25-05-2025
High school students in Fukuoka locate multiple endangered species, receive gov't award
FUKUOKA -- High school students in this west Japan city have been spotting endangered species through the extracurricular activities of a club dedicated to biology research, leading to national recognition.
The "aquatic life study group," with members from Fukuoka Daiichi High School and Daiichi University of Pharmacy High School, both in the city of Fukuoka's Minami Ward, has not only found examples of rare species, but through social media has raised awareness about protecting endangered wildlife and the spread of domestic invasive species.
Established in 2019, the study group has cared for rare creatures in a science lab of Daiichi University of Pharmacy High School while conducting ongoing ecological investigations. In 2023, members discovered a specimen of the endangered black-spotted pond frog, a species listed in Fukuoka Prefecture's Red Data Book, in the prefectural town of Sasaguri. In 2024 they found a water beetle, Hydaticus bowringi, in the prefecture's city of Ukiha for the first time in 20 years.
Currently, the two sister schools together have 20 student members, who are caring for around 45 specimens across 15 species. On occasion, they venture out in search of creatures alongside their adviser, 59-year-old Yoshimi Ota. The school displays rare animals including a blue mutated Japanese tree frog, found in Sasaguri in 2024, among other notable finds.
The group has also received a Yaeyama yellow-margined box turtle from a donor in Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture. While the species is a government-designated natural monument, there is concern it was artificially introduced to Miyakojima from its native habitat in the Ishigaki and Iriomote islands, also in Okinawa Prefecture. In Miyakojima, this turtle is now considered a domestic invasive species that could threaten the local ecosystem, and the student group has used social media and other means to bring attention to the issue.
The students' efforts were recognized May 11 in Tokyo at the "National Conference on Wildlife Protection," organized by bodies including the Japanese Society for Preservation of Birds, where their group received the education minister's award.
One third-year student at Daiichi University of Pharmacy High School who attended the award ceremony said, "I originally joined the study group because I've always loved animals and wildlife. I never imagined our work would lead to receiving an award." Mayu Tanaka, a third-year student at Fukuoka Daiichi High School, added, "It feels like lifeforms I used to see whe inn I was younger are gradually disappearing. I want to help preserve as many species as possible."
