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Before the last stork died, some were\ncaptured in 1965 in an attempt to mate them in captivity and revive the\nspecies. A long battle began. The authorities and people who learned to take\ncare of the storks did all they could to make the storks hatch an egg. But the\ntask was complicated. The birds had never lived in captivity, and the\npesticides did serious damage to their bodies. In 1985, 20 years after\nunsuccessful attempts, the former Soviet Union donated six storks to the city\nof Toyooka and four years later, a chick finally broke out of its shell. In\n2005, 40 years after their disappearance, the storks in captivity were finally\nreleased, and the city was able to keep its promise to return these birds to\ntheir natural habitat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first time I heard this story, I felt incredibly moved. Putting so much effort into reintegrating a species at the top of the food chain is a challenge that seemed almost impossible. However, today, 178 birds take flight once more in the skies of Japan. In addition to the reintroduction, locals and farmers had to question their entire farming method. Today, most rice fields are organic, and natural methods are used to prevent weed and pests, the enemies of farmers. These \u201cstork-friendly farming methods\u201d include delaying the drainage of rice fields so that tadpoles become frogs. As a result, the frogs can devour harmful insects. At the \u201cStork Museum\u201d in Toyooka, it is possible to see the storks all year and learn about the fascinating agricultural alternatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In France, a nationwide eco-friendly\nattitude has been developed and organic products are now available in most of\nthe country’s supermarkets. Hence, I was surprised and overjoyed to learn about\nthe existence of Toyooka\u2019s organic rice when I arrived. A label depicting the\nOriental White Stork is also placed on many fruits and vegetables, proof that\nthe products are environmentally friendly. As a result, I feel close to the\nideals of the city I live in and truly wish to contribute to this effort and\nshare this story with the world. I am impressed by the passion of the community\ninvolved. The local government could negotiate and convince farmers to change\ntheir methods \u2013 such laborious work!<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/34de962b459a29897d9ef15103f537a4-2.jpg\")
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