Yambaru

Spanning the northern villages of Higashi, Kunigami, and Ōgimi, Yambaru contains some of the last large surviving tracts of subtropical rainforest in Asia, with many endemic species of flora and fauna.

[3] In 2016, Yambaru National Park was established and the area was included in a submission for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

[8][10] The US Marine Corps has noted that 'to continue to perform realistic military training activities, these habitats must be maintained.

[12][13] The Okinawa woodpecker in particular is threatened both by the presence of American Ospreys[14] from the US Marine bases on the island and by the construction of six new helipads[15][16] in the forest.

The Yambaru Wildlife Conservation Centre (Ufugi Nature Museum) (やんばる野生生物保護センター (ウフギー自然館)) opened in 1999 to increase understanding of the area; in 2010 it reopened after renovation.