An article from Mt. Apoi titled "Underwater Images Before and After a Red Tide 2021" was published by the UNESCO Global Geopark Network in a digital magazine called "Geoparks & Oceans."

New publication on Geoparks and the Oceans.

https://globalgeoparksnetwork.org/?p=6821

#GeoparksandOceans #UNESCOGlobalGeoparks #GlobalGeoparksNetwork #GGN

1) The Red Tide Event in 2021

At the end of September 2021, a widespread red tide event, which decimated marine life, occurred along the Pacific Ocean coastline of eastern Hokkaido, where the Geopark is located. According to research institutes in Hokkaido, the species of the genus Karenia (K. mikimotoi and K. selliformis), a marine dinoflagellate, was detected in parts of the red tide plankton. Along the Samani coastline, many dead sea urchins and sea whelks were discovered, and it is predicted that some marine life will take approximately 7-10 years to fully recover, creating a very grave situation. Mt. Apoi Geopark continues to report updated information. (2021 Samani Area Marine Vision News)


September 28, 2021 Empty sea urchin shells along the Samani coastline

2) Images Before the Red Tide

A local Hidaka kelp fisherman once said, "kelp grows due to photosynthesis under the rolling waves, creating its own marine ecosystem." In order to better understand these words, we took underwater footage in 2019 and held a movie screening for the local community.

Underwater footage, "Samani's Kelp and Ocean Life"

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC1q16MinPSMliPSXT04fBw/featured

These showings started an open dialogue between locals who knew about kelp fishing and those who did not, and those who knew little about the ocean floor topography, sediment, and marine life. We heard many voices that day, including locals that hope the abundant ocean life will continue for many years to come. We hope to continue to educate and inform our community about the importance of the ocean's ecosystems.


Kelp at Fuyushima district in Samani, Hokkaido

On July 3^rd, we held the Geo-Holiday event where locals can explore the town with certified guides to rediscover the history and geology of Samani.

We visited Cape Enrumu and the Samani Folk Museum. The weather was perfect. Just the right temperature with a pleasant breeze.

The bright green of parsley plants and the deep blue of the Samani fishing harbor as seen from the viewing platform on Cape Enrumu gave us the feeling of summer. We could also see some kelp drying beds from here.

Mt. Apoi, clouds, and participants.

This information panel in front of the Folk Museum explains the Samani Kaisho. Partway through some participants from Hyogo prefecture joined us.

At Cape Enrumu we ran into some visitors from Sapporo and Chiba prefectures. Here is a conversation that happened between our participants and the visitors.

- Cape Enrumu is located south of the national highway, so it was a little difficult to find the place. I could see the sign along the highway from one side but not the other, so I passed by it. I saw the stairs from the highway, so I thought this must be the place and came here.
- Since you came all the way here be sure to climb the stairs up to the viewing platform.
- We are touring around Hokkaido and Cape Enrumu is listed as a point of interest.
- What is a kaisho?
- The butterbur plants in Hokkaido are large and impressive. I remember making an umbrella with the butterburs when I visited the Hidaka region 50 years ago. Stories about the edible butterbur flowers and angelica tree shoots are interesting.
- This was the first I had heard that this was the place that the Samani Junior High school students were raising and planting seedlings as part of their Dream Project.
- Seeing the kelp drying beds while driving through Samani was impressive.
- I took my time looking at the exhibits in the Folk Museum.

*Geo-Holiday

In order to sustainably conserve and utilize the geological, natural, and cultural heritage that are the assets of Samani in the future, this event aims to develop an awareness and foster momentum so that many people can reconsider the charms of the town and rediscover the charms of Samani with certified guides.

This course was held at the suggestion of a certified guide. It is a once in a lifetime encounter with visitors and participants from out of town. It is also a great opportunity to take a leisurely stroll.

The Samani Public Library KAN x KAN Lecture series held a "Reading Picnic" outside on the library's lawn. The librarian held a talk where they recommended various books that they had handpicked for the event. As someone who always picks my own books and ends up reading the same things, it was a breath of fresh air.

There were even books about the local area.

Since it was a reading picnic, I was fascinated by the lunches that everyone brought.

- A librarian is a professional staff member at a prefectural or municipal public libraries, who select, order, and accept library materials, classify, catalog, check out, and provide reading guides.

- The KAN x KAN Lectures is a series of lectures co-organized by the following facilities: Samani Public Library, Samani Folk Museum, and Mt. Apoi Geopark Visitor Center. These lectures cover a wide range of topics that highlights the culture of the area, and can be anything from outdoor activities to workshops. These are held about once a month, along with various mini-lectures. The "Explore Apoi" nature excursions were held in May along the foothills of Mt. Apoi.

On Sunday, May 28th, the Mt. Apoi Geopark held a third beach clean-up near Cape Enrumu. This event was held in cooperation with the Hidaka Shinkin Bank, Samani Rotary Club, Samani Youth Council, and Samani Women's Council.

Approximately 40 volunteers gathered and collected 520 kg of trash in just one hour. A few interesting items were found, including a water bottle from China, hand cream from Russia, and eye medication from Korea.

June 5th was World Environment Day and the theme was "Only One Earth." Did you know that if our current lifestyles continue, the amount of plastic waste that enters the ocean could triple from 9-14 million tons in 2016 to 23-37 million tons by 2040?

We have #OnlyOneEarth so let's take care of it.

#WorldEnvironmentDay #OnlyOneEarth

#MtApoi #UNESCOGlobalGeopark

Celebrating International Museum Day 2022

The Mt. Apoi Geopark Visitor Center introduces the various aspects of Samani Town including the geography, nature, history, culture, and industries through informational panels and videos.

We recently renovated the display panels about the local legends of Samani that have been passed down by the indigenous Ainu people.

A projection mapping topographic model of the Mt. Apoi Geopark displays a plethora of information including an outline of the geopark and the geosite locations, as well as displays the Ainu place names and a geological map of the geopark.