Constructing a biotope and helping restore a sound natural environment does not require a large area. A portion of the grounds of the Aichi Galvanizing Co., Ltd. head office plant has been converted into a biotope in one example of how land can be effectively utilized. The Shonai River flows near to the plant, and the biotope was designed to make use of river's natural environment. Small biotopes are also constructed around construction site offices, or constructed on school grounds for educational use. Reconstructing the natural environments of the region in biotopes The plants introduces into the biotopes constructed on the grounds of the Aichi Galvanizing Co., Ltd. head office plant and the Osako Plant of Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. are all plants that grow in the local area, or along rivers in the region. These biotopes are rich in the life forms that have existed here since long ago. Biotope on the grounds of the Aichi Galvanizing Co., Ltd. head office plant   Biotope on the grounds of the Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Osako Plant Cover soil from nearby mountains The cover soil used to reconstruct this biotope for organisms that formerly lived in the region has proven successful, with shoots from planted seeds joining new sprouts that grew naturally from the soil. Observing new food chains matching the local scale Food chains are fundamental elements of the natural environment, and in these biotopes as well the continuing birth of new organisms in the reconstructed natural environment is evidenced in the creation of new food chains on a scale matching that of the biotope. A mixed land/water environment for a greater variety of organisms A waterside environment has been created in the biotope, deliberately mimicking the local region. The quantity of different organisms that can live in the biotope is significantly greater for even a small-scale waterside environment than a biotope without water. In recent years biotopes are being introduced into educational institutions as well. They are highly effective as educational tools, and help restore the local natural environment. Constructing a biotope at an elementary school in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture Even though these biotopes are small in scale, they offer the wildlife of the region a place to live, and allow people to enjoy the nature of the local area and the changing of the seasons. Biotope constructed on construction site office grounds in Shizuoka Prefecture