NEWS
Coppice Forest Restoration Project: "Sustainable Sweet Potato Roasting in the Woodland!" Held
Update: February 20, 2026
On Friday, January 24, as part of the Coppice Forest Restoration Project, a conservation activity event titled "Sustainable Sweet Potato Roasting in the Woodland!" was held. The project was launched last academic year, and approximately 30 participants--including students, faculty and staff, and alumni--took part in the event.
In the first half of the event, a lecture was given on the ecological significance of raking fallen leaves in woodland environments. Participants then moved to the restoration area, where they placed the leaves they had gathered into the "eco-stack" that had been constructed during last year's event.
After the work, everyone enjoyed the much-anticipated roasted sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes prepared for this event were harvested at a nearby farm that uses fallen leaves from ICU in its cultivation practices. Lighting a fire with the very leaves they had collected and savoring the harvest provided a valuable opportunity to experience a sustainable cycle through all five senses.
The project plans to continue its woodland conservation activities and recreational events that bring people closer to nature in the coming academic year as well.
What is the Coppice Forest Restoration Project?
While serving as a forest for education and research where liberal arts education is conducted, the ICU campus is also a valuable forest resource that retains the appearance of the coppice forests in Musashino. It is also home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including rare species such as the golden orchid. In recent years, however, deterioration of the woodland has progressed due to the aging of the trees and spread of oak wilt disease.
In response to this situation, we are aiming to restore young coppice forests by promoting renewal through clear-cutting, and to revive the original ecosystem of the coppice forests. We also aim to pass on to the next generation the ICU Mitaka Campus Woodland, which was certified as a nature-friendly site by the Ministry of the Environment in 2023.
