The Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH) and the Graduate School of Agriculture (GSA) co-hosted the 2015 Forest Science Public Seminar titled "Forest Girl's Day Out! Forests and Trees from Women Researchers' Perspectives". This public seminar series has been held annually in order to share with the general public how essential forests, trees, and wood materials are in our lives.
As the executive committee chair of this year's seminar has a dual role as the chair of the RISH gender equality committee, this year's theme was "Forest Girl's Day Out! Forests and Trees from Women Researchers' Perspectives". The seminar focused on five women scientists who conduct research in RISH and GSA.
The Wood Composite Hall was packed with some 70 participants who filled the room with enthusiasm. The seminar started with a picture-loaded presentation titled "Looking at Shingled-roofs in a Bit More Detail" by Dr Yuko Fujiwara, a researcher from the GSA (Laboratory of Wood Processing). This was followed by a lecture by Assistant Professor Kana Nakatani of the GSA (Laboratory of Erosion Control) titled "The Science of Landslide Forecasting -- Preparing for Frequent Landsides of the Present Day". She made her presentation relatable by referring to various cases reported in the media and embedded the latest research advancements in her explanation. The subsequent free discussion covered not only general points, but also specialized content, through which the participants deepened their understanding of the topics.
After lunch break, Dr Misao Yokoyama, a researcher from the GSA (Laboratory of Wood Processing), delivered a presentation titled "The Story of Old Materials in the Old City". Dr Yokoyama showed numerous images of wooden materials used in historic buildings, which she photographed at investigation sites. She also presented ancient wooden materials dating back over a thousand years ago and spoke about her latest research achievement, which simulated in a matter of minutes how those wooden materials change over time. Then, a lecture titled "The World of Insects from a Forest Study View" by Assistant Professor Aya Yanagawa of RISH (Laboratory of Innovative Humano-Habitability) followed. Here she explained how termites, which are usually seen as nuisance that harm wooden buildings, play some important roles in the ecosystem, namely by breaking down wood into sugars that are accessible to other organisms. Lastly, Professor Kaoru Kitajima of GSA (Laboratory of Tropical Forest Resources and Environment) delivered a lecture titled "What Trees from the Tropical Rainforest Taught Us about the Trade-off between Survival and Growth in Seedlings". She captivated the audience by sharing the "fun" in research, which drives her to continue her research. Many interesting comments and questions arose at the free discussion.
Feedback gathered after the two free-discussion sessions and surveys collected after the event included comments such as "The researchers are very enthusiastic about their research and presented their research achievements in a very fun and accessible manner." Participants seemed especially pleased with this year's seminar, as it was a great opportunity to know more about the importance of forests and trees, and to learn more about work by women researchers. The participants expressed hopes for the seminar to be held again in upcoming years.
Participants listening to a lecture with interest
