On Saturday, July 21, 2018, 96 volunteers from Higo Bank participated in the 12^th “Aso Taikan no Mori” undergrowth event. Mr. Ohono, Executive Director of our foundation have a greetings; “Please take care so as to pay too much attention to heatstroke for the work during the severely heat temperature and also pay attention not to hurt yourself during the cutting work.”

Next, Mr. Kawazu from the Aso Division office explained the significance of undergrowth, how to start “brush cutter”, the appropriate length of shoulder strap, and how to proceed for undergrowth cutting work.

We divided into four groups in advance and started the first mowing operation (in 30 minutes) from 8 am.

After the noisy engine sound of the brush cutter, they stop working by the whistle of each group leader and take a 15 minutes break. Take a sports drink, eat chilly tomatoes, grab candy for salt charge and then they head for the second work.

The female staff team will cut the vine winding up around the seedling tree trunk by a small sickle so that the seedlings will grow healthy. There were also seedlings that some vines seemed to wind-up digging into the trunk tightly, and those vines are almost pulling down the seedlings.

To the volunteers who had been attacked by insects on their knees, the medical staff of the Higo Bank’s medical office helped.

They finished the work by repeating 30 minutes of mowing work for three times. Then they got delicious curry and rice, asparagus etc. which was prepared by the local women’s association.

Although it became a light rainy weather during the work, they could finish the work safely without any previously worried heatstroke or injuries. Thank you very much for the volunteers.