I went looking for trash and found healing. The day of the Kuroson River joint cleanup, a tributary of the Shimanto River.

I am Miki Suyama, working as a regional coordinator in Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture. Currently, as a village support worker, I focus on the Kuroson River basin, planning regional events, disseminating information, coordinating with government and businesses, and expanding sales channels for agricultural products.

A morning still lingering with the afterglow of the Soccer World Cup final.
I participated in the Kuroson River joint cleanup.

"I'm going to pick up a lot of trash today."

Although I started walking with that mindset,
there was less trash than I expected,
and all the participants kept heading further upstream while searching, asking, "Where could it be?"

Before I knew it,
rather than picking up trash,
it had become a time to be healed by the clear flow of the river, the sunlight filtering through the trees,
and dipping my feet in the water.

And there is something I realized again on this day.
The reason we can go down to the river as a matter of course is
because the people of Kuroson village
maintain the walking paths on a daily basis.

The elderly people who have lived alongside the river
mow the grass, maintain the paths,
and protect the environment so that visitors can safely approach the river.

A beautiful river cannot be protected by nature alone.

Behind that scenery,
there is the human touch that has been accumulated over many years.

The mayor also participated in this cleanup,
and we broke a sweat together with the local people.

The value of the Kuroson River is not just the clarity of the water.

It is that the local people cherish the river,
and continue to protect it in their daily lives.
I felt once again that those efforts are the true charm of this place.

I will continue to
share the "charm of regions that don't get much spotlight."

Not just the scenery,
but I also want to convey the existence of the people who continue to protect that scenery.
It was a humid summer day with those thoughts in my heart.

Results of this activity
In this Kuroson River joint cleanup, I carried out the following initiatives as a village support worker.
Advance preparation

• Call for participation via announcement broadcast

• Posting the event on the official Shimanto City website

• Requesting participation from and coordinating with the mayor

• Recruiting local residents to participate

Activities on the day

• Participation in the Kuroson River joint cleanup

• Taking photos of activities and creating activity records

• Exchanging information with local residents and participants

• Grasping the current state of local resources such as walking paths and the river environment

• Reconfirming and recording the efforts of local residents who lead conservation activities for the Kuroson River

Information dissemination

• Activity reports via Instagram

• Activity records and promoting local appeal via note

The cleanup activity was not just about picking up trash; it was also an opportunity to learn about the thoughts and daily lives of the local people and to share their value both inside and outside the region.
I would like to continue to promote the appeal of the Kuroson River as a 'clear stream protected by people' and connect it to building a fan base for the region.

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