[Feature: Marine Sustainability / Special Feature: 150th Anniversary of Keio Yochisha Elementary School] Tatsumi Suguro: Keio Yochisha Elementary School Students and Living Creatures

Photo: 150th Anniversary Ceremony of Keio Yochisha Elementary School (May 30, Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall)

At Keio Yochisha Elementary School, we can see children interacting with living creatures in various situations. Sometimes a class keeps insects or turtles, and other times it is the morning glories that all first-graders grow, or the flowers and vegetables cultivated by a student group called the "Gardening Club." Observing caterpillars they have raised transform into pupae and butterflies, or plants blooming and bearing fruit, is a precious opportunity for children living in modern cities. In addition to these settings, there are science-related facilities where students can fully interact with living things. At the "Animal Shed," chickens, Peking ducks, and small animals are kept and exhibited, and students can interact with them during lunch breaks and other times. The "Science Museum" displays live specimens such as freshwater fish from Japan and abroad, as well as various specimens of extant and fossil flora and fauna. Both facilities were built because science education at Keio Yochisha Elementary School has long valued "touching the real thing" and has poured great enthusiasm into it.

And a place that is indispensable when talking about this theme is the "Science Garden," a biotope that Keio Yochisha Elementary School is proud of. Although compact, it contains a mix of elements such as fields, ponds, grasslands, and groves, and is home to a diverse range of creatures that one would not expect to find in the heart of the city. Utilizing this environment, science classes involve activities to search for living things such as insects and flowers in each season. At these times, with the exception of dangerous things like bees, there is basically nothing that "must not be taken." The environment is healthy enough to tolerate the load of children collecting things by hand. This allows us to realize the Keio Yochisha Elementary School science motto of "Collection-based Science" on campus. Using their hands, eyes, and heads—and sometimes even their ears, noses, and tongues—to discover various things, the students receive a variety of stimuli and engage in activities with total absorption, from the lower to the upper grades.

Some students even go for "seconds" of this creature-hunting outside of class hours. Every year, there are a few members of the insect-collecting group, and on days when I can accompany them, they engage in free activities in the Science Garden during lunch breaks or after school. Their skills are impressive, and it is not uncommon for them to catch insects that even I—who look for insects on campus whenever I have a spare moment—am seeing for the first time. These are not just "star insects" like butterflies or stag beetles, but also plain insects like flies, stink bugs, moths, and spiders, and even minor ones like rove beetles and cylindrical bark beetles, whose appearance would likely be completely unimaginable to the general public. These times seem to be truly happy for them, and they often write about it in their essays.

Some of them continue to stay in touch after graduation, visiting the Science Garden or going out to the mountains together. Reading this, some might unconsciously imagine male students, but the gender ratio of the insect-collecting members is about half and half. There is likely no inherent gender difference in whether one likes insects or not. In the past, there have been girls who were good at catching flies, girls who would put caterpillars on their hands, and girls who would find insects smaller than a sesame seed without missing them. I look on with a smile at children who still love insects even in the upper grades, seeing them as wonderful children with a strong sense of self.

Generally speaking, what is gained through interaction with living things is not only important for students who will pursue careers in medical sciences or biology in the future. I believe that becoming absorbed in something or feeling that something is "somehow interesting" contributes to nurturing rich sensibilities and curiosity. Being able to feel that various things are "interesting" adds color to life. To put it more pragmatically, it will even be "useful" no matter what path they take, such as gaining a perspective that allows them to gather hints related to their work from a wide range of sources, or increasing opportunities to relieve stress.

Speaking of stress relief, the other day I was crouching down in my garden at home looking at the ground and found a tiny fly called a "leafminer fly." As I watched it closely, this fly laid eggs in the moss. Until just a few years ago, leafminer flies that lay eggs in moss had not been found in Japan. To think it was in my own garden! The moment I realized this, I felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration, and I felt the stress level within me drop instantly. It might be a special case, but I believe that I maintain my mental health through the accumulation of such experiences.

Beyond the fulfillment of an individual's life, there is also significance that becomes visible from a broader perspective. For humans to continue utilizing biological resources on Earth in the future, it is necessary for the new generation of children to possess a sense of cherishing life and biodiversity. While I feel that awareness of sustainability has been increasing in society in recent years, I believe that if the students of Keio Yochisha Elementary School, who will likely become leaders in various fields, acquire this sense, the situation will truly become better than it is now.

With such thoughts in mind, I continue to watch over the interaction between students and living creatures today.