At the Bott Memorial Home, a children’s home in Machida City, a biotope has been installed with the support of Habitat Japan’s corporate partner Saint-Gobain. This project was realized as part of ongoing efforts to create environments that foster healthy upbringing of children living in facilities in Japan.
Several years ago, facility staff built a small pond by hand at the behest of children looking for a chance to observe and raise wildlife within the home. However, the makeshift pond with no circulation proved unsustainable, and children began hoping for a better alternative. Responding to these wishes, Saint-Gobain agreed to support the installation of a flowing biotope and participated directly as volunteers to help make it a reality.
On June 6th, eleven volunteers from Saint-Gobain visited the facility, putting in hard work under the guidance of an expert to transform what was once a flowerbed into a biotope where nature can thrive.
Three days later on June 9th, the biotope was completed. When children returned from school and gathered around the new attraction, they exclaimed with joy, commenting “Wow, it’s beautiful! It’s cool how the water moves without overflowing”, and “It turned into the great outdoors!” Each child then helped make finishing touches by planting flowers around the biotope, sharing in the joy of the occasion.
To continue supporting the safe and healthy development of children, it is essential to interview facility staff, understand their needs, and implement support accordingly. Projects like these are a part of Habitat Japan’s Facility Improvement program, made possible through the support and collaboration of our corporate partners and other supporters. We extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone at Saint-Gobain for their warm and generous support.
