The Hotaru Project.
The Japanese word 'hotaru' means 'firefly' and implies warmth and harmony between humankind and all other creatures. In Kitakyushu, Japan, people started this project to help restore the Kokumano river.
Since the 1960's the river's conditions have deteriorated. The river where people used to enjoy fishing and watching fireflies, was polluted. Early in the 1970's the community of Minamigaoka, who had established themselves alongside of the river, decided to start a river rehabilitation campaign.
During the campaign special clubs, women's groups, the elderly, and school children would clean-up garbage; plant trees, flowers and other plants along the river and educate others about river pollution. The Kitakyushu City administration made a contribution by implementing a sewage system that redirected household waste water away from the river.
The Society for the Study of Fireflies introduced twelve hundred firefly larvae into the river in the early 1980's, and only twenty of them emerged into adults. After the introduction of the new fireflies the community put together a project to recreate the fireflies natural habitat. This also provided habitat for numerous other creatures. Special holes were made in the canal's walls and then filled with rocks and materials recreating a natural habitat. While this reconstruction was underway, special facilities were made so that the community could raise fireflies to release at the Kokumano river. In June of 1981 three hundred fireflies were documented to be found by the riverside. Since then the firefly has become the symbol for river protection and environmental conservation.
Firefly Festivals are an annual thing in the community, attracting between 30,000 to 40,000 people. The event has helped to raise awareness of the river rehabilitation project and has attracted donations from companies and organizations.
See the ICLEI site (where this information came from) for more details.
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