Location: Mount Takao

Date: July 7, 2018

Participants: 9 campers, 4 LITs, 3 care workers, 16 volunteers, 8 staff

Program: 

Another successful Back to Nature! Due to predicted rain last Saturday, we lost a large portion of our group. We were joined by 9 brave campers and 4 Leaders in Training who wanted to come out despite the weather forecast. Luckily, we had no rain on Saturday and an awesome time in the woods of Mount Takao!

We kicked off the day by dividing into teams, each with team names that had to do with wood, and enjoyed hiking through the woods. The 4 LITs did a great job of facilitating activities and helping the younger campers get through the woods safely.

For lunch, we enjoyed a delicious obento. Everyone—campers, staff, and volunteers—meshed together and enjoyed one another’s company. Afterwards, we transitioned smoothly into the main event of the day: Kanbatsu! We learned that peeling off the tree’s bark helps it to fall naturally in order for the rest of forest to flourish.

Many of our participants were surprised to find how smooth and clean the tree is under the bark. It was a day of new experiences and knowledge for many of our campers and volunteers. By the end of the day we were covered in mud and sweat, but everyone had a great time.

We would like to extend a warm thanks to Morito Odoru for yet another memorable kanbatsu workshop!