PROGRESS REPORT 2 Project Title: Hornbill Conservation

PROGRESS REPORT 2
Project Title:
Hornbill Conservation & Education Center at Tapoh Village,
Narathiwat Province, THAILAND.
Submit to:
- Woodland Park Zoo, USA
- Lowry Park Zoo, USA
- Chester Zoo, UK
Report Duration cover:
February 2004 – April 2005
Project Team:
Project Consultants: 1) Prof. Dr. Pilai Poonswad
2) Mr. Preeda Thiensongrasamee
Full-time staff:
1) Ms. Sapeena Mangsamong
2) Mr. Theerasak Boonsriroj
Part-time staff:
1) Mr. Asae Masae
2) Mr. Gorsem Dhauree
Objectives:
1) Instill pride in the villagers toward their natural resources.
2) Provide resource persons for local schools and teachers.
3) Provide a knowledge resource for publics.
4) To disseminate the conservation activities of the Hornbill Research
Foundation.
5) To educate the local community about hornbills as keystone
species with a slogan, “Healthy hornbills, Healthy forest, Healthy
you”.
6) Promote eco-tourism which possibly will generate income with
communities.
Project Status:
During the period of April 2003- April 2005, we have achieved the following:
1) Establishment of Hornbill Conservation & Education Center at Tapoh Village,
Ruso District, Narathiwat Province
2) Five Educational programs & activities
3) One Study Tour
1) Establishment of Hornbill Conservation & Education Center at Tapoh Village,
Ruso District, Narathiwat Province. (August 2003- February 2004)
Following were a series of the Center Construction with participation of villagers.
28 April 2003: “Official Land Donation to Hornbill Research Foundation” for building a
Hornbill Conservation & Education Center at Tapoh Village witnessed by
villagers, Community Leader, Ruso District Chief Officer and Chief of Budo
Sungai-Padi National Park.
May 2003: Land Preparation for Center construction
August 2003: Center construction
October 2003: The Center on 20 October 2003
December 2003: The Center on 9 December 2003.
Villagers at work
January 2004
Villagers at work on 26 Jan 2004.
February 2004
Complete the Center.
Center Blessing Ceremony (22 February 2004)
A Muslim Ceremony for blessing “Duree Prey”
by a senior villager to bless the Center.
The young man in white shirt is the Chief of the
Flowering & Ornamental Plant Collection of
Southern Thailand, National Park, Wildlife and
Plant Conservation Department, represented Pilai
Poonswad at the ceremony, he is a Muslim.
“Hayat Pray” to bless the Center
The prayers came from Tapoh Village
and neighbouring villages.
A part of participants at the Center
Blessing Ceremony
Activity after Center Blessing Ceremony:
Planting of Hornbills food plants (22 February 2004 in the afternoon)
A part of children from Tapoh Village
Children attended hornbill posters
explained by Usman, the son of
Haseng who is one of the best villager
assistants.
Usman, 12 years old always follows
his father to watch hornbill nests and
has learned a lot from his dad.
An officer of Budo Sungai-Padi
National Park helped explaining to
the children in “Yawi”, local dialect
about tagging their names on the
plants.
Planting of hornbill food plant
2) Educational activities
2.1 “Bird Watching” at Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary, Narathiwat Province,
22 April 2004
The activity was jointly organized by Hornbill Research Foundation and Budo
Sungai-Padi National Park (BSPNP). The purpose of this program was to educate the
participants (children) to understand interaction between birds and forest. Bird watching is a
great way which allows children to explore their natural surrounding. Eventually they gain
knowledge, skills and enjoyable outdoor learning experience
In the afternoon of 22 April 2004, the participants
and staff were helping to clean the vicinity of Pacho
Waterfall, Bacho District, Narathiwat Province.
2.2 “Educate local children by elder villagers”, 11 July 2004
Mr. Nimu Rayohkaree, an important local villager from Talohta Village who has been
participated in the Hornbill Nest Adoption Program since 1994, guided a group of children to
visit a Rhinoceros hornbill nest site near Talohta Village.
Along the way, he taught the children important fauna and flora. The transfer of knowledge
from the elders to the children is a key activity in sustaining this program into the future
generation.
In the blind to watch
Rhinoceros Hornbill
2.3 “The Joint Youth Camp for Hornbills & Natural Resources Conservation” at Khao
Yai National Park (KYNP), 5-7 August 2004
To expose the children and villagers to different type of natural resources, the Joint
Youth Camp for Hornbills & Natural Resources Conservation was held at Khao Yai National
Park, Nakhonratchasrima Province. The group of 40 school children from around Budo
Sungai-Padi National Park who joined another group of 40 students from Khao Yai National
Park to learn and share knowledge and experience concerning wildlife and natural resources.
Hornbill Conservation & Education Center staff and children were preparing materials and
activities at Tapoh Center before participating the Joint Youth Camp for Hornbills & Natural
Resources Conservation.
The activities included:
1) Painting hornbills on T-shirts
In front of the Budo Hornbill Conservation and Education Center
before taking journey to Khao Yai National Park
2) Rehearsal of drama performance entitled “Loggers and Hornbills”
3) Games which create interaction among children and trainers
Lunch
4) Transfer messages on hornbills in Thailand
Children were studying hornbill food
5) How to use and how to maintain binoculars
” Travel to KYNP by train to Bangkok and by bus to KYNP
” Youth Camp for Hornbills & Natural Resource Conservation at KYNP
Registration
Welcome by the President of
Seub Nakhasathien Foundation
Indoor activities at KYNP
Outdoor activities: field trip to study important flora including medicinal plants
(by a renowned pharmacist and a National Park ranger) and fauna in Khao Yai National Park
An outdoor activity with a researcher of THAILAND HORNBILL
PROJECT was teaching children about “Hornbill food plant”.
2.4 Guardian of Hopea tree, 16-18 September 2004
The activity Guardian of Hopea tree was held between 16-18 September 2004 at
Hornbill Conservation & Education Center in Tapoh Village, Narathiwat Province. Twenty
children from four local schools and three youth in Tapoh Village participated. There were
lessons on forest ecology and important hornbill nest trees, i.e. Hopea spp. They also learned
about predator - prey relationships, food chain, medicinal and edible plants, ground cover and
canopy layers. Uses and misuses of the forest, edibles plants and endangered species were
discussed.
16-17 September 2004
Tree identification
Children were introduced to the common tree species found in Budo Sungai-Padi National
Park (Tropical rainforest). Identification features, including leaves, flowers, fruit, seed, etc.
were taught.
Forest ecology & habitat
18 September 2004
Outdoor learning
Nature walks led by villagers (Mr. Asae Jaroo, Mr. Asae
Masae, Mr. Hawa Kajay, Mr. Marohpee Kadaekae and
Mr. Rohki Daree) who are research assistants of Thailand
Hornbill Project (in picture: Mr. Asae Jaroo)
Along the trail, there were 10 stop-points for forest ecology and habitat learning
including medicinal plants, lichens, forest structure, saprophytes, Hornbill’s food trees; fig
tree and Hornbill nest trees; Hopea sp. Plant-insect relationship, such as wasp and fig tree
was a case study.