The 7th “Hirameki Tokimeki Science (Inspiration and Exciting Science) ” was held in the Osaka City University (OCU) Botanical Gardens on Saturday, 17 August, 2019. In sweltering summer heat, 12 energetic high school students participated in it.

This year's theme is "Let's learn the process of natural regeneration in the Botanical Gardens forest destructed by the typhoon", based on the typhoon having damaged the Botanical Gardens last year. Prior to the field work, the participating students were led to the classroom where they learned four types (fallen trees, sloping trees, trunk breaks, branch breaks) of damages to the trees caused by the typhoon as an observation point. They also learned about regeneration of the forest.

They were bewildered to witness the violence of typhoon that still remains in the forest even after a year, which increased their interest as well. Although it was a field work in the heat, the participants wearing a helmet in preparation for possible fallen branches and trees were actively observing and eagerly taking memos and taking photos.

After the fieldwork, each student introduced what they observed and felt in group discussion, each group made presentations of their activities of the day and the program was successfully over.

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• OCU Botanical Gardens website
• OCU Botanical Gardens official facebook