MST is continually committed to promoting sustainability and fostering an appreciation for nature among our students. Here are two updates about the green initiatives we have recently been working on.
Reforesting the MST Garden Update
The Willow class has been leading the charge in our garden’s greening project by preparing a special trench. They’ve been actively involved in digging trenches, filling them with charcoal, and creating bundles of branches. These bundles help in enriching the soil by allowing rainwater to be absorbed more efficiently, creating the right environment for plants to thrive. The children have been excited to share their findings with Oak, Maple, and Ginkgo classes, imparting valuable lessons on how we can work together with nature to restore our environment.
As part of the project, Ginkgo, Maple, and Oak classes will visit the garden during their morning work cycle to make their own bundles, following the same method introduced by the Willow children. Naoko, MST’s Sustainability Lead, has also shared the importance of returning to the native forests' ecosystems, stressing how vital it is to bring back these forests for the benefit of all living things.
Kawashita-san from Silva will be visiting MST to talk about reforestation with the Ginkgo, Willow, and Eucalyptus students. Ginkgo students will meet Kawashita-san in late February, Willow students in mid-March, and Eucalyptus students on February 3rd.
The project doesn’t stop there. Little People and Sunshine children are busy collecting leaves and placing them next to the trench. Regular maintenance of the trench is necessary to ensure the soil remains aerated and moisture-rich. The decomposition of leaves and branches supports soil health and nourishes the microbes, which is essential for creating a healthy, sustainable garden.
Looking ahead to spring 2025, the Willow children will begin preparations to plant trees in the arch area. Eucalyptus students will also contribute by making deeper and larger holes in the garden to prepare for planting native trees in April 2026. In January, the Willow class will visit Arisugawa Park to collect acorns and experiment with whether they can successfully grow saplings in our garden. The experiment will teach them the importance of caring for trees and the challenges that come with planting.
All of this learning is grounded in a greater understanding of how forests protect the Earth and how we can coexist with nature for a sustainable future. Keep the date of Sunday, May 11th, 2025, open for the MST Tree Planting Festival in Zushi, Kanagawa!
MST Sustainability Committee Cooking Workshop Trial
As part of our sustainability efforts, MST’s Sustainability Committee (MST SC) recently organized a trial of an environmentally friendly cooking workshop, and it was a great success! The goal of the workshop was to introduce plant-based foods as a way to help reduce our environmental footprint. Nine participants gathered on January 14th for a fun and educational cooking session led by MST parent Kasturi, an expert in Indian vegetable curry.
Kasturi took the group shopping in Shin-Okubo to gather ingredients for the cooking trial. Due to the success of the trial, MST SC is planning to offer the workshop as a regular community event. Stay tuned for details on how you can participate in the upcoming "Spice the World for Green – Vegetarian/Plant-Based Cooking" workshop.
We are excited to continue these efforts and look forward to more opportunities to learn and grow together!
–Naoko Kikkawa, Sustainability Lead