昨年川の生き物について学習を進めた現在の小学5年生の子どもたち。今年度は「次は山の動物について調査したい！」ということで、西粟倉にどんな動物がいるか、どんな課題がありそうかを仮説を立て、自分たちにできそうなことを考えていきました。考える中で、実際にどんなことができそうか株式会社百森の田畑直さんにお伺いしたところ「まだまだ西粟倉にどんな生き物がいるのかデータが少ない」と現状を教えていただき、トレイルカメラという動くものが前を通ると録画できるカメラを使って、動物がどのくらいいるのかを確かめることになりました。

そしてカメラ設置当日。前回もお世話になった株式会社百森の田畑直さん、清水美波さんにご協力いただき、野鳥苑にカメラを設置することに。最初に田畑さんが「1人1台ずつカメラを箱から出してみてください」と子ども達に1つずつカメラを渡してくださいました。

今の6年生が4年生のときトレイルカメラを設置していたことを知っていた子ども達。「このカメラで動画が撮れるのか！」と興味津々です。カメラの動作を確認して、足を気に見立てて固定の練習をして準備はばっちりです。

「カメラは動物が通った後があればそのあたりに設置できるといいと思います。たとえばそこにも動物がいた痕跡が残っていますよ」と田畑さん。子ども達は「えぇ。どこどこ？」と動物が残した痕跡を探します。すると葉っぱの上部に食べられた跡が。どうやらシカがここを通ったようでした。

そしていよいよカメラの設置場所を探しに山の中へ。1人1台カメラを設置させてもらえるということで、意気揚々と歩みを進めていきます。途中「ここはけものみちですね」「あの木の穴にもしかしたら何かいるかも？」と田畑さん、清水さんに動物がいそうな場所の視点をもらいながら何処にカメラを設置しようか吟味しながら山の中腹へ。

ここから下ってカメラを設置する予定でしたが、「もうちょっと上を見てみたい！」と、道なき道を登っていく子ども達。1年生の時から自然の中を縦横無尽に歩き回っていた5年生の子ども達は急な斜面も難なく進んでいきます。

そしてたどりついた林道でカメラをそれぞれ設置していきました。「カメラのレンズがここだからもう少し斜めにすると下にいる生き物が写るかもね」とアドバイスを受けながら真剣な表情で作業を進めていきました。

そして全員のカメラの設置が完了。振り返りでは「カメラを設置できてよかった！」という声もありましたが、「みんな同じような場所で設置することになってしまったからもう少しバラバラの場所に行ったほうが良かったかも・・・」と改善の余地を見つけた子も。今回の活動からノート1ページ分の振り返りを書く子もおり、それぞれたくさんの事を感じ、学ぶことができたようです。

カメラの回収は夏休み明けの予定です。それまでに「動物を見分けられるようになっておきたい！」という声もあり、これからどんな動物が撮影されるのか楽しみです。

ご協力いただきました株式会社百森の田畑さん、清水さん、貴重な体験をありがとうございました。

■株式会社百森HP：https://www.hyakumori.com

[“What Kind of Animals Live Here? 5th Graders Install Trail Cameras!”]

Last year, our current fifth graders focused their learning on river life. This year, they were bursting with curiosity for their next mission: “We want to investigate mountain animals!” Setting up hypotheses about what kind of wildlife lives in Nishiawakura and what challenges they might face, the children brainstormed what they could do to find out.

To see what was actually possible, they consulted Mr. Sunao Tabata from Hyakumori Co., Ltd. He shared an eye-opening reality: “We actually still have very little data on what kinds of animals live in Nishiawakura.” Inspired by this, the children decided to use “trail cameras”—which automatically record video whenever they detect movement—to find out just how many animals are roaming around.

And then came the big day to install the cameras! With the support of Mr. Tabata and Ms. Minami Shimizu from Hyakumori, who have supported the children’s learning in the past, they headed out to set up the cameras in the Nocho-en (Wild Bird Sanctuary). First, Mr. Tabata handed a box to each child, saying, “I’d like each of you to take one camera out of the box.”

Knowing that the current sixth graders had installed trail cameras back when they were in fourth grade, the children were already highly intrigued. “Whoa, can we really capture videos with this?” they exclaimed, eyes sparkling. After checking that the cameras worked, they practiced securing them to chair legs, pretending they were tree trunks. With the preparation complete, they were ready to go!

“It’s best to place the cameras near spots where animals have left traces of their presence. For example, there’s actually a trace right over there,” Mr. Tabata pointed out. “What? Where, where?” the kids chimed in, searching eagerly. Looking closely at a leaf, they noticed the top had been eaten away. It turned out a deer had likely passed right through that spot!

With that clue in mind, they finally stepped into the forest to search for the perfect spots. Since every child got to install their very own camera, they marched forward with high spirits. Along the way, Mr. Tabata and Ms. Shimizu helped them look at the forest through the eyes of animals, pointing out, “This looks like an animal trail,” and “Maybe there’s something living in that tree hollow?” With these new perspectives, the children carefully scouted the mountainside.

They were originally scheduled to head downhill from there to set up the cameras, but the children had other ideas: “We want to see what’s further up!” Refusing to stick to the trail, they forged their own paths upward. Having spent their time freely exploring nature since they were first graders, these fifth graders scaled the steep, rugged slopes with absolute ease.

Once they reached the forest road at the top, each child successfully installed their camera. “Since the lens is right here, tilting it slightly downward might help capture the smaller creatures on the ground,” they were advised. With focused, serious expressions, they carefully adjusted their setups.

With all cameras safely in place, it was time for reflection. While many joyfully shared, “I’m so glad I got to set up a camera!”, some children had already spotted areas for improvement: “We all ended up placing them in similar areas. Next time, it might be better if we scatter them in different locations.” The depth of their learning was clear—one child even filled an entire notebook page with reflections from the day!

The cameras are scheduled to be retrieved after the summer vacation. Until then, some kids are already motivated to prepare: “I want to practice identifying different animals before we get the cameras back!” We cannot wait to see what kind of wild neighbors will show up on the footage.

A huge thank you to Mr. Tabata and Ms. Shimizu from Hyakumori for providing such a valuable and exciting experience for our children!

Hyakumori Co., Ltd. Official Website: https://www.hyakumori.com/