High monks and big wigs (a massive boost for the Yonok Wetland Project)
The idea was as simple as it was brilliant, monks should be natural conservationists, they have power in the villages and respect in the outside world. It was Ajarn Sane, the Abbot, that came up with the idea of English and conservation lessons in his temple, the idea struck a chord and so the plan was set.
In our heads the questions arose, will it work? perhaps not, do people really want to learn English? Do they really want to be told why we think their fish and birds are disappearing? Will you really get village kids planting trees? Let's give it a try anyway.
Well, week one they had 65, week two 150, week three 300 - children, grandmothers, novices & monks; and it is getting a bit scary now! Dowroong doesn't seem to be phased, she's got the kids painting signs, planting trees, drawing wetland pics...
...Dowroong and the big sign...
...a Grass Owl (one of the wetland's significant species - as mentioned in the drawing) as drawn by Nong Peace, one of the village children...
...and the wetland as seen by Nong Tip.
Well, this was considered a brilliant start, just getting the kids to sit down, look around themselves and see the wetland as an ecosystem rather than a wasteland that happens to sometimes provide a meal, to try to explain to them how rare is this scenery that they take for granted and how it is worth holding on to at least small parts of it.
But then we learn from Ajarn Sane that one of Northern Thailand's most followed monks Khru Ba Boun Chum (he is originally from Burma and counts the Queen Mother of Bhutan amongst his followers) has been given land next to Mick and Dowroong's project area and that Ajarn Sane has been given charge of building a meditation centre there. Whilst not part of the Yonok project - this is purely Khru Ba Boun Chum's initiative - it is under the control of the Yonok project's guardian monk and covers one of the hills over looking the grass owl habitat, until recently under threat from clearance and planting of thirsty cash crops.
When Khru Ba Boun Chum speaks people listen, yesterday he visited the site of his new meditation centre, feted by the local Nai Amphur (Mayor) and the General with control of Chiang Rai, the TV cameras were there, as were at least 1,000 villagers eager to be seen to plant a tree.
...Khun Dowroong looks on as Khru Ba Boun Chum presents the local dignitaries - the Nai Amphur of Mae Chan - with a Buddha statue and explains his ideas...
...a blessing for Mick...
...the villagers turned up in their thousands to hear Khru Ba Boun Chum speak, receive his blessings and to plant a tree at his new temple...
...in their Saturday finery (though we note that isn't a planting tool she's carrying)...
...when all the dignitaries have left Mick shows Ajarn Sane and a novice (a regular at the English lessons) pictures from the past few weeks...
...and finally (for the pictures) the grass owl habitat from the new temple area, we have all been playing the game long enough to know that, even with Khru Ba Boun Chum's example, not every one of those thousands of people will go back home with a different idea about conservation but the game here is slowly raising awareness of the dangers of letting it all disappear and, at the very least, it seems that at one of the hills surrounding the little project area is guaranteed to be a peaceful, tree filled haven for the foreseeable future.
Eleven new villages have requested English and conservation lessons for their temples, something we cannot physically hope to do with the current resources but it seems a chord has been struck; village headmen want their children to earn English, monks want their flock to learn about the environment.
One final note, not necessarily directly related to the project but that is making the news around here and may bode well for conservation in the area - within ten kilometres of the project site - there may well be political under currents to this particular seizure but it cannot hurt the conservation cause that the law is being seen to be upheld.
Apologies for the long and rambling missive, so much news in such a short time!
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Thailand: Politicians linked to forest encroachment
Source: Copyright 2007, Bangkok Post
Date: July 15, 2007
Byline: Theerawat Khamthita
Original URL
Police are digging deep for clues in its efforts to implicate local politicians and a Chinese businessman in an alleged forest encroachment case in Chiang Saen district. The effort will focus on a 53-year-old Chinese trader named Yian Ping who allegedly used his political connections to get a Thai ID card, under the name of Chanchai Ruayrungrueng, which was then used to buy land in tambon Ban Saew, where the encroachment took place, a source said.
The investigation also led to a joint police-forestry raid in the Sopkok forest reserve near Ban Huay Koyroy village early this week.
The raid team found that 918 rai of forest was encroached and seized 13 trailer-trucks, processed logs, and tree-cutting equipment.
Some of the arrested workers confessed to police they were hired to clear and plough the forest area, but did not name the person who was paying them for the job.
A forestry official said a well-known politician had ordered local leaders to cut down trees in the reserves. The forest land was being cleared for the planting of rubber trees which were in great demand in China, said a security source.
Mr Yian Ping, who was reportedly made chairman of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party's branch in China, became a suspect after his Thai name disappeared from the Interior Ministry's database.
Hi John
Finished writing the article on Yonok project. Please take a look.
http://www.thaibirding.com/news/yonokwetlands.htm
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...further to the footnote...
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3rd Army to probe forest case
By Theerawat Khamthita
The Third Army Region will help investigate forest encroachment in Sopkok forest reserve in Chiang Saen district, Deputy Chiang Rai governor Vorachai Uttamachai said yesterday. Lt-Gen Jiradet Khotcharat, the Third Army commander, will inspect the encroached areas early next month, he said.
Police have failed to make any progress in the case, in which 918 rai of forest reserve was cleared.
Police seized 13 trailer trucks in a raid. However, investigators have been unable to identify the owners of the trucks, nor businessmen believed to be involved in the case. A joint police-forestry team raided the Sopkok forest reserve near Ban Huay Koyroy on July 9 and found 918 rai of forest land had been cleared.
The raid followed reports that a kamnan with close links to a national politician had illegally occupied nearly 1,000 rai of forest land. The politician was a minister in the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra government.
Pol Capt Samlit Singha, chief investigator, said a summons had been issued to three people thought to be the owners of the trailer-trucks, but they did not turn up.
A source said a businessman behind the encroachment wanted to clear forest land to build a luxury resort.
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WIENG NONG LOM WETLANDS
Migratory bird capital in peril
CHIANG RAI : Wieng Nong Lom wetlands, a fertile home for migratory birds and many rare bird species, is under severe threat from human activity and land encroachment, says the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand.
A Pied Harrier flies over Wieng Nong Lom wetlands, known as one of the migratory bird capitals of Southeast Asia, in Chiang Rai. Hundreds of harriers live in the area during the migration season. Photo courtesy of CHAIWAT WONGCHAI
The 60,000 rai of wetlands, located in Chiang Saen and Mae Chan districts, is known as one of the bird capitals of Southeast Asia and is famous among bird watchers from around the world.
Many rare or nearly extinct bird species, such as Baer's Pochards, Grass Owls and Greater Spotted Eagles have been found in Wieng Nong Lom and surrounding areas, said bird expert Chaiyan Kasorndorkbua from Kasetsart University's veterinary medicine faculty.
However, harriers are the real stars of Wieng Nong Lom.
The harriers migrate from cold areas in China, Russia and North Korea to the warmer tropical climate of Thailand. Most of them are Eastern Marsh Harriers and Pied Harriers, which can be found only in Chiang Rai.
"The number of migratory birds has been decreasing due to human activity in the area," Mr Chaiyan said on a bird watching trip in Chiang Saen last week.
The lecturer is also chairman of Thai Raptor Group which works on the study and conservation of eagles and raptors in Thailand.
The wetlands had been encroached upon and turned into orange plantations. Water had been contaminated with toxic farm chemicals and was also pumped out for farming, he said.
The birds' food, such as fish and snails, had also disappeared due to widespread illegal fishing.
Environmental degradation and encroachment, however, were not the only hazards for the birds at Wieng Nong Lom, he said. Bird hunting has emerged as another threat.
"We often find bird carcasses being sold at the local markets," Mr Chaiyan said. "These migratory birds travelled many miles away from home only to be killed cruelly here."
Most of the hunting activity takes place between September to March, which is the bird's migratory period. Some birds are captured alive and put in cages for sale to merit-makers at temples.
Wieng Nong Lom wetlands is not a protected area. This means there is no punishment for land encroachers and wild animal poachers, he said.
As the area is no longer safe for the birds while food supplies are diminishing, they have begun to migrate to neighbouring countries such as Burma and Laos, said the bird conservationist.
Rungsrit Kanjanavanit, president of the Lanna Bird and Nature Conservation Club, said birds played a key role in the food chain.
For example, the harriers help control the rat population as the birds eat at least two rats a day. Rats are some of the prime foes of paddy farmers.
"There are around 400 harriers living in Wieng Nong Lom wetlands. This means some 800 rats are eliminated each day," said Dr Rungsrit.
Conservation groups and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry have been working on nominating Wieng Nong Lom as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
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