With a view to contributing to protection of water sources and absorption of carbon dioxide through growing forests, MEC started creating a forest on abandoned idle farmland obtained on lease in the Mishimadani district of Nagaoka City, which is close to its Nagaoka Office.
Placing emphasis not only on our employees’ contact with nature but also on exchanges with local residents, who usually have little contact with MEC, a tree-planting event was held in November 2008 inviting MEC employees and their family members, local residents, and other relevant people in the prefectural or municipal government. In addition, we also plant cherry blossom trees along the roads so that local residents and drivers passing by can enjoy them. Under the instruction of the members of local forestry cooperatives and the forestry promotion department, 1,300 broad-leaved trees, including zelkova (keyaki), Amur cork, pagoda tree, beech, Mongolian oak, and konara oak, are being nurtured.