"Where Will the Children Go?"... Wando Arboretum Faces Crisis Over Suspension of Forest Experience and Ecological Education

Complete Abolition for Five Years Due to Promotion and Construction of National Subtropical Arboretum
Forest Interpreters Who Taught Children Will Also Lose Their Jobs
Calls for Proactive Administration to Switch Programs to Nearby Hinoki and Alternative Forest Facilities

While Wando Arboretum in Jeollanam-do is set to be promoted to a national subtropical arboretum and undergo large-scale construction, long-running ecological education programs for local children are now at risk of being fully abolished from next year without any alternative measures in place.

At the same time, there are growing calls for appropriate alternatives, as forest interpreters—who previously taught children about the value of forests and trees and helped foster their connection to nature—are now facing job losses.

Forest guides are explaining to children at Wando Arboretum. Photo by Lee Jungkyung

Hundreds of Children Left With Nowhere to Go... The Reality of the Forest Kindergarten Education Gap

According to coverage as of August 6, Wando Arboretum will completely end its ‘forest kindergarten’ and forest interpretation programs at the end of this year, citing approximately five years of construction for its transition to a national subtropical arboretum. The most directly affected are children at nurseries and kindergartens from Haenam, Wando, and other nearby local governments, who have experienced nature firsthand at Wando Arboretum.

According to the education sector, 21 institutions (with 373 children) participated in the forest kindergarten program in 2025, and 18 institutions (with 340 children) in 2026. However, due to this decision, hundreds of children will now lose the opportunity for ecological experiences each year.

The abrupt suspension of forest education has sparked strong backlash from local parents and teachers. The forest kindergarten program had increasingly become an essential curriculum, allowing children to step outside cramped classrooms and support their physical and emotional development.

One parent living in Wando County appealed for solutions, saying, "Our children looked forward to every forest outing and have grown so much through those experiences, but now they are being deprived of this precious educational opportunity for five years for the sake of adult administrative convenience and construction."

A staff member at an educational institution in Haenam also expressed frustration: "We thought that being upgraded to a national institution would mean even better ecological education for the children, but instead, we are faced with the unimaginable situation of losing the benefits we already enjoyed."

The unilateral abolition of the Wando Arboretum Forest Kindergarten program has deprived hundreds of children from local governments such as Haenam and Wando of opportunities for nature experiences. Photo by Lee Jungyeong

“Budgets and Manpower Remain the Same”... Forest Interpreters Voice Frustrations

Amid the anticipated fallout, there are growing calls for local authorities to be more proactive. The budget for running the forest kindergarten program has already been secured, with 50% coming from the central government and 50% from the provincial government.

There is criticism that suspending the programs is unnecessary, since the educational gap could be prevented simply by relocating operations to other nearby forest facilities owned by Wando County, such as local Hinoki forests. Nevertheless, the arboretum has largely ignored this option. Forest interpreters from the specialized contractor ‘Nandaesoop Sarang’, who have run forest education for years, also voiced deep regret over the disruption to children's learning.

One forest interpreter said, "For many years, I have helped children connect with nature and understand its value. Despite the presence of excellent alternative forests nearby, it is most heartbreaking that the program itself is being eliminated."

Our reporting confirms the arboretum had not previously considered collaborating with nearby substitute sites, adopting a passive stance by stating, "We haven’t reviewed that option so far." Director Byungseok Ahn only reluctantly replied, "We’ll consider it," after repeated inquiries about education contingency plans.

Local education officials commented, “Is this what the government and local authorities truly mean by ‘national upgrade’—ignoring the educational welfare that hundreds of local children deserve in the name of development and construction? Even now, Wando Arboretum should actively seek connections with alternative nearby facilities and immediately guarantee children their right to forest experience.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.