November 3, 1998
WE CARE   Mad about mangroves Learning by sharing... Student volunteers at the Bang Taboon Witaya School share their knowledge about mangrove ecology with friends from another school If you can put up with voracious mosquitoes and peeping-tom monkeys, a visit to the mangrove research centre in Phetchaburi can be a lot of fun. Run on a shoestring budget, with teachers and students as volunteers, its goal is to foster environmental awareness among the young Story by Vasana Chinvarakorn Pictures by Somkid Chaijitvanit This is no fancy air-conditioned resort, believe me. Visitors have to make do with mats and pillows laid out on the classroom floor. And there are plenty of mosquitoes to keep you company. Bathrooms are outside in the mangrove forest, and they have no rooves. Every now and then, a pair of curious eyes can be seen peeping down from the tree tops; they belong to the wild monkeys who roam around the woods searching for food, and observing the occasional human. Despite such inconveniences, each year the Mangrove Ecology Study and Preservation Centre receives over five thousand visitors. They range from school children to trainee teachers, researchers and government officers. Some come from as far afield as Australia and New Zealand after hearing about this small but unique research centre in Phetchaburi province. The centre is part of Bang Taboon Witaya School, a junior secondary school with 150 students. As well as conducting regular school classes and activities, the school has, for the past decade, provide educational services to anyone seeking to learn more about the thriving natural life along the coast. Some visitors have never seen a mangrove forest before. Others, particularly local children, see it everyday and yet do not realise the importance of the mangrove until they join the programme at the centre. The two-day, one-night training course at Bang Taboon Witaya School teaches the basics of the mangrove forest: its dominant flora and fauna, what factors contribute to its decline, and how to conduct simple scientific experiments on the soil and other specimens. During a boat trip along the Phetchaburi River and out to the Gulf of Thailand, participants see local people at work, and learn how human livelihood is tied to the health of the sea and the forests. Some visitors, notably children, seem to be more sensitive than others. They marvel at the traces left by mud slipper fish (pla teen in Thai): "The marks look like flower petals!" "Seeing things with your own eyes shortens the learning process," said Somjit Meewasana, a science teacher and the centre's head. "Some teachers confess that they have been teaching for years, but it's all just by rote. Only now do they understand how great is the benefit of the mangrove forest. Mr Somjit explained that the forest surrounding the school is probably the province's most fertile plot of land. "We found over 20 species of mangrove plants here, while in other areas, there are only a couple." From humans to monkeys and shrimps--only by maintaining the health of natural forest can one ensure all lives will continue to thrive. He is referring to the 20-rai mangrove forest which forms the the backyard of his school. Although small in size, it has been well-kept and has actually expanded over the years. "That is one unique feature of this type of forest," he explained. "We call it 'the forest that builds up land.' The gradual sedimentation, aided by the tide and the tree roots, results in the natural extension of the coastline. We reckon the forest grows by about 10 square metres a year." The tortuously slow pace of earthly creation reflects the nature of Mr Somjit and his team's work. Despite the heavy workload due to the centre's growing reputation, it continues to be run by only four teachers. Some 20 students work as volunteers. The preservation programme aims to teach youngsters to be concerned for the well-being of their local environment. All new students who enter the school are required to attend the centre's training programme. Those who show interest and potential will be drafted in to work as assistants. On the activity days, they will be stationed at various spots in the forest, to give information on different aspects of the mangrove forests to visitors. These student volunteers attest that participation in the programme helps improve their interpersonal skills, and sometimes, their level of understanding of their surroundings. "Some would ask untypical questions," noted Juraiwan Sa-nganet, a Mathayom-3 student. "For example, why is there such a monoculture of plants in the mangrove forest? It makes me think hard, or to get more information from my teachers, in order to go back and answer them." Wanida Atchariyasunthorn, 16, began her "practicum" when she was in Matayom 2. Now a vocational student, the Phetchaburi native continues to come back to help out with the camping activities whenever time permits. "I chose to study the tourism industry," Wanida said. "I enjoy telling others about what I know so much that I want to continue doing it as a job." Mr Somjit said the idea to set up the centre was suggested in 1985 when a group of teachers from the Phra Nakorn and Phetchaburi Teachers' Colleges visited the school to research how to make use of the schoolyard in teaching biology and environment. A subsequent grant from UNESCO resulted in the construction of a wooden bridge across the forest which facilitated closer study of the mangrove plants and animals. Back then, the Bang Taboon Witaya School received only a couple of groups of visitors per year, due to difficulties in transportation. In the late-1980s, reports on critical degradation of mangrove forests prompted concerns over its survival. Statistics showed that between 1961 and 1993, Thailand lost about a million rai of mangrove forest. A cabinet resolution in 1987 divided the remaining wooded areas into reserve and economic zones. The mangrove forest in Phetchaburi was included in the reserve list which, in all, came to about 1,200 rais, a far cry from tens of thousands of rai we had in the old days. The mangrove study centre was officially established in 1990. Without any financial support from the state agencies in charge of educational affairs, the centre managed to survive on contributions from visitors and supporters. "We practically started from scratch," Mr Somjit said. "I got a book to teach myself on the subject. But I grew up here, so it was not so difficult. "Back then, we had no visual aids and had to improvise. When we lectured on plant species and had to show examples, we would go out to cut some branches ourselves. Later, we raised enough money to buy a camera. And that's the only one we have. "Unfortunately, with the personnel constraints we can't implement everything we'd like to do. The system here works in a way that whatever ideas you have, you must carry them out yourself." Things have improved over the years, though. The centre now boasts three computers, two TV sets and a small exhibition room. Built on the curving ground floor, the exhibition room has no hi-tech gimmicks; everything seems to show the collaborative efforts of students and teachers. Posters depicting statistics and the forest's flora and fauna fill the walls. In dusty cases are old books and pamphlets on mangrove ecology. Preserved crabs and shells are also on display in glass jars which, as suggested by their labels, must have formerly served as containers of coffee and other foods. In 1994, the centre received another grant from USAid which, combined with other donations, enabled them to build a nursery for mangrove plants, a concrete bridge to run parallel to the first one, and booklets to distribute to visitors. "Our dream is to have a separate building altogether," said Chompoonuch Meesomjit, another teacher who helps run the centre. "It would serve as an integrated centre, with housing and canteen for whoever wants to come and study the forest. "Right now, we only organise activities on weekends. Every Friday afternoon, after class is over, my students will move desks and chairs and turn the rooms into makeshift hostels. They'll put everything back in place again on Sundays. Even then, sometimes there is not enough room for everybody to do activities at the same time and we have to rotate them in groups." Mr Somjit added that he wished to see the school's forest one day equipped with immaculate signposts carrying comprehensive information on the mangrove plant species. Another plan is to expand and link the two bridges together. Recently, the centre received a donation to complete the latter job. Unfortunately, the bigger plan, for the building construction, looks less likely to materialise because of financial constraints. The centre's main source of income is a meagre charge of 25 baht per person for those who stay overnight, which goes to cover food, lodging, utilities, boat trip and lab equipment. Donations, too, are not enough to sustain the centre's daily operations, let alone pay for any expansion scheme. When asked about the possibility of the local community taking a greater role in the project, Mr Somjit concedes there is still a missing gap to be filled. "It's difficult for us to get villagers who can explain things well and are willing to join our activities on a regular basis." He added, however, that the boat trip provides an opportunity for participants to talk directly with locals and learn from them. The man who has been running the centre for over a decade considers teaching trainees to be his most important task. Through this group of people, he reasons, his message can reach the wider public. "If you ask me whether I get tired doing this or not, I will say yes. In some years, there were no weekends for me at all. Actually, I consider that as a measure of the centre's success. If we're not good, nobody would come to see us. "I don't expect to quit in the near future. The school is quite far from the city, so it's unlikely anyone will come to replace me. So it's all right that we remain this small. We know we are doing the right thing, and we are happy doing this work." Info for donations: Name of organisation: The Mangrove Ecology Study and Preservation Centre, Bang Taboon Witaya School Address: Bang Taboon Witaya School, Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi 76110 Phone: (032) 489-174 Bank account name: Ngoen Sang Saphan Rabobniwet Pa-chailane (Fund for construction of bridge to study the mangrove ecology) Bank Account Number: 021103-2-021112-8 Bank account type: savings Bank account: Government Savings Bank, Ban Laem branch Despite the bank account name, contributions to the project will go not only toward the construction of the bridge but also to fund other activities at the centre. "We Care" is a weekly series honouring people who believe in giving. You can show you care by supporting the projects featured here each week. You can also let us know about people who unselfishly help others so we can honour them in these pages. 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