For two weeks in August 2025, I attended the Tokyo Metropolitan University Global Discussion Camp on sustainability and biodiversity through SUNY Oneonta’s Summer Fellowship Program. I met students from across the globe and with the help of a faculty advisor we conducted a small research project on satoyama revival over the course of a week.

Final Project Outcome

This research poster was presented at SUNY Oneonta’s Student Research and Creative Activity Summer Showcase.

Research Poster presented at showcase

What I did

During the camp I learned about satoyama and how these areas are decreasing due to urbanization. I visited Jike Furusato Village along with other students apart of the camp and we took a hike exploring the forests, ponds, shrines, and, rice paddies in the area; taking notes on the ecosystem services we found. Together we interviewed a long-term foreign resident of the village who has learned the satoyama lifestyle from locals and has created a business that supports exploration of the area and Japanese traditions. With the help of our advisor we presented a slideshow on our findings to the university president, head of global education, and others engaged in the camp.

What I learned

Before this project I had never heard the word satoyama and now I know it is much more than just a landscape, it’s a lifestyle; the way humans connect with nature and benefit from one another. Attracting newcomers and supporting the promotion of satoyama is vital to stabilize and revive dying rural communities that face a threat of being urbanized. This project strengthened my communication skills and expanded my knowledge on ecosystems and sustainability. It has prepared me to interact and work with people whose first language isn’t english, and to communicate the importance of sustainable living in the 21st century.