It’s a hot, sticky Saturday afternoon in the western provinces. Some 40 boys and girls jump out of commuter vans at the entrance to Kanchanaburi’s Pu Toey-Pu Lad community forest.
Students from Grades 5 to 11 in Bangkok and Kanchanaburi schools work together on a wet check dam during the Kids-to-Forest field excursion. PHOTOS BY APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL
For many of the youngsters, it’s the first time they’ve been this close to the lush foliage of a real forest.
“We always take things for granted. Participating in the two-day activities here makes me realise the value of the air we breathe and the water we drink,” said Thanakrit Charoenjindamatr, a student from the Mahidol University International Demonstration School.
The 16-year-old was referring to the “Kids-to-Forests”
scheme.
A United Nations initiative, its aim is to expose young people to the myriad benefits of forests through hands-on learning experiences. That will lead to a better understanding of forest management and an appreciation of how people use and can benefit from forest resources.
The initiative covers young people from grades 6 to 11. They learn about sustainable forest management through a series of hands-on activities. Among them are surveying forest diversity; identifying the right wild tree seedlings to nurture when regenerating forests; controlling unwanted weeds and invasive species; planting trees; and building check dams across small watercourses to slow runoff and reduce soil erosion. Strong emphasis is put on understanding how local people depend on trees and forests to earn a living through processing and selling forest products.
Some girls aren’t afraid of insects.
Patrick Durst, a senior forestry officer of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) who launched the Kids-to-Forests programme, sees great importance in spreading the message of preventing further loss and deterioration of Asia’s forests.
“Managing the remaining forests of our region responsibly is critically important for conserving biodiversity, including terrestrial plants and animals that will be vital in supporting adaptation to climate change,” he said.
“If we stop the damage now, we will not only avoid massive release of forest carbon into the atmosphere, but we will maintain the resource base for millions of forest-dependent people to continue earning their livelihoods.”
Successful forest management, he says, depends on the involvement and support of local people.
“We want the young people participating in the Kids-to-Forest programme to gain a greater appreciation of the important roles that local people play in protecting and managing forests, and to gain better perspectives on their own roles as future leaders and stewards of the forests.”
Introduced in 2011 to mark the International Year of Forests, the concept of bringing children to local forests is a key element of interactive awareness-raising. It also being implemented in six other Asia-Pacific countries — Cambodia, China, Fiji, Laos, Mongolia and the Philippines. In Thailand the project is being carried out through a network of international schools in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces.
Thai and foreign students at international schools have more opportunity to visit forests for field activities such as tree planting, said Mr Durst.
In order to sow the seeds of caring for forests in the hearts of minds of children from different backgrounds, he says, they have to interact with nature and forest communities firsthand. That way these urban kids will understand how forest management is crucial to local people and how forests are connected to people’s lives both directly and indirectly.
Thailand has 19 million hectares of forests, but each year the country loses about 15,000 ha, according to an FAO global forest resources assessment.
Mr Durst said teaching to manage natural resources sustainably, such as at Kanchanaburi’s Pu Toey-Pu Lad community forest, invests hope in the next generation.
“For the 40-odd students who participated in this outing, we can anticipate they will become a part of the future solutions in maintaining our precious forests,” he said.
Biodiversity is the first priority as schoolchildren do a forest survey as part of the Kids-to-Forest activities.
Prior to the forest visits, each student participates in an essay contest, writing on one of two topics: “Why are forests important?”, or “What would you do if you had a 100-ha plot of land?”
If he had a 100-ha plot of land, Thanakrit said he would turn it into a bank for conserving tropical plants. Preserving forest biodiversity is crucial, his essay said. When he grows up, he says he would like to be a biologist and deliver on his pledge.
There is indeed some truth to the cliché that we often can’t see the forest for the trees; joining the Bangkok students are young people who live nearby but have never paid much attention to the natural resources around them.
Among them, is Sirimas Aiemsa-ard, or “Prikpon”, a nickname that means ground chilli.
“I’ve found lots of ants and local plants that I’ve never seen before, particularly one nicknamed ‘Red Bull’,” says Prikpon, one of the older students from Kanchananukroh School.
“I live near here but this is the first time I’ve had a chance to learn about the forest in my community up close and personal.”
Prikpon is a Mathayom 4 (Grade 10) student who joined the two-day field study-trip organised by the FAO and the Plant a Tree Today Foundation.
“Participation in this programme enables students from urban settings to become more exposed to outdoor activities,” said Angela Kongsomboonvech, an environmental science lecturer at the Thai-Chinese International School, one of the five schools participating in the activities.
“Students should have more learning opportunities than just sitting behind a desk or using mobile applications,” she adds.
The students are excited to learn about various characteristics of the community forest, and local plants, for example prong fah, a sweet tasting leaf with a flavor similar to that of licorice, which can be used as an herb to help quit smoking. Other discoveries are forest figs that are poisonous when unripe but can be enjoyed by humans when fully ripened.
The Pu Toey-Pu Lad community forest covers some 328 rai, situated in a buffer zone of the Sai Yok National Park and home to a tributary of the famous River Kwai that passes through the forest.
Sai Yok National Park is part of the Western Forest Complex, regarded as the country’s largest forest area, encompassing Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The forest is thus important, not only to local people, but also in contributing to maintaining a global treasure.
For generations, local people have been collecting food and other products from the forest, such as bamboo shoots, edible ferns, mushrooms and wild honey, fuel, timber for building houses, and leaves of the giant pandan for weaving.
In the past, misunderstandings arose when the authorities stepped in and tried to enforce rules preventing local people from harvesting and using forest resources. At one point the controversy resulted in some villagers being arrested while attempting to collect fuel, mushrooms and herbs. In 2004, a more constructive and collaborative approach was adopted. Local villagers worked hand-in-hand with provincial forest authorities to jointly develop sustainable forest management plans and agree on acceptable practices. It was at that time the Pu Toey-Pu Lad Community Forest was formally established.
“The forest is like our kitchen. We can always get things to eat there. That’s why we would like others to understand the importance of our community forest,” said Pipat Kaewchitpongtong, head of the village committee overseeing Pu Toey-Pu Lad community forest.
Children marvel at the forest figs and cicadas that are among the many plants and insects found in Pu Toey-Pu Lad community forest.
Students fill sandbags to build a wet check dam in Pu Toey-Pu Lad community forest as youngsters
Collect information about plant diversity.