Curatorial Staff (Botany
and Mycology)
Osaka Museum of Natural
History
Sponsored
by Osaka Minami Rotary Club
The British Isles are located in the cool, temperate zone above the North 40th parallel, directly opposite to Japan on the eastern side of the great Eurasian continent. The Japanese people can easily feel at home among the plant life of the British Isles. In the forests, one can find many acorn-bearing oaks similar to those here in Japan. The hills and ridges are covered with pine trees, and the marshlands are filled with trees similar to our alders and willows. British streets are lined with chestnut and elm trees, and their hedgerows contain black alder and hawthorn. It is very difficult to describe trees with a common name (in English or Japanese), since we do not have exactly the same kind of trees in each country. It would be much more difficult for us to express images of Indonesian or Australian trees. The names used to describe the trees would sound exotic, and conjure up no accurate image in our minds. Trees in the British Isles are close relatives of those in Japan, so luckily we can share our images. (They are taxnomicaly different species, of course, but difference itself can be a point of interest for a botanist like me.) The difficulty of translating British literature into Japanese in such a way that it can be read without any sense of oddness, etc. is something similar, I think. But, natural beauty (and nature itself) is one of the important elements for each culture and civilization.
On the other hand, there is a big differnce in biodiversity between Japan and the United Kingdom. For example, in Japan, we have about 950 species of ferns, while in all of Europe, there are only 150 species. I will be discussing this in more detail later, but to a Japanese, Britain comes across as lacking in abundant, lush forest lands.
Even so, I must say that Great Britain is the land that has produced many great naturalists and biologists, such as Charles Darwin. Many great British researchers have also gone before me in the fields of mycology and ecology (my fields of expertise). The famous British Museum of Natural History is unique in all the world. The information, specimens, scientific works, etc. accumulated by this museum speak in epic proporitons about the history of life found on our planet. It seems to me that England was not intent on merely building the Great British Empire, but at the same time, it was intent on gathering as much knowledge as it could on the wildlife of the world. Innumerable scientists, such as Sir Joseph Banks (first director of the Royal Botanical Gardens) sailed the seas as far as Asia and Australia, dedicated to the research of the wildlife there. Even in daily life, the British are renowned for their love of nature and their powers of observation. The Natural History of Selbourn is a good example. I have wondered for long time about the reason behind the British love for nature and desire to observe it, as well as the desire to preserve it. The British Isles seem like a miniature garden compared to the American wilderness, with its rich and varied wildlife. So I thought the British have a different conception of nature than Americans have. Every time I talked with British researchers and members of conservation NGOs, I was always curious about their concept about nature.
I think of Great Britain as a wonderful country for natural history, with its long traditions associated with the natural sciences, while a literature expert might think of Great Britain as a country of literature because of Shakespeare.
The northern region of England, which we visited on our GSE trip, can be summed up as being a former shipbuilding and coal mining area that is now a farming area with a number of new industries. But this region had a long history before the age of coal mining, and one can still see many old churches and stately mansions that were owned by land barons and dukes. Thanks to the kindness and considerateness of our hosts, we were able to get off to a pleasant start, by visiting a number of these famous relics from the past. The buildings exceeded our image of what it means to be "wealthy" and live in luxury. All the rooms had exquisite fixtures, furniture, paintings and ceramic works. Such famous, historical places are managed and maintained by the English Heritage (a public group) or by NGOs, such as the National Trust. Many of the staff workers are volunteers, who are studying art in university They are able to gain much more from their experience working at such places than just an opportunity to have a job. At the Cragside Estate, I saw a ceramic specialist working by contract, but his real interest is to carry out a survey and study of the ceramic works there. At first, I intended to enjoy my visit simply as an observer, but my nature as a curator came out. The operational side of these cultural assets seemed a good model for me. In Japan, in general, volunteer workers are brought in as a "cheap labor force." I wonder how many Japanese museums are giving a chance to those who think, "I want the experience of working here more than money." I am proud to say that, at the museum where I work, we are working in good relation with our volunteers and we are trying to stimulate their eagerness for studying. I wonder what it is in British society that makes it possible for British people to live their lives in a way that seems, at times, free from the restrictions associated with concern about economic matters.
Most of the stately mansions we visited had not only displays of ceramics, but also mounted birds and collections of eggs. And it isn't rare to find cases with collections of fossils, minerals and gems, as well. Not many people would find themselves attracted to it, but some of the collections can give a general overview of local nature as the wealthy person's lifetime hobby, and others displayed exotic birds as a symbol of their wealth. It is indicative of the interest the upper class had in natural history as one of their hobbies. Most local museums in England are built upon such private collections of artworks and natural science specimens. Unlike Japan, where huge museums are sometimes built without a serious management plan, museums in England are built with the goal of making valuable collections available to the public and serving as places for research and study. Just two examples of such museums are the Hancock Museum of Natural History in Newcastle, and the Dorman Museum in Middlesbrough. The Hancock Museum has been developed as a natural science museum. but the Dorman Museum is more than that. As the private collection of steel baron Dorman, it is a general museum, containing everything from artworks to items related to the history of industry in Middlesbrough.
I was amazed not only by the mansions, but also by the famous gardens I saw, which are loved by the local people. I never imagined that there would be greenhouses in this region, which is above the North 50th parallel, that were filled with tropical fruit plants way back in the 19th century. One can see many plants from Japan and other parts of Asia. I saw Japanese rhododendron and camellia there, among others. They also had many flowering trees from Australia and New Zealand. It was like a small botanical garden.
In England, one can see, quite easily, not just ancient ruins and buildings, but also old public utility buildings, old mines and other industrial sites, and old city streets and buildings that are being actively promoted as public cultural assets and tourist attractions. Every time I visited famous places and ruins that were a part of a given city's history and identity, I was impressed by the way in which the citizens (including the Rotarians we were with) treat their cultural assets and take pride in them.
Related Internet sites:
The National Trust:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
I felt that the landscape and scenery in northeastern England was "bright." The gently rolling hillside is dotted with endless pastures, meadows and grain fields. The forests, which are maintained as sources of lumber, are not very large, and the fields are separated by hedgerows of small trees. Depending upon the area, these living hedgerows, which demarcate field and pasture boundaries, are sometimes replaced with sandstone block walls that also serve to shelter animals from the harsh winter winds. The ridges are often covered, not with large forests, but with heath land. Virgin forests remain in only very limited spots, and, as a result, the landscape is very open and grassy.
In line with the kind of landscape there, the wildlife we saw in this area was typical of grassy flatlands. Although we saw many hares and rabbits, we didn't see any red deer, except in Scotland, where there are enough tree stands that are necessary for the deer to feel safe and secure. We often saw wild mushrooms that are common to grasslands and those which grow well in soil that is fertilized by the droppings of domestic livestock.
In the midst of such an environment, it is the living hedgerows that play a vital role in providing shelter and a place to live for the forest birds, animals, and insects in northeastern England. These hedgerows consist of elm, hazelnut, rosehip, elder, ash and hawthorn trees. They are similar to the shrub fences we have in Japanese temples. Sometimes, British hedgerows are made of European beech trees. Bordering these hedgerows is a strip of ground that is not cut, so many wildflowers and berries grow there. I was told that in the fall, many of the local children come to pick the blackberries and raspberries growing there. So, these hedgerows are important to people, plants, insects and animals. Also, some hedgerows have different kinds of trees, such as elder and mountain ash, which produce cherry-like fruits that provide food for many birds, and hazelnut and beech trees, which provide nuts for squirrels and people. You might say that these living hedgerows are similar to the coppiced forests located near residential areas in Japan.
More than anything else, though, these living hedgerows provide shelter and protection for the wild animals. The same can be said for the sandstone block walls, because of the tall grass that grows along them. During my trip, I found many badger and rabbit holes near the hedgerows. Birds also use these hedgerows for protection and as "paths" when they fly to people's gardens. These living hedgerows and sandstone walls were created by man ages ago, and they fulfill a vital role in helping to maintain the forest-oriented wildlife population in this grassy nation. Conservation-related NGOs, such as the Durham Wildlife Trust, are working hard to preserve these man-made habitats for wildlife.
Related Internet site:
Wildlife Trust:
http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/
Conditions are quite harsh in the northeastern part of England, as far as agriculture is concerned. The competition that has resulted from the free market created by the European Union is directly related to England's desire to increase its competitiveness by increasing the scale of its agricultural operations. The living hedgerows and sandstone walls are being removed to allow for smooth farming using large agricultural machinery. In addition, the marshlands and heath, which had not been utilized before for agriculture, are being turned into farming land. Over the past ten years, it is said that 90% of Britain's overall hedgerow and sandstone wall kilometreage has been lost. These severe changes in agriculture are resulting in the destruction of England's traditional landscape and culture, and there is a chance that the wildlife in these regions will all but disappear. As compensation for the rapid changes taking place, the government is carrying out a "Set Aside Policy" to help soften the economic hardship in the region by offering farmers subsidies to help maintain hilly land agriculture, even though conditions for this style of farming are not good. This Set Aside Policy is closely tied to the common agricultural policy of the European Union. The government is working to strengthen its environmental policy by introducing systems that will maintain and control the moorlands, countryside access and the wildlife habitat. Many conservation-related NGOs, such as Friends of the Earth and the Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds, etc. are working to deal with the problem comprehensively. Some of the things they are doing include setting up systems that require people to apply for permission to remove a living hedgerow and providing financial incentives to help people maintain and restore the hedgerows.
I think there are also those who are critical of the direction in which things are moving, particularly in regard to government subsidizing of agriculture. However, in the same way, what is happening in England can be compared with what is taking place in Japan. While the government is paying to help maintain and support the various farming industries, the traditional farming landscape and communities are being destroyed because they are caught between the government's desire to increase competitiveness (through increased mechanization) by improving agricultural lands, on one hand, and the government's desire to reduce farming on less productive land. Along with the loss of the traditional farming landscape and communities, there is the danger that the wildlife living in the agricultural areas will become extinct. I think the negative result of the government's agricultural subsidies in Japan is the harm to the environment and our culture, because there is no ideology or ethic to counterbalance the fundamental goal of greater "cost competitiveness" as the government struggles to decide what aspects of the agricultural landscape should be preserved in our mountainous regions. There is no easy solution or path to be taken, but what I saw before my eyes in England certainly helped me get a dramatic picture of the reality of the problem we face in Japan.
Only one of my host families worked as a farmer. John Gray raises sheep for the meat market. His ranch seemed to me to be more than one square kilometre in size. John is one of a young breed of farmers who is highly motivated and who oversees every aspect of his operations. He even works with rams for breeding. During my time in England, I asked him, and those I met when visiting Hougful Farm for my vocational study, what they thought about the government's policies. They all said that, while they understand the need to have a system that takes the environment into account, as those who are actually working to make a living in agriculture, they had mixed feelings about policies that bring about a decrease in the productivity of their operations.
In this way, the agriculture vs. conservation problem being faced here in Japan is the same as (or even greater than) that facing the British. I visited the North York Moor National Park during my vocational study. This park contains the largest heather plains in all of England. Because of the low temperatures and dryness of the heath, fallen leaves, etc. do not break down and decompose completely, and form peat. For this reason, there are no trees there. When I was there, there were many beautiful heath flowers in bloom (erica and calluna), and the cotton grass was starting to turn reddish-brown.
Actually, agriculture plays an important role in the preservation and maintenance of such a landscape. By letting sheep and cows graze on old heath branches, new branches are formed. The North York Moor National Park is also home to many grouse, and the grouse use the new heath as a source of food and old heath as a shelter. The heath is grazed in order to maintain this balance. Thus, heathlands are sometimes lost by extensive agriculture, but to maintain a healthy heath system, agriculture is required!
In Japan, most of our national parks are located in the mountains for the purpose of protecting virgin forests. For this reason, the maintenance of national parks and agriculture are unrelated problems. Japan's agricultural landscape is a good habitat for an abundant array of wildlife, but it is not the type of land that could be set aside as a national park. Britain's national parks are located very near agricultural lands, so there is a need not to "keep one's hands off" nature, but, rather, to need to maintain the environment with "continuing managed agriculture." This approach is adapted to the actual conditions faced in England, but what surprised me very much was the fact that they have actually achieved a system of national parks that manage and preserve the natural environment. Of course, the management and operation of these national parks is not carried out solely by the park rangers. A large portion of the national park land, as in Japan, is often privately-owned land. For this reason, British park rangers are involved in explaining, in detail, ecological and other matters to the farmers, and seeking their understanding and cooperation. I was allowed to go around with the rangers for one day, and I think that, with the limited number of staff, they are doing an extraordinary job of grasping the situation in the park lands, taking the necessary measures, and keeping in regular contact with the farmers.
The park rangers are working hard to implement policies aimed at preserving the natural beauty, even as the wildflowers of the meadows are disappearing along with the agricultural landscape. During my time in England's beautiful natural landscape, I was constantly reminded of things here in Japan, and I asked myself daily whether what I was seeing implemented could be done in Japan or if it would be effective in Japan, or why it hasn't been achieved yet in Japan.
I can't go into detail about it here, but the British livestock industry was hit hard by the mad-cow disease epidemic and the scrapie problem. Just as reported in the news media, it was a serious blow to the livestock industry, and the severity of the damage and economic loss varied from region to region. However, I felt that as a result of these incidents, the approach to agriculture in England has become more diversified.
Related Internet site:
North York Moors
National Park:
http://www.northyorkmoors-npa.gov.uk/
I don't think there is much difference between England and Japan in regard to the extent of natural beauty found in the large cities. The main trees found along city streets are sycamore maples, ash, elm, and horse chestnuts, but sometimes you will see birch and whitebeam trees. Smaller flowering trees include mountain ash and cherry trees. In church yards and cemeteries, I saw many yew trees. As I list these different trees, it may seem like there are a lot of different trees in England, but when one goes to a park, the types of large trees are mostly limited to the ones I've mentioned here. The parks left me with the impression of being rather simple in regard to ecology because of the lack of diversity. Still, the trees lining the streets are huge, and, unlike Japan, where the trees are bothersomely dug up and changed often, the trees in England grow to be majestic and beautiful. One can say that England, even among the nations of Europe, has many giant, old trees.
One reason why I said that the parks left me with a rather simple impression in regard to ecology is that the vast oak forests that used to cover Great Britain are almost all gone now. In Japanese cities, we have old forests and groves remaining on old estates, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and these can give us a clue as to what things were like in the past. In England, however, this is not the case. As I mentioned earlier, even in the splendid parks and gardens of England, as far as the trees are concerned, I sensed that things were largely man-made. Most of the trees and flowering plants I saw in the parks and gardens there were "alien species" (not indigenous to the British Isles), so the wildlife I saw in the cities left me with the impression that "although there are many flowers and much greenery, it is lacking genuine British nature." Even so, as far as the birds are concerned, such "foreign" trees still offer ample places for nesting, etc., and they seemed to enjoy living there (more about this later). If one is looking to find the remaining genuine, natural beauty of England, it will be found, as I mentioned earlier, in the wildflowers and bushes of the rural landscape. As I talked with my different host families, I sensed that the kind of natural beauty that many city dwellers long for is found in the beautiful pastoral landscapes in rural England.
By car, it takes almost no time at all to go from the city to the countryside, but it is too far for children to go on foot. For adults, even though they may see natural beauty out their car window daily, like the Japanese, they don't really get the chance to touch it, smell it and taste it on a daily basis. According to those I talked to, flowers and trees and birds, etc. are things that seem far away to them. (I'm sure that the things I do, such as enjoying pressing leaves in newspaper, tasting the fruit of trees, picking mushrooms, etc., seem a bit strange to them!) So, even in England, environmental education is an important thing. I heard that in primary school, the students have bird-watching class. I saw a number of facilities involved in reclaiming old mining lands into wetlands and forests for new habitat for wild animals. Some of these were already twenty years old, and many of them had achieved very good results. Even those that have not completely returned to the forested condition they once had are still fine places for students to go on school field trips. At Gateshead, where there is almost no forestland left, they have built a forest visitors' center where they offer a variety of programs aimed at teachers, students and the local citizens. NGOs are also active in such education programs. Nature's World (I will discuss this place in more detail in the next section) is one such place. There is also a visitors' center operated by the Wetland and Waterfowl Trust in Washington, a conservation group whose goal is the preservation of wetlands and waterfowl.
About one hour from Newcastle and Sunderland, along the River Tyne, there is a man-made wetland where the importance of wetlands is taught, predominantly through the keeping and raising of waterfowl native to England. I was deeply impressed by the words of one of the staff members, who said, "If our city children have no experience or knowledge of waterfowl and are afraid of them, there will be no future for the birds. Our approach may take a long time, but it bears lasting fruit." When I heard this person speak in terms of such long-range strategy, I got a feel for the foundational and fundamental strength of NGOs in Great Britain.
Related Internet site:
WWT Washington:
http://www.washington.co.uk/wwt/
The caricature or image we Japanese have of British people being extremely dedicated in the way they take care of their gardens proved accurate, based upon what I saw. And I am not just talking about the gardens found at old mansions, etc., which I mentioned at the beginning of my report. Gateshead, where there is a large gardening center, is representative of the kind of government effort being exerted to help beautify the city. Citizens are even putting small flower beds at street corners.
During my homestays, two of my host families took me to see their local gardening center after I mentioned that I was interested in plants. At these centers, I found plants from all over the world. They even had Japanese rhododendrons, maples and manryo (a short shrub with bright red berries). Gardening is an extremely important industry in England, and even those who do not have gardens are usually interested in gardening.
I would like to mention two things related to the garden plants I saw at these gardening centers. First is the name tags affixed to the pots. At my museum, those of us who are involved in horticulture or botany as a job, will often be asked about plants. When someone calls up on the phone with a question, we often have trouble because of the the Japanese names (or English names) given to the plants by those in the gardening industry. When people call up, they are expecting that if they tell us the name of the plant, we will be able to tell them what plant family it belongs to, or how to take care of it. But in actuality, it is often very difficult for us to know what it is, because, in the gardening industry, plants are not consistently or systematically named. In England, like Japan, the name of the plant is written in their native language. But, what impressed me was the fact that the labels affixed to the flower pots and tree pots had both the everyday English name and [___?___O_Aand_?_C_^___b_N_____?_______B]the Latin name and plant family written on them! My hosts told me that they usually don't bother looking at the scientific names, but it proves helpful to them when they want to study up on the plant more seriously in a reference book. This was an indicator, to me, of British society's long tradition of gardening and the traditional, inquisitive mind the British have toward plants. I found myself wishing the gardening industry in Japan would do the same thing and envying the way things are in England.
The second thing I would like to mention is "wild gardening." It seems to be quite popular in Japan these days. If you go to a garden center, you can find pamphlets explaining it and maybe even a small section of the shop displaying some examples. England is no exception when it comes to having people in cities who want to bring some wild, natural beauty into the metallic and concrete environment in which they live. Probably the easiest to understand explanation of"wild gardening" would be the making of a small garden where small birds will visit. Most people in England have bird feeders in their yards. I saw them in the yards of most of my host families. Wild birds, depending on the type, are quite adaptable, even in the cities, and will come to such gardens. Placing a bird feeder in an appropriate place, and then sitting in your conservatory [the British word for "sunroom"] and watching the birds is a very refined and elegant pastime.
The NGOs are working toward making such intimacy with nature a common thing for all people, and they are working to help people create gardens that will be inviting not only to birds, but also butterflies and honey bees, and that will help people to "create opportunities to think about nature." They are NOT calling on people to use "only British plants" or requiring them to follow scientific, fundamental principles of restoring nature. Rather, they are taking a modest, constructive approach aimed at helping to change people's awareness by getting them to use their own two hands to make a garden. I saw demonstrations dealing with compost and earthworms, frogs and ponds, how to create a suitable environment for crickets and grasshoppers.
Nature's World is a NGO-operated theme park that is centered on wild gardening. Children are able to play safely while making compost, and doing some gardening, etc. There are a wide variety of exhibits and demonstrations, such as play areas designed to help increase their understanding about nature, miniature gardens made to simulate the nature found in river basins, and exhibits designed to help people better understand energy and the ecosystem. There are also many people who go there to learn about organic vegetable farming and gardening, or how to lay brick, etc. when doing your own landscaping to make a garden. The conservation-minded people told me, "In order to expand the range of our conservation efforts, we do not merely participate in demonstrations against environmental abuse. What we want to do is be involved in widening the circle of our influence." Their strategy of reaching out to the large industries in the region to find sympathetic listeners, and giving these industries the opportunity to move in a correct and positive direction in their environmental policy, is beginning to bear some fruit.
In England, there is a system of compensation (tax breaks) for those civilian organizations that are actively trying to start up businesses aimed at promoting conservation and education. As a matter of fact, I think such activities complement the government's social and environmental education efforts. In other words, NGOs introduce new approaches that originate from a different point of view than the government programs. I think it is even effective in helping to create places for both recreation and work, and to improve the environment. The benefit to society on the whole is great, I think. I noticed that a large percentage of the cars at the Rotary meetings had stickers on them from various conservation NGOs, such as the Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds, and so on. I felt not only the strength and competence of the various NGOs, but also the depth of private and corporate support in their activities.
Related Internet site:
Nature's World:
http://www.naturesworld.org.uk/
Great Britain is pouring considerable effort into adult education programs in response to the insecure employment conditions facing British citizens these days. It is not strange for someone to quit their present job in order to go to school so they can improve their skills and expertise in the field of work they would like to pursue. To assist in this, public colleges (like vocational training schools that offer a large variety of courses) have been established by the government, and the government offers very generous financial assistance to young people who go to school for several years. People are able to get National Vocational Qualifications at these schools, and society is able to have a labor force that is more competitive.
But education does not take place only at colleges and polytechnic institutes. There are training systems set up in a number of other places. For example, one obtains certification in gardening, not from a college, but from botanical gardens, NGOs like the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, and places like Nature's World. It is possible for NGOs, through their training programs, to have a source of income, create a labor pool for themselves, and to increase public awareness of their work and goals.
The fact that NGOs are able to find highly qualified and excellent people to work for them is very much related, I think, to the way in which they can offer people the opportunity to change occupations and increase their knowledge and skill in the line of work they are interested in pursuing. I met people who had worked for NGOs at one time and were now park rangers, and those who were once teachers and are now working for NGOs. And, it appeared to me that they did not particularly think that was special or peculiar.
These studying adults, who are eager to increase their vocational knowledge and skills, are supported in their efforts by information technology, namely computers and the Internet. The British, since they are fluent in the language of the Internet, are able to become Internet literate through educational programs carried out by "traveling classrooms" (buses) that travel from town to town. Museums are also playing a role in helping to educate the populace. I believe British citizens are able to gain many things through the life-long education provided by the government.
Related Internet site:
Northumberland College:
http://www.northland.ac.uk/
British museums are often based upon the collections left behind by the notable people of the past who lived in a given region, and they have long been places for people to go and learn. What exactly are these museums like? These days, many areas are endeavoring to transform themselves, and the move toward finding regional identity by seeking it again in its history and natural surroundings is growing in strength. The region we visited during our GSE trip was the starting point of Britain's industrial revolution, and I noticed, in particular, museums with industrial themes.
This is, perhaps, just the opposite of Japan, where there is little interest in heritage related to past industrial development. The move to preserve the historical industrial sites and buildings associated with the Meiji and Showa periods is extremely slow in coming. While in England, I visited a number of museums, such as Beamish, The Open Air Museum, and Woodhorn Colliery Museum, which have researched their region's history and put together easy-to-understand, enjoyable exhibits and demonstrations. These exhibits and demonstrations are related to coal mines, the Victorian life-style, steam locomotives and steam-powered machinery of the industrial revolution, etc. There are "fun" museums where you can see steam engines and electric street trolley cars in operation, or can actually sample cakes and sweets of that age, which were made by local confectioners. Based upon the research carried out by the curators and staff of these museums, the exhibits and demonstrations made available to the public are diligently and carefully planned and verified after they have gotten a grasp of the points that should be emphasized and taught. We do not normally become aware of just how these things are displayed in a way that is true to the way things were in the past, and enjoy such exhibits without feeling like something is out of place. But those carefully conceived exhibits and demonstrations were put together so well that they left us with a feeling of having actually experienced that generation and place. If a museum is only looking to give people a good time, it would be nothing more than a theme park. But these museums, which serve as tools to educate the public, are the result of their curators' and staff's regard and concern to truly educate people. I was so happy to have the opportunity to talk for a long time with those working at these museums and to get a feel for all that they are doing there, and that experience was certainly very meaningful to me.
What I gained from my visits to local museums, such as the Hancock Museum of Natural History, the Dorman Museum, the Durham University Botanical Garden, etc., was not the many things I could learn about how to operate a museum in the British way. Rather, what I gained, for the most part, was confirmation of the correctness of the way we are doing things at my museum in Japan. After looking over exhibits, collections and research facilities on my vocational study trips, I would then spend time listening to those in charge explain about their operations and talk with them about how we do things in Japan. We would talk about giving children the opportunity to experience nature, getting senior citizens involved, nurturing the volunteer spirit through offering people the opportunity to learn, developing museum supporters' groups and clubs for self-study, etc., and the problems associated with all these things. I'm afraid that I was always keeping the people, who came to pick me up, waiting in the parking lot. I was very happy that the supporters' group we have at my museum was so highly praised by the people I met with. Going to these museums, meeting with the dedicated curators and staff people there, and finding out, amazingly, that we all have the same goals, was a very delightful experience.
The role of museums as the main places of education and teaching for the public will continue to grow, I think, in this age when local and worldwide environmental changes are taking place. What I actually saw in England was severe competition between government-run and the privately run institutions, I think. Environmental education and life-time education are not just the responsibility of museums, and a large number of NGOs are also operating their own facilities and carrying out educational activities of their own. For the citizens, this means the opportunity to study a wide variety of things. I felt it was a very interesting arrangement. The competition I mentioned results from the fact that both the NGOs and the museums rely upon government subsidies and private contributions to pay for improvements to their facilities and to upgrade their exhibits, etc.
Contributors are, for instance, large foundations like the Lottery Association or EU, as well as the little citizens like the local butcher or shoe shop owner. If you can collect enough money, you can put together displays containing the most up-to-date information, and have hands-on exhibits using computers, etc. And if your facility (museum or whatever) is highly regarded for its attractiveness and worthwhile educational activities, it becomes easier to collect more money with which to improve even more. On the other hand, it means that those institutions that are unable to raise sufficient funds are falling by the wayside.
I think this situation has developed (for both government-run and privately run facilities) because of the fact that England has the custom of giving donations to such places. I don't think this situation applies directly to Japan. In part, there are differences from region to region, but I felt things were a bit distorted or warped as a result of this competition. One manager of The National Trust said, about one government-run museum that runs on entrance fee, "Unfortunately, that museum must be run as a business. In comparison, surprisingly, we are able to stay true to our preservation activities because we are supported by donations." His words made an impression on me. I think it is hard to say which one is truly a museum.
Museums can be taken as just one facet of the overall education system of a society, but the activities I saw museums involved in during my trip caused my concept of "museums" to expand, and I felt that things are ripe for new museums, that are operated in a variety of ways, to be created. The Hancock Museum of Natural History and the Durham Wildlife Trust are jointly operating a diversified biological data base of the region's wildlife, and one can see other developments that go beyond the typical framework of things. Among the facilities I was able to visit was one innovative, highly motivated facility (Earth Balance) that fused together two goals: providing work for disabled people and educating local citizens about the environment (while I was in England, I heard that this facility was going to be closed down sometime soon because of financial problem.). The curators and NGO personnel I talked to in England envisioned different kinds of futures.
At the end of our trip, we went to London, and there I was able to walk through the Museum of Natural History, the Science Museum and the Kew Royal Botanical Gardens (even to the backyard office). I was deeply impressed by what I saw. I was also able to talk with a staff member at the London office of Friends of the Earth, and once again I was able to see the firm, steady direction this NGO is taking on the environment on a nationwide basis. Actually, I was able to learn many things in London; so much so that I imagine those who accompanied me considered me a "museum addict" and workaholic!
It has already been three months since I returned to Japan. I don't know exactly what direction our museums here in Osaka will take in the future. I will have to deal with this question daily in my work from now on, but I think the things I learned on my trip to England have greatly expanded my outlook and given me clear coordinates for the direction in which I should head.
Finally, I wish to express my gratitude to Rotary International and, especially D-2660 in Osaka and D-1030 in northeast England, for giving me the opportunity to go to England. In particular, I want to say thank you to the GSE Committee members, all my host families, those at my museum who cooperated so that I could go on this trip, and all those people who so warmly received me at the various facilities I visited in England.
Related Internet sites:
Beamish, The
Open Air Museum:
http://www.countydurham.com/beamish/index.htm
Woodhorn Colliery
Museum:
http://ris.sunderland.ac.uk/museums/woodhorn.htmR.I.B.I.
District 1030:
http://wwwkenya.freeuk.com/rotary1030/
Hancock Museum of
Natural History:
http://www.newcastle.ac.uk/hancock/
Osaka Museum of Natural
History:
http://www.mus-nh.city.osaka.jp/english/omnh-e-home.html
