2018 “Green Volunteers 21st Cohort” Report
As part of its social contribution activities, the Fujifilm Workers’ Union continues to carry out volunteer activities for reforestation through its “Green Volunteers.” In 2018, which is the 21st year, mangrove-planting activities were carried out in Vietnam from July 28 to August 2. This was the second consecutive year for the tree-planting activities in this area and this time, a total of 18 people participated from FUJIFILM Corporation, FUJIFILM Business Expert Corporation, FUJIFILM Shizuoka Co., Ltd. and the Fujifilm Cooperative.
The Can Gio district in Vietnam, where the trees were planted, was once a place rich in greenery and water, with expanses of mangrove forests inhabited by a wide variety of creatures, however, the defoliant that was sprayed by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War caused 40,000 hectares of the forest to disappear. The area was designated a national park after the war, and 75% of the forest was restored thanks to the reforestation activities of locals and overseas volunteers. Even so, reforestation activities are needed to this day to repair the damage to the ecosystem due to coastal erosion.
Participants first received a lecture on the reforestation of mangrove forests from the Can Gio National Park staff, and learned the background and significance of the activities. Afterward, five people joined from FUJIFILM VIETNAM Co., Ltd. (FFVN), the local subsidiary with jurisdiction over Vietnam, and the group planted 540 mangrove seedlings and 450 saplings, which have a higher rate of taking root. The participants carried out the work while sweating under the blazing sun which turned into a squall that left them covered in mud, but the team members chatted with each other and worked together to complete the tree planting.
Participants also visited facilities related to the Vietnam War, such as the War Remnants Museum. By learning about the background of the Vietnam War, which was the reason for the mangrove reforestation activity and being reminded of the horrors of war, participants were able to see the purpose of this activity in a new light.
Lecture on tree-planting by national park staff
Relay with 450 saplings!
Planting seedlings while covered in mud
Ceremony to receive a Reforestation Certificate
Five people from FFVN also participated in the 21st cohort
Visit to the War Remnants Museum
VOICES
Frontier Core-Technology Laboratories
Hirotoshi Yoshizawa
Being able to say, “I’ve planted trees!” after this activity gave me a strong sense of satisfaction. It was a difficult task to move and plant hundreds of saplings using a bucket relay under the strong heat from the sun, but I was able to feel a great sense of accomplishment. This sense of accomplishment may have come from a strong desire to contribute to the recovery from the tragic war that Vietnam experienced and to be able to contribute to activities for the future.
In addition, I was able to visit historical buildings and local markets which gave me a feel for Vietnam’s culture and daily life. It was a very fulfilling activity.
Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratories
Kenji Shirokane
I had never participated in volunteer activities before this but by participating in the tree-planting activity, I realized that “even if the contribution of one activity is small, the accumulation of these types of activity leads to social contribution,” and so this was a valuable experience for me. If you are interested in social contribution activities but do not know how to participate or do not have the opportunity, I think that joining the Green Volunteers will provide the stepping stone to further activities.
In addition, I had the opportunity to interact with people from the Fujifilm Group that I normally do not have the chance to, so this time was very meaningful to me.
Technical Section, Technical Division, Yoshida Site
Hideo Fukazawa
Thanks to the easy-to-understand explanations of the local guide and the attention to detail of the staff, I was able to enjoy the greening activities and travel without any worries. The other members were wonderful and we were able to spend meaningful time together with the children.
While we were all covered in sweat and mud, I felt a great sense of fulfillment and achievement after we planted the planned number of trees.
Kaisei Branch
Yutaro Norizuki
This dispatch of the Green Volunteers to Vietnam made use of the lessons learned from last year’s inaugural trip, in addition to providing the important opportunity to improve on the content of the activities which will be continued in the future. There were some issues with the delayed flight from Japan due to the impact of Typhoon, but the trip proceeded smoothly once we arrived in Vietnam.
Based on a review of last year, we added a tour of the War Remnants Museum so that we could better understand the background and purpose of the activities. Also, by looking back on the volume of the tree-planting activities, I think it was a more fulfilling activity than the previous year. Furthermore, by working together on the tree-planting activities with members from FFVN, we were able to develop deeper cross-border relationships with those from the Fujifilm Group.
We would like to invite as many members as possible to join the Green Volunteers, as it offers the opportunity for us to become aware of many things that we are not able to experience in our everyday lives.