In 2017, Casio commissioned an expert outside agency (Ryokusei Research Institute Inc.) to conduct a biodiversity survey at the Group’s main sites in Japan. As shown in Table 1, the results found that many species of insects and plants make their home at these sites. Rare species including Golden Orchid (Cephalantherafalcata), which is included on the Ministry of the Environment’s species Red List, and Silver Orchid (Cephalanthera erecta) and stalked adder’s-tongue(Ophioglossum petiolatum), both of which are on Tokyo’s Red List of threatened species, were found at the Hamura R&D Center in Hamura, Tokyo.
In addition, for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023, raptor thrushes conducted nesting activities on the property, and their chicks successfully left the nest.
Rare species including the plant Lespedeza tomentosa Sieb. Ex Maxim. And the insect Canthophorus niveimarginatus (Scott), which are included on Yamanashi Prefecture’s Red List of threatened species, were found at the Yamanashi Office of Yamagata Casio Co., Ltd. in the city of Fuefuki. In light of these results, employee volunteers are continuing to undertake conservation activities with advice from the expert agency.
At the Hamura R&D Center, members of the protection team formed by employee volunteers are working on protection from pests and trials of onsite propagation,including artificial pollination, and other measures to avoid the loss of rare species. They have also observed organisms on the grounds throughout the year and confirmed new individuals of the Silver Orchid and Golden Orchid, which were not found during the survey by outside experts. At the Yamanashi Office of Yamagata Casio,employee volunteers are working on management of green space (grass cutting) that is suited to rare species and to propagate individuals, as well as to remove non-native species that have a negative impact on preserving the environment for rare species.