Transitions of designation categories of the Wildlife Protection Areas and the extent of these designated areas were analyzed using government guidelines and wildlife statistics. A remarkable decrease was observed in the designated area for the “forest habitat type”, which occupies the largest proportion. For all other categories except the “habitat corridor type”, there was an increase in the designated area. As the number of hunters decreases and the damage caused by wildlife becomes serious, the significance of hunting-prohibited areas is declining. Therefore, “forest habitat type”, “large-scale habitat type” and “habitat corridor type” should be designated with a clear intention to secure the original habitat for wildlife, which is supported by science-based management. The categories such as “endangered species habitat type” and “large migration areas type”, whose designation as Special Protection Areas is imperative, are expected to function as true nature conservation areas by effective planning and design of the Special Protection Areas and surrounding buffer zones.

 A survey of mammal fauna using a total 26 automatic digital camera traps on an abandoned railway and a series of tunnels belonging to the former Japanese National Railway was conducted from March 2, 2015 to December 19, 2019 in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture in Central Japan. A total of 74,807 informative photographs were obtained over 41,052 camera days. Of the 15 mammals that were photo-captured, the most frequently photographed was Sus scrofa (relative abundance index: 15.1 photographs/100 camera-days), followed by Paguma larvata (6.2), Felis catus (5.6), Vulpes vulpes (1.4), Nyctereutes procyonoides (1.2), Lepus brachyurus (0.7), Martes melampus (0.2), Procyon lotor (0.2), Capricornis crispus (0.2), Cervus nippon (0.1), Mustela sp. (0.1), Sciurus lis (< 0.1), Macaca fuscata (< 0.1), Meles anakuma (< 0.1), Myocastor coypus (< 0.1), in order. The study area, which is located in the eastern foothills of Aichi Prefecture, supports populations of local wildlife species that are representative of medium- and large–sized mammals (S. scrofa, V. vulpes, N. procyonoides and L. brachyurus, M. melampus, C. crispus, and C. nippon) and is considered to contribute positively towards the conservation of regional biodiversity. Since the activity of S. scrofa and the administrators of the abandoned railway and tunnels overlap during the twilight hours (i.e., one hour before and after sunrise and sunset), caution is necessary to prevent encounters between S. scrofa and humans.

 国立公園では，利用者の増加に伴い野生生物とのトラブルや環境悪化など様々な問題が生じている．今回我々は，大雪山国立公園内の岩塊堆積地に生息するエゾナキウサギ（Ochotona hyperborea yesoensis）の生息地において，散乱しているごみの存在に気づいた．そこで利用客が多く訪れる生息地を対象に，ごみの数や品目を明らかにすることを目的として，目視による回収調査を実施した．2021年7月30日から8月6日にかけて，大雪山国立公園内の5地点（十勝岳望岳台探勝路・駒止湖・東ヌプカウシヌプリ・白雲山・岩石山）で計11.2時間（平均2.2 h/地点）探索し，合計26個のごみを発見した（発見効率2.3個/h）．これらのうちプラスチック製品が多くを占め，空き缶やタバコの空き箱も含まれた．ごみは岩の隙間に落ちているケースが多く，いずれもエゾナキウサギの観察を目的としたレクリエーション時に由来すると推察された．20年以上の長期にわたり残存し続けてきたと思われる缶ごみもあり，周辺環境へ化学物質が溶出している可能性も疑われる．今後のより良い公園利用のために，関係行政主導の定期的な清掃や利用者意識を高める働きかけはもちろん，ごみに気づいた者が率先して持ち帰るような互助的行動の普及が望まれる．

 Management of wild mammals in urban green areas is a growing issue of concern in Japan, because some dangerous mammals have begun to use such areas as habitats or travel pathways. We investigated the mammal fauna in the linear green area located within the urban zone of Kanazawa City, Japan between June and December 2018. Using camera traps, we observed 11 mammal species or species-groups in the green area, the majority of which were medium-sized facultative omnivores. The long forest edge of the green area may have had positive effects on the otherwise low population-carrying capacity for some species. Large mammals did not inhabit the green area permanently, but the area may function as a travel pathway for these species into the city center. Further studies are required to clarify the essential characteristics of the green area, which harbors the mammal fauna revealed by the present survey, and to develop concrete management plans.

 Under the guidance of Field Science Education and Research Center of Kyoto University, Kyoto Prefectural Nishimaizuru Senior High School has conducted annual surveys in riverine and coastal environments in late July since 2006 (in early August only in 2020). The survey areas consisted mainly of Isazu River, Maizuru Bay, and Tango Bay, Sea of Japan. Although the survey data were analyzed and summarized by high school students every year, the publication of the whole data sets will contribute to meta-analyses among regions and/or periods, and to environmental education at other high schools. Here we provide the following data sets: 1) surface water quality including temperature, pH, electric conductivity, turbidity, and concentrations of dissolved oxygen, dissolved organic carbon, suspended solid, and nutrients in 2006-2021; 2) species composition and density of coastal macrobenthos including fish and invertebrates in 2012-2021; 3) latitudes and longitudes of coastal surveys in 2012-2021; 4) vertical profiles of coastal waters in 2012-2021. As an example of the application of the data sets, interannual changes in nutrient concentrations and macrobenthos communities were analyzed.