Forest conservation projects | Global

There are various habitats for living things on the earth—forests, lakes, coral reefs, and oceans—each of which maintains its own unique ecosystem. If these ecosystems are destroyed, the natural environment necessary to sustain human life will also be destroyed.
Ricoh has given priority to forests, which feature some of the richest ecosystems in terms of biodiversity, and since FY1999, we have been working with environmental NGOs and local communities on various forest conservation projects. Unlike ordinary afforestation undertakings, these activities prioritize protecting the habitats of species indigenous to the land and improving the lives of local residents, with the aim of establishing a framework for sustainable forest management.

Steps to achieve the project goal

Image: Steps to achieve the project goal

Projects implemented in the past

	Text title	Project Name	Country	Period	Achievements through activities
1	Restoration of Satoyamat	Bangladesh POUSH	Bangladesh	1999 - 2007	Tree planting: 30,000 trees Improvement of local people's living through the expansion of tree planting and seedling cultivation jobs Using satoyama as a place for local children's education
2	Forest Conservation and Restoration in World Heritage Areas	Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL)	Sri Lanka	2000 - 2007	Conservation of endangered species such as the Ceylon magpie Cooperation with local residents and government
3	Rainforest Restoration	Conservation Intenational	Philippines	2000 – 2010	Conservation of living species such as the Philippine eagle Revenue from coffee and citrus harvests as a means of living
4	Satoyama Conservation, Hino City	Wild Bird Society of Japan	Japan	2000 - 2003	Conservation of the natural environment of satoyama in the Tama Hills is completed Utilized as a site for environmental education in Hino City
5	Tropical forest and orangutan habitat restoration	WWF	Malaysia	2000 - 2010	Protecting orangutans Raising local people's awareness of the need to protect wildlife
6	Temperate forest and panda habitat	WWF	China	2001 - 2007	mproved wildlife management in protected areas, including pandas Contributed to the trial introduction of biofuels that do not rely on deforestation
7	Rainforest Restoration	Conservation International	Ghana	2002 – 2013	Improved income sources for local residents through the introduction of agroforestry (By cultivating cacao in forests instead of cultivating agricultural land, we have achieved both conservation of forest ecosystems and increased agricultural yields.)
8	Forest Restoration in the Atlantic Lowland Tropical Forest Boa Nova	BirdLife International	Brazil	2007 – 2015	Afforestation: 8,600 trees Established national parks and visitor centers in Boa Nova National Park and Boa Nova Wildlife Sanctuary. Established a system for local communities to engage in self-sustaining environmental conservation
9	Conservation of Taiga, the northern limit habitat of tigers*	Global Environmental Forum	Russia	2004 - 2018	Protecting Amur tigers and other rare species indigenous to the region Achieved designation as a national park (2015) and World Heritage Site (2018) Employing local residents at the national park office Established a continuous conservation system.
10	Biodiversity Conservation of the Sanjiang Parallel Streams World Heritage Site	Asia Green-Culture Association	China	2007 - 2018	Afforestation: 8,000 trees Activities to control dense forests in collaboration with the local government Established an agricultural system to generate stable income while coexisting with nature. Nurturing environmental awareness through environmental education for elementary school students
11	Conservation of Yanbaru Forest	Yanbaru Forest Trust	Japan	2001 – 2019	Recovery of endemic species such as the Yanbaru rail, a natural treasure Supporting nature observation activities for local children (awarded the Minister of the Environment Prize and the Director-General's Prize) Fostering awareness of the importance of forests among local residents and visitors Designated as Yanbaru National Park in September 2016 and registered as a World Heritage site in July 2021 Ricoh Japan's Okinawa Branch signed a partnership agreement with Ogimi Village and received an offer for a video facility.
12	Conservation of the Afan Woodland	C.W. Nicol Afan Woodland Trust	Japan	2001 – 2020	Restoration activities of local protected species (with Ricoh employees' participation) Holding a lecture by C.W. Nicol Collaboration with the Ricoh Japan Nagano branch on social contribution activities
13	Mangrove Restoration, Malaysia	BirdLife International	Malaysia	2011 – 2020	Afforestation: 5,300 trees Monitoring of mangroves (CO2 absorption: 25 tons) Established a sustainable conservation system through environmental education and reforestation activities Established a system for registering the site as a "Ramsar Convention Wetland" and a "Flyway Site".
14	Restoration of mangroves in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico	BirdLife International	Mexico	2015 - 2021	Afforestation: 89,700 trees Educating local communities on mangrove regeneration (30 sessions, 700 people in total) Monitoring of plantation forests (185 tons of CO2 absorption) Training programs to support improving people's living conditions, such as teaching honey production skills and improving sales capabilities.

Project for the Conservation of the Afan Woodland in Kurohime, Nagano

～ Improving the self-recovery capability of forests through appropriate human involvement. Creating forests where both indigenous species and humans can live together ～

Location : Japan (Nagano Prefecture)
Period : November 2001～ June 2020
Activity :Treat damaged land and help it recover into natural woodland where the Japanese dormouse (Glirulus japonicus) and other diverse species can live.

The Afan Woodland is a roughly 99,000 square-meter forest in Kurohime, Nagano Prefecture. Once the woodland's ecosystem has been damaged, it is not easy to recover, and it takes hundreds of years for the natural regenerative capabilities to recover on their own, thus it is important for humans to get appropriately involved to help regeneration. With the goal of "Recovering and conserving the stable growth of natural woodland by supporting the natural processes of regeneration over prolonged periods," we have been selecting trees for priority growth and creating an environment where natural regeneration can easily take place. As a result of the activities, it has been confirmed that the number of species of woodland creatures has steadily increased. By imagining what the woodland will look like 100 years from now, we repeatedly "implement activities as planned" and " conduct surveys to verify the effectiveness," while selecting better ways to enhance the forest's regeneration capacity through human involvement.

Image: The symbol of the project: Glirulus japonicus

The symbol of the project: Glirulus japonicus

Image: Afan Woodland at early stage

Afan Woodland at early stage

Image: The Afan Woodland after conservation activities

The Afan Woodland after conservation activities

Image: Shiro Kondo, Ricoh President and CEO (at the time) (left) and C.W. Nicol, chairman of the C.W. Nicol Afan Woodland Trust (right), at the Afan forest

Shiro Kondo, Ricoh President and CEO (at the time) (left) and C.W. Nicol, chairman of the C.W. Nicol Afan Woodland Trust (right), at the Afan forest

Partner
C.W.Nicol Afan Woodland Trust

C.W. Nicol Afan Woodland Trust was established in 2002. In purpose of recovering and conserving the Afan Woodland in Kurohime, Nagano Prefecture to create a forest where humans and other animals and plants co-exists, the trust implements ecological research and various academic and conservation activities. Chairman: C. W. Nicol (author, naturist)

Project for the Conservation of Yanbaru Forest

～ By realizing their irreplaceability, forests can be left for future generations. Bequeathing forests that nurture indigenous species ～

Location：Japan ( Okinawa Prefecture)
Period ：November 2001 - June 2019
Activity : Maintaining the Yanbaru forest, home to many endangered species, such as the Okinawa rail(Rallus okinawae).

The Yanbaru forest in the northern part of Okinawa is a precious habitat for endemic protected species such as the Okinawa rail and the leaf turtle (Geoemyda japonica). However, the building of dams and the construction of roads through the forest has divided the mountain and negatively impacted the ecosystem.
This project is intended to protect the nature of the Yanbaru Forest by communicating the importance of the forest to local residents and visitors, expanding the circle of people who protect the forest, holding nature observation meetings, and securing trust land. In September 2016, we transformed the area into a national park, which was one of our goals, and we are currently implementing activities to firmly establish nature observations and green tourism.

Image: The symbol of the project: Okinawa rail

The symbol of the project: Okinawa rail

Image: View of the Yanbaru forest

View of the Yanbaru forest

Image: Signage in Trust forest

Signage in Trust forest

Image: Nature class for children

Nature class for children

Partner
Yanbaru Forest Trust

Through its activities, the trust aims to secure land for wildlife in northern Okinawa Island, which is rich in biodiversity, and to contribute to the promotion of habitats and nature conservation.

Project for the Restoration of Mangrove Forests in the Central Selangor Coast, Malaysia

～Restoring mangrove forests, —a combination of two ecosystems: ocean and forest—to protect habitats for diverse wildlife ～

Location：Malaysia
Period：July 2011 – June 2020
Activity : Restore mangrove forests that serve inherent, ecologically important functions including providing habitats for wildlife, CO₂ absorption, and water retention.

Mangrove forests are some of Malaysia's major ecosystems, supporting an abundance of species. Recently, this natural environment has faced gradual depletion and degradation mainly due to illegal exploitation, including proscribed tree cutting. To address this concern, this project was launched with emphasis placed on the involvement of local communities. The project organizes programs to raise public awareness of the region's major environmental issues and encourages local residents to take proactive actions, such as tree-planting to restore and conserve the precious natural assets of local mangrove forests.

Image: The wetlands are a treasure trove of diverse ecosystems

The wetlands are a treasure trove of diverse ecosystems

Image: Mangrove saplings

Mangrove saplings

Image: Smooth-coated otters, which inhabit the region

Smooth-coated otters, which inhabit the region

Image: Tree Planting

Tree Planting

Partner
BirdLife International Tokyo

BirdLife International Tokyo is a Japanese affiliate for BirdLife International, an international environmental NGO headquartered in Cambridge, UK. This Tokyo-based non-governmental organization works closely with its partner organizations in Asia to conserve birds and their habitats in the region as well as contribute to maintaining and improving the natural environment, thereby also promoting the health and wellbeing of people.

Click here for details.

Restoration of mangroves in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico

～ Restoring mangrove forests and wetlands to preserve habitats for migratory birds, including endangered species, and sustain the living standards of local residents ～

Location：South Pacific coastal areas in the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico
Period：July 2015 – June 2021
Activity： To recover and restore mangrove forests which help preserving a North American migration flyway

Mar Muerto Lagoon and La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve are in the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Chiapas. Retaining diverse wetland ecosystems stretching along the Pacific coast, these spots provide natural habitats for a wide variety of wildlife, particularly waterfowl, including ducks and geese. Also, situated as they are near the narrowest part of the land area connecting the North and South American continents, these marshy reserves serve as a key stopover point along a principal American migration flyway, offering habitats to many different species of migratory birds, including some on the endangered list. In recent years, these areas have been subject to a range of human activities, from the construction of canals and dikes to aquaculture and salt production. Such activities led to mangrove deforestation, causing aridification and ecological damage in an expanding area across the natural wetlands. Aiming to remedy this situation, Ricoh launched a project in July 2015 in cooperation with local residents and NPOs to recover and restore damaged mangrove forests in pilot zones. This initiative has been designed to help improve the livelihoods of local communities through creating employment opportunities and increasing fishery productivity, as part of planned ecosystem conservation activities.

Image: South Pacific coastal areas in the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas

South Pacific coastal areas in the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas

Image: Workshop for tree planting to local residents

Workshop for tree planting to local residents

Image: Maintaining mangrove forest

Maintaining mangrove forest

Image: Planting mangrove

Planting mangrove

Partner
BirdLife International Tokyo

BirdLife International Tokyo is a Japanese affiliate for BirdLife International, an international environmental NGO headquartered in Cambridge, UK. This Tokyo-based non-governmental organization works closely with its partner organizations in Asia to conserve birds and their habitats in the region as well as contribute to maintaining and improving the natural environment, thereby also promoting the health and wellbeing of people.

Click here for details.