Khao Yai Experiences
Stories from Thailand’s World Heritage ParkArchive for Community Outreach
Greenpeace calls for Chang[e]
Yesterday, Greenpeace Southeast Asia’s Chang[e] Caravan set off from Khao Yai to send a message to the world’s political leaders to act against the threat of disastrous climate change.
‘Chang’ means ‘Elephant’ in Thai, one of the most revered creatures in the country, but elephants can suffer greatly when removed from the wild. Five Asian Elephants in the Caravan were rescued and rehabilitated from Bangkok’s streets by the Thai Elephant Research and Conservation Fund.
Over the next two weeks, the elephants and activists will travel 250km south to the outskirts of the capital to raise awareness about the delicate interconnection between wildlife and climate.
![Greenpeace Chang[e] Caravan Launch at Khao Yai (Photo by Greenpeace)](http://khaoyai.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/changecaravanlaunch.jpg "Greenpeace Chang[e] Caravan Launch at Khao Yai (Photo by Greenpeace)")
Before setting off, mahout elders held a ceremony, praying to the spirits of ancestor mahouts for safety and luck on the journey. Thai Buddhist monks also blessed the caravan.
Along the way they will hold activities for students and communities on elephant and forest conservation, climate change impacts and renewable energies. Follow the caravan’s progress on Greenpeace Southeast Asia’s blog.
Uniting for forest corridor conservation
Improved protection for the World Heritage listed Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex was the focus of a multi-stakeholder meeting at Khao Yai National Park on August 8, 2009.
Laws for forest conservation and their application across the vast and important reserve were discussed by senior members of the Royal Thai Police, Army, Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, the regional ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network, as well as district prosecutors, local elected officials and community representatives.
FREELAND was allocated a session to detail our ranger training programs and community outreach pilots. As the only non-government conservation group invited to present, FREELAND’s important role in conservation of the Forest Complex was acknowledged and applauded.
However, the meeting also highlighted that much more work needs to be done (particularly in the area of community engagement for forest stewardship) to tackle threats such as poaching, illegal tree cutting and encroachment.
FREELAND staff used this occasion to provide Nature Crime Investigation manuals to the Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, as part of ongoing efforts to help build law enforcement capacity for biodiversity protection and keep environmental crime high on the agenda.
Restoring life to Thailand’s forgotten forest
Late last month, FREELAND trialed a new reforestation approach – planting trees that will bear edible fruits and foliage to encourage animals and life to rapidly return to forest areas damaged by encroachment.
Almost 200 children from five schools in the Lampiek and Kok Krachai districts joined park rangers, FREELAND staff and villagers to plant the trees in a 20 rai area of the remote Thap Lan National Park, which extends east from Khao Yai in the forest complex.
In total, more than 2,500 trees were planted as part of FREELAND’s Edible Foliage Pockets trial [more on this concept soon], including:
Like previous reforestation projects, this planting during the rainy season gives saplings the best chance to thrive.
In addition to restoring habitat for wildlife and helping to mitigate global warming, FREELAND reforestation activities are organized to provide:
- Employment for local villagers;
- Positive engagement between local communities and park protection authorities;
- Education on the importance of conservation for local students;
- An opportunity for citizen and Corporate Social Responsibility.
This project was made possible with the kind support of Khun Jiroj Nimmannit and Sanctuary V. Please contact FREELAND if you would like to be involved in the next reforestation project.
Kangaroo Island to Khao Yai
Australian volunteer Laura Mitchell has been helping the Surviving Together team monitor wildlife in protected areas.
Working closely with field staff and local rangers, our Aussie volunteer recorded signs of numerous indigenous wildlife by examining tracks and setting camera traps deep inside the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, in protected areas such as Thap Lan National Park.
According to Laura, wildlife conservation in Thailand is an interesting and challenging change from her last job – working with koalas on Australia’s Kangaroo Island, where poaching is non-existent.
When not trapping unsuspecting wildlife on film, Laura found time to visit FREELAND’s community outreach projects in the villages around Khao Yai to see how small-scale agriculture can provide sustainable incomes for former poachers.
Other exciting highlights included the day of the weird white moths, bogged jeeps, ant-riddled camera traps, and encounters that can only be related over a cold Aussie beer.
Laura’s volunteer work for wildlife conservation was made possible by the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development Program, an Australian Government initiative assigning young people to support sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.
FREELAND’s staff wish Laura all the best in her future travels and hope she’ll come back to visit soon.
Mushroom experts help local community and forest
Organic mushroom farming is a great way for villages around Khao Yai to make a living, as an alternative to cutting trees or poaching wildlife from the park.
Last month, FREELAND brought in a group of experts from the Phra Dabos Foundation’s Mushroom Cultivation in Sufficiency Agriculture Program to help Kok Sa-ard Village, just north of Khao Yai, further increase productivity and markets for its small-scale mushroom growing enterprises, set up with FREELAND’s help.
21 villagers participated in the three-day training, which covered everything from the basics of mass mushroom pack preparation, through to natural preservation methods to create ready-to-eat snack products and extend the shelf-life of produce.
Trainers also explained how to recycle materials to eliminate waste; and provided advice on dealing with changes in climate, such as the current cold snap.
Boonlert Thaitatkul, the lead instructor from Phra Dabos with over 35 years experience in mushroom cultivation, provided villagers with design plans and supervised the first stages of construction of an improved model cultivation house.
As this new knowledge is shared, it is hoped that low-impact organic agriculture will become an even more attractive option for villages on the edges of Khao Yai, ensuring a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with the forest.
FREELAND thanks the Phra Dabos Foundation for their time and expertise, and the Blue Moon Fund for making this training and the projects possible.
Bookmark & Share
Subscribe
ภาษาไทย
Khao Yai Sustainable Visitor's Guide (PDF 275kb)
