On Friday, August 27^th, I accompanied the Samani Elementary 4^th graders while they climbed Mt. Apoi. They were originally supposed to make the hike at the beginning of May, but due to a government mandated State of Emergency, it was postponed.

The Samani Elementary students, from grades 3 to 6, all climb Mt. Apoi as part of their curriculum. The 4^th grader's goal was to reach the summit, and the theme of their hike was plants. The geopark guide pointed out various flowers as we hiked up the mountain.

The 4^th graders enjoyed ringing the bear bells (5^th station).

View of the summit from the 8^th station. There is fog surrounding the summit which was a complete opposite from the sunny 1^st station. It was a bit windy and chilly towards the top.

Japanese Pepper tree

This signboard has been clawed many times by bears. There's also some bear fur that remains attached to the sign.

There aren't as many flowers to see below the 8^th station, but I will introduce what we did find.

Miyamauzura

Kinrobai

Umebachiso

Shakunage

Daimonjiso

Benihikage butterfly

The 4^th graders were great at finding things and pointing them out to me. We also encountered squirrels and a snake skin. I haven't had the opportunity to hike Mt. Apoi much during summer, so it was a nice change and a fun day.

Elementary students from the Tokachi Shikaoi Geopark came to Samani to observe the inner workings of the Earth while searching for the secrets behind peridotite rock and the fault line where two continental plates once collided. It also happened to be summer vacation.

The one thing that excited them the most was seeing the ocean. The town of Shikaoi in the Tokachi region is removed from the sea, while Samani is right along the Pacific Ocean coastline. The students were able to experience the differences between Shikaoi and Samani, understand the various movements of the earth, and made new discoveries that connect back to their hometown.

A typhoon was approaching, so the wind picked up and the waves were high along the coastline of Fuyushima. The weather was fine, perfect for a summer trip to the sea. Some of the students ran out to get a closer look.

Inside the Visitor Center

After walking around the plate boundary, we headed to Horoman Gorge. When we were along the coast there was a pleasant breeze, but in Horoman Gorge there was no wind and hardly any shade... the students did their best to collect rock samples in spite of the conditions. The students were also able to see kelp being drying in the sun, the Taisho tunnel, butterfly shells, and Ezo deer.

Even though the students were traveling within the same prefecture, it's still 2.5 hours' drive one-way from Shikaoi to Samani. This was only a day trip so the students were getting ready to make the return trip back to Shikaoi. Everyone worked hard throughout the hot weather. I'm sure it was physically challenging, but overall, it was a very enjoyable summer day.

In early July we held the 5th monitoring tour for international visitors. In continuing this series of monitoring tours, the first four were all based on existing tour courses, however, this time we created a brand-new course, the first of its kind, the "Best of Samani" tour. This course was created based off of feedback we had received from the participants of the previous monitoring tours. A one-day course to see the best that Samani has to offer. Perfect for visitors who only have a limited amount of time to explore the geopark.

The morning started off overcast with Mt. Apoi hidden behind a curtain of fog. The participants met with the geopark guides in front of town hall and immediately headed to the Mt. Apoi Geopark Visitor Center to get an overview of the geopark. The guides used the new projection mapping display to show the participants the tour route we would be taking that day.

Next, we headed to Mt. Kannon where we were greeted by some young fox kits relaxing in the parking area. Here the participants learned more about the history of Mt. Kannon and the 33 Kannon statues that are enshrined there. We climbed up to the observation deck just in time for the fog to thin and catch a glimpse of Mt. Apoi.

After Mt. Kannon we headed to the Ainu chise located in the Okada district of Samani. This is a traditionally built Ainu building. The roof and walls are made from reeds that were taken from the nearby Samani River. Since the reeds are hollow it makes for excellent insulation in summer and winter. We were able to go inside this traditional Ainu building and see how it was constructed and learn about the different rites and ceremonies that are conducted inside. Even though the sun had come out and it was starting to warm up outside, it was nice and cool inside the chise.

We were closing in on lunch time, so after a quick restroom break we went to the Samani Dam for a very special lunch. Everyone sat down at a small gazebo right next to the dam and eagerly opened up the Apoi Dream Bento boxed lunches. These boxed lunches are designed by the Samani Junior High School students and made from locally sourced ingredients like Apoi Rice, salmon, and sea whelk. It was a wonderful assortment! After everyone finished eating, I began preparing for a special outdoor tea ceremony for the participants to experience some traditional Japanese culture. The participants enjoyed the outdoor tea ceremony in the beautiful weather.

After lunch our guide explained a little about the dam then we headed towards the Samani Folk Museum. Some of the exhibits are in the middle of being renewed, but we were still able to hear more about the history of Samani and see some of the Ainu artifacts.

After visiting the Folk Museum, we went to nearby Cape Enrumu. By this time the clouds and fog gave way to clear blue skies and we were rewarded with a wonderful view of Mt. Apoi and the surrounding area.

The last stop was Oyako-iwa Fureai Beach, where the participants learned the Ainu legend behind the Parent-Child Rocks. We sat down to enjoy a new treat, Mokka Butter Cream Sandwiches in strawberry and kelp flavors that is now being sold in the geopark. Afterwards the participants took off their shoes and headed down to the beach to look for seashells. We found a variety of things including a starfish, a washed-up jellyfish, sand dollar, and goose barnacles. The cold ocean water felt food, and it was a relaxing end to a whirlwind tour of Samani and the geopark.


(D)

We've been experiencing a hotter summer than usual here in Samani.

On Sunday, July 18^th, we held an event to clean up the beach around Cape Enrumu and to learn more about the area.

We had around 50 volunteers made up of Hidaka Credit Union staff, firefighters, Mt. Apoi Geopark guides, and townspeople.

Due to the natural harbor created by the cape there was a quite a bit of trash and drift wood that washed ashore. The volunteers worked hard for 2 hours picking up cans, plastic bottles, plastic containers and more. We filled 50 120-liter bags and 30 45-liter bags. It was a lot, but we still were not able to pick up everything.

Did you know that sand originates from the mountains and that the geological composition of the mountains can change the color of the sand? The sand around Samani tends to be darker in color and one reason for that is a higher iron sand content. We tested this idea by using magnets to see how much iron was in the surrounding sand.

We found several unusual objects that drifted ashore such as a birch buoy that came from abroad, pipes and feeders from eel fishing, and even pumice.

Here are some flowers that bloom along the coastline.

Seashore False Bindweed, Hamahirugao

Hamanigana

It was a hot day, but the coastline is a lot cleaner now.

Prior to the Samani Elementary School climbing Mt. Apoi this year, we held an informative presentation for the students. Every year the geopark sends a lecturer to the school, however, due to COVID-19 we held the first online lecture.

A look inside the classroom.

The students watched the presentation on a monitor in their classroom.

The presentation included information on the flowers, insects, rocks, and important aspects of Mt. Apoi.

From the lecturer's side of the monitor we could hear the student's energetic voices, see them nodding their heads, and taking notes. The presentations were held on different dates for each participating grade level: 6th grade on May 13th, 5th grade on May 13th, and 4th grade on May 19th.

This was the first time this kind of online exchange was implemented in a school in Mt. Apoi Geopark. Thanks to the elementary school faculty who facilitated communication among the students, the presentations were a success. Afterwards, we did realize that it might be best to narrow down the content since it does take more time than an in-person presentation.