preserve the area as a registered World Natural Heritage site, while the “Environmental Culture Type” concept supports cultural value by providing visitors with a chance to experience the history and culture of people who have lived in harmony with nature in the area, and have skillfully used and passed it on to future generations. The purpose of Japan's national parks is to protect natural scenic areas, promote their use, and contribute to conservation of biodiversity. “Amamigunto National Park” was the first national park to propose the concept of an Eenvironmental Culture Type” national park that focuses on the nature and culture of the region. The term “Amamigunto” means “the Amami Archipelago”.

The Ministry of the Environment and Kagoshima University conducted an interview survey in collaboration with local residents in the satoyama area of Amami, a candidate area for a national park, to visualize the language and spirit that represent the culture of the islanders and how they live using nature. We also cooperated with local museums to understand the local environmental culture that has coexisted with nature. Through many workshops and symposiums, including web-based workshops, the results of the survey were shared with local residents and people from Amami living in the city, and through understanding the uniqueness and value of the local environmental culture, the awareness that environmental culture has the potential to strengthen community identity and seed independent economic development in the region. This awareness has spread.

Explanation of Amami NP's definition of “environmental culture”.
“The general consciousness, lifestyle, and production style that local people have formed and acquired while interacting with nature and influencing each other.”

Case Studies of Environmental Culture
Example 1) The topography of the “high island” and “low island” in the Amami Islands determines the amount of water in the rivers, which in turn determines how the islanders secure water for daily use and how they obtain firewood. On the “high islands,” waterwheel-powered sugar production using the abundant river water became more active, and trade flourished, strongly influencing the culture and consciousness of the islanders. This culture and consciousness has influenced the islanders' approach to nature and has defined the island's natural environment.

Example 2) The awareness of the forbidden by the yokai Kenmun in the island's folklore has become a means of appropriate control of natural resources and coexistence with nature.　The “yokai” is closely English word for “ghost” or “supernatural creature”.
 

On-station trials

In a series of experiments conducted at the National Aquaculture Center in Domasi, the project team tested the trap for intermittent harvest with different baits in ponds (200 m2) stocked with different species (Coptodon Rendalli vs. Oreochromis Shiranus) at different densities (1 vs. 2 vs. 3 fish per sqm.). In addition, further tests were carried out to determine the time and intervals it takes to catch a certain amount of fish. As a control and for comparison, additional ponds were stocked with O. Shiranus and C. Rendalli fed with maize bran or pellets for single batch harvest to represent customary forms of rural aquaculture in Malawi.

On-farm trials

At the time when the trap was technically functional, households that wanted to test the trap under every day, real-life conditions were identified. Over three months, six households tested the trap and documented the catch.

The trap is made from wire mesh and shaped like a cylinder. Two additional wire mesh pieces shaped like a cone are attached at both ends. The diameter of the narrower end is kept smaller to allow only small fish to enter the trap. To lure them in, bait is placed inside. A piece of a net holds the bait. A string is fixed to the trap so that users can easily sink and retrieve the trap.

In the context of fisheries and aquaculture, the fish trap represents an evolution of existing harvesting methods. Unlike active fishing gear, such as seines, the fish traps require less labor and energy, which makes them very efficient in terms of catch effort. In addition, the fish traps do not physically harm the caught fish, so the fish can be taken out of the trap alive and in good health. Early experiments on partial harvests in aquaculture in Malawi date back to the 1990s, when different tools for intermittent harvest were tested. However, due to the inefficiency and labor-intensity of the methods, there has been no broad application or further developments.

Based on this knowledge, further literature research, and expert discussions, the idea was born to build and test a size-selective fish trap to regularly harvest the juveniles of the initial fish stock. This innovation is thought to control the stocking density, to optimize the use of supplementary feeds, and to not exceed the carrying capacity of the pond. Ideally, a successful application of the fish trap would result in households increasing their overall aquaculture productivity, whilst harvesting small quantities of small fish much more regularly than has been customary in aquaculture to date. The intermittently harvested fish can be consumed within the household or used to generate small amounts of regular income. Meanwhile, the initial fish stock (parent fish) will be grown to a larger size for the final harvest.

The Arribada Club teaches students fundamentals of IT technology, computer programming, and design engineering throughout the curriculum. It also teaches scientific concepts behind many conservation technologies, such as how GPS systems work. 

For many conservationists, including our participants, the knowledge to effectively use conservation technology is not enough without the funding to access the tools. Recognizing this barrier, we provide each participant with $500 USD in seed funding to help them implement their conservation solutions. Additionally, we offer training in grant writing, pitching, and engaging with funders to enhance their ability to secure future funding.

For our technical training, we prioritize activities that allow students to directly interact with conservation technology tools. By setting up and deploying tools in safe, low-pressure environments, students have the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from those experiences. For example, letting students decide where to place a camera trap based on a lesson, and then evaluating the effectiveness of their decision by reviewing the data collected, is highly valuable. 

We select participants who are at the beginning stages of their careers, such as those who have completed their bachelor’s degrees and are entering the NGO or conservation workforce or embarking on higher education.The goal is to identify participants whose careers would benefit the most from the type and amount of training, funding, mentorship, and support we provide.