Institute of Natural and Environmental Sciences (INES) is a research institute attached to University of Hyogo (UH). This institute is devoted to promotion of scientific researches on various aspects of interactive relationships between human activities in the broadest sense (human life, culture, etc.) and nature, and to enhance the social awareness on the importance of balanced, harmonious coexistence between human beings and indigenous biota in each region.

INES, originally founded in October 1992 with only a single research division (Division of Natural Environment), is currently composed of five research divisions that are assigned to five different prefectural, non-UH organizations at different sites within Hyogo Prefecture. Each of the INES staff holds not only a professor position of the university, but also another position (e.g., curator, research associate, etc.) of the organization in which his/her research division is housed.

This division, housed in the Museum of Nature and Human Activities (MNHA) at Sanda City, consists of five research sections, i.e., Research Sections for Earth Science, Phylogenetic Systematics, Ecology, Environmental Planning, and Bio-resources. In this division, desirable relationships of humans and nature for their coexistence are sought from various approaches, such as the creation of harmonious state between natural and residential environments, appropriate assessment and conservation of nature including natural resources, mechanisms and actual states of impacts of various human activities on natural environment, and activation of local communities by sustainable use of available natural resources. Staff members of this division also participate in various advisory committees organized by the national and prefectural governments, as well as by political and management offices of lower local communities, contributing to solutions of various pertinent problems based on their research results. The activities in this division also include construction by best use of GIS of data reference systems for the current status of natural environment and wildlife, and for modifications of the former by human activities.

Since the discovery of fossil dinosaurs (sauropsid, theropsid, etc.) in 2006 from Sannan-Cho, Tanba City, staff members in the corresponding research fields (geology and biology) of this division have been excavating fossils from this and other neighboring sites every year, and resultant specimens have been subjected to timely exhibitions at MNHA. Also, open seminars on this and other topics have occasionally been organized. The discoveries of fossil dinosaurs and other Mesozoic vertebrates have been consistently attracting the society's broad attentions, and this has lead to the frequent appearance of relevant topics in the TV programs and newspapers.

This division, housed in the Awaji Landscape Planning and Horticulture Academy (ALPHA) at Awaji City, accommodates a single research section, Research Section for Landscape Planning and Horticulture. This division is aimed to enhance research and education in the "landscape planning and horticulture". This field of research was recently proposed by the staff of this research section as a novel interdisciplinary field of science that creates new landscaping technology, discipline and culture with flowers and green which have great potential to integrates various realms which should contribute to creating high quality environment.

In 2009, UH established a new graduate school, 'Graduate School of Landscape Design and Management', in which the staff members of Division of Landscape Planning and Horticulture are playing a main role in education by making best use of practical experiences accumulated to the present. ALPHA, in which this division is housed, also has several unique education programs, such as "Community Gardener Course" (the continuing education course for training of volunteers who are expected to act for creation and conservation of natural environment) and "Horticultural Therapy Certificate Program", which is the first professional education program for horticultural therapists installed in the public schools of Japan.

This division, housed in the Hyogo Prefectural Homeland for the Oriental White Stork (HPHOWS) at Toyooka City, accommodates a single research section, Research Section for Conservation and Management of Rural Ecosystem. HPHOWS was founded in 1999 as the core facility for resurrection project of the wild Oriental White Stork populations in Japan. Even in the whole world, there are very few facilities other than HPHOWS that are devoted to resurrection and conservation of just a single species of wildlife after its complete disappearance from a particular nation. The staff members of Division of Rural Ecosystem have been playing the central role in this very unique venture.

In most districts of the mainland Japan, rural landscape, often referred to as "den-en", consists of various types of agricultural fields, rivers and other types surface waters, and hills with both primary and secondary vegetations, all contiguously arranged to each other. Such landscape is generally assumed to have resulted from interactions between human activities and various environmental factors, such as the climate and geomorphology of a given locality. Division of Rural Ecosystem develops a project to elucidate mechanisms underlying such relationships by employing initial approaches from both human and natural environment sides. Sharing the re-establishment of the wild Oriental White Stork populations as the core project, staff members engage themselves to practical conservation studies from several different viewpoints, such as animal diversity, plant diversity, landscape, and social environment.

This division, housed in the Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory (NHAO) at Sayo Town, accommodates a single research section, Research Section for Astronomy. NHAO was originally founded in 1990 with a 60 cm telescope as a facility open to general visitors for astronomical observations. This division is devoted to researches open to the general citizens and contributing to the life-long study. While human activities spread widely and even reach beyond the Earth, understanding of the proper appearance of human beings on the Earth as a part of the Universe is highly required. Therefore, clarification of our environment and unveiling the mysteries of the Universe becomes more and more important.

Since November 2004, "Nayuta", the largest telescope in Japan with a 2 m primary mirror, has been subjected to general use. With such a large aperture, we can observe not only the objects in our own solar system, but also in the other stellar systems, and far beyond in the other galaxies as well. Also, the staff members of Division of Astronomy are involved in the NHAO's original program, which is aimed to connect the state-of-the-art researches with general visitors and to provide opportunities to attend to the actual research activities.

This division, housed in the Wildlife Management Research Center, Hyogo (WMRCH) at Tanba City, consists of two research sections, Research Sections for Forest Environment Management and Wildlife Management. Because of the richness and diversity of natural habitat, Hyogo Prefecture harbors no less than 40 species of wild mammals. However, some of these mammals have been regarded as harmful because of considerable agricultural and forestry damages, and/or of serious impacts on the forest ecosystems, caused by them. For coexistence of human residents and native wildlife, and for maintenance of the rich nature, solutions of the problems caused by wildlife are indispensable.

The subjects studied in this division were diverse: exploring and sophisticating methods for the evaluation and monitoring of the present status of wildlife populations, collecting and accumulating data on the population size, distribution, and condition, on the status of agricultural and forestry damages caused by wildlife, and on the habitat conditions used by wildlife. Based on the analyses of these data, the research staff has proposed various plans, projects and systems for the appropriate management and conservation of wildlife living in Hyogo.

WMRCH was founded in April 2007 to seek the way for stable coexistence of humans, wildlife populations, and natural environment. The staff members of Division of Wildlife Management hold the concurrent post as the research staff in the research section of WMRCH. They have engaged themselves to more practical, in-situ activities, such as handling of wildlife appearing in human settlements and farmlands, implementing educational programs for the personnel related to wildlife management, and providing the knowledge and technical supports for damage management actions conducted by the local community, in cooperation with the working staff, forest-wildlife experts, of WMRCH.