Great Oaks Grow From Little Acorns

[Lite Beer]

Great oaks grow from little acorns
TANPISIT LERDBAMRUNGCHAI
THE NATION

NAN: -- "If one day we have no forestland left, what will we do?" asks 17-year-old Suriyo Suropan, chairman of the Children Love Forestland group in Nan province, as he sees more and more tree-covered land disappear.

This northern province's forested area had shrunk from 7 million rai, or 73 per cent of the province, in 1976 to just 3 million rai - 41 per cent - by 2002, according to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.

A more recent survey in 2011 found that Nan's forestland had reduced further to cover only 39.87 per cent of the province's area. Such a massive change negatively affected the lives of people dependent on water and forest products, while also increasing the severity of natural disasters every year.

Suriyo was determined to do something to conserve forest and, believing in the power of youth grouping together, he started the movement from his Ban Nong Phuk neighbourhood in Chiang Klang district's Tambon Preu.

SHIFT IN FOCUS

At first, the Children Love Forestland group had only 10 members, but its membership has now grown to 80 - with virtually all children over seven to youths in their early 20s in the village joining the cause.

The grown-up alumni of the group, many of whom moved away to pursue education or career in big cities, remain in contact with current members and pass on the passion for forest-conservation activities to the younger ones.

"The goal will be achieved not only from the youths' movement, as community adults also have to support their activities continuously. We are lucky that our seniors, schoolteachers and local administrative organisations are supporting our cause," he said.

Applying the "elderly lead, children follow" concept, the group were taught by their elders about local wisdom that implies a lifestyle in harmony with the forest. This includes building check dams, creating firebreaks, using herbs from the forest and organising a tree-ordination rite. The latter is in line with Buddhism, covering a tree trunk with a monk's yellow robe, as if the tree were ordained and hence cannot be felled.

Suriyo's aunt Kreuwan Suropan, who was the Ban Nong Phuk community's one-stop agriculture group president, said the farmers there used to grow maize and tobacco, which entailed clearing forestland.

However, facing more severe storms, forest floods, drought and intense heat, they realised the importance of the forest and adopted a suggestion by Maejo University to grow squash and cucurbita pepo, which do not require as much space and can be sold at about the same price as maize and tobacco.

Village headman Wiwek Sonpud said the community set rules to conserve both the forest and the environment, and many families engaged in a learning experience in the forest, so that the adults' activities involving the forest gained more participation from the youths.

They also gathered 50 residents' signatures to register the forest area around the village as community forest, he added.

Royal Forestry Department expert Kittiporn Boonyakit said the registration of 3,726 rai of community forest was better than letting the government or the department itself control it, because the villagers would protect their forest with love and a genuine feeling of ownership.

He added that the Ban Nong Phuk community was strong and had passed the ideology for conservation on to the younger generations, until it won the outstanding community forest award for youth participation in 2011. Such an outstanding achievement also attracted like-minded people.

BRAVE, SMILING YOUTHS

The northern region's "Yaowachon Klayim" (brave and smiling youths) camp, with sponsorship from Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding and the Royal Forestry Department, was organised there to instil forest-conservation awareness and pass on community knowledge of forest management.

Under this scheme, 80 youths aged 13 to 15 from Nan, Phrae, Tak, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Lampang, Lamphun, Chiang Mai, Phayao and Chiang Rai learned about how to live in harmony with forest, take anti-global warming measures, herb-garden creation, as well as brainstorming for "the future of community forests".

Assistant president of Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Bunthiwa Dansomsathit said this brainstorming would encourage the youths to think of their own community forests and extend the lessons gained from the camp to develop their community forests in the future.

She believes it will help promote awareness of the environment and energy conservation.

Sarvuth Setha, a 14-year-old from Ban Nong Pla Sawai School in Lamphun, said he would spread the information he had learned to schoolmates and parents, especially concerning the making of maize-stalk fertiliser because his family grows the crop and until now has burnt the stalks post-harvest. "Now we will turn them into fertiliser and no longer burn the stalks as waste," he said.

Phoungphaka Ratchajak, a 17-year-old from Uttaradit Vocational College, said she viewed the future of community forests in two ways: either community people would together conserve the forest to last forever, or the community forest would disappear because many areas were still subject to deforestation.

If it went the latter way, it would surely lead to less and less forestland and increasingly severe natural disasters, she said.

-- The Nation 2013-06-02

[BookMan]

Later in the day, after the seedlings had been planted, BoBo the cow came out for her daily forage...

[NongKhaiKid]

Maybe this well meaning childrens' group should get a talk on illegal loggers and their activities and the script to include the much favoured phrase ' a local politician / influential person in the area ".

[Scott]

I think I need a vacation.

I saw the title and assumed it was about Thaksin's son. Isn't his nickname Oak?

A thread about reforestation is probably much more interesting.

[marcusd]

Later in the day, after the seedlings had been planted, BoBo the cow came out for her daily forage...

But this is basically a good story with great intentions and we shoukd applaud and help with advice and a guiding hand.... not just be armchair mianers

Sent from my GT-N7000B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[BookMan]

I think I need a vacation.

I saw the title and assumed it was about Thaksin's son. Isn't his nickname Oak?

A thread about reforestation is probably much more interesting.

If you make me a Mod for a day i can arrange a vacation Scott.

[BookMan]

Later in the day, after the seedlings had been planted, BoBo the cow came out for her daily forage...

But this is basically a good story with great intentions and we shoukd applaud and help with advice and a guiding hand.... not just be armchair mianers

Sent from my GT-N7000B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It is a good initiative marcusd.

[geriatrickid]

Oh my, this won;t help those that whinge about Thai youth. Anyway, a good deed that sets an example for some you grownups.

[chainarong]

Lets not discourage the young people, with all the illegal logging going on over the other side of the hill, someone has to shame them, although I am not sure they could be shamed into stopping the illegal practice , they are just ignorant and corrupt, maybe the youth might show the way , then when they get older ?????

[moe666]

Maybe this well meaning childrens' group should get a talk on illegal loggers and their activities and the script to include the much favoured phrase ' a local politician / influential person in the area ".

no illegal logging envolved in this just plan deforestation. Recently travelled to Khon Kaen from Chiang Mai. I usually take the 106 highway from Lamphun in many area along this road you will see the results of first burning the forest then they go in and start cleaning the area pulling up tree stumps then they prepare the land for planting. I have seen this progress since my first trip along this highway in 2012. I could also see this in the mountains along the 12 highway thru Phetchanbun Province. The farmers in these areas are slowly destroying the forest to have clear land to plant and raise crops.

Edited June 2, 2013 by Scott

[Thai at Heart]

Maybe this well meaning childrens' group should get a talk on illegal loggers and their activities and the script to include the much favoured phrase ' a local politician / influential person in the area ".

no illegal logging envolved in this just plan deforestation. Recently travelled to Khon Kaen from Chiang Mai. I usually take the 106 highway from Lamphun in many area along this road you will see the results of first burning the forest then they go in and start cleaning the area pulling up tree stumps then they prepare the land for planting. I have seen this progress since my first trip along this highway in 2012. I could also see this in the mountains along the 12 highway thru Phetchanbun Province. The farmers in these areas are slowly destroying the forest to have clear land to plant and raise crops.

I think you will find that is a legacy from defoliants sprayed during the Vietnam war to deny communist groups in Thailand the safety of forest cover.

Edited June 2, 2013 by Scott

[bigbamboo]

Good to see the kids going green as opposed to yellow or red.

There's hope for Thailand yet.

[khaowong1]

Later in the day, after the seedlings had been planted, BoBo the cow came out for her daily forage...

Some will probably make fun of you Bookman.. but I see it every year about this time.. a large group of people are talked into coming to the far back side of our temple grounds and planting trees.. lot's of photo ops for the local Pai Boon.. 3 days later, somchai and his herd of cows come through.. chomp, chomp. This has been going on for 6 years and there's not a tree back there. P.S. Not sure there are any oak trees in Thailand. Just saying.

Edited June 2, 2013 by khaowong1

[noitom]

Maybe this well meaning childrens' group should get a talk on illegal loggers and their activities and the script to include the much favoured phrase ' a local politician / influential person in the area ".

no illegal logging envolved in this just plan deforestation. Recently travelled to Khon Kaen from Chiang Mai. I usually take the 106 highway from Lamphun in many area along this road you will see the results of first burning the forest then they go in and start cleaning the area pulling up tree stumps then they prepare the land for planting. I have seen this progress since my first trip along this highway in 2012. I could also see this in the mountains along the 12 highway thru Phetchanbun Province. The farmers in these areas are slowly destroying the forest to have clear land to plant and raise crops.

I think you will find that is a legacy from defoliants sprayed during the Vietnam war to deny communist groups in Thailand the safety of forest cover.

Denying communist incursion as well as giving rise to the Village Scouts the precursor of the Yellow Shirts.

[moe666]

Maybe this well meaning childrens' group should get a talk on illegal loggers and their activities and the script to include the much favoured phrase ' a local politician / influential person in the area ".

no illegal logging envolved in this just plan deforestation. Recently travelled to Khon Kaen from Chiang Mai. I usually take the 106 highway from Lamphun in many area along this road you will see the results of first burning the forest then they go in and start cleaning the area pulling up tree stumps then they prepare the land for planting. I have seen this progress since my first trip along this highway in 2012. I could also see this in the mountains along the 12 highway thru Phetchanbun Province. The farmers in these areas are slowly destroying the forest to have clear land to plant and raise crops.

I think you will find that is a legacy from defoliants sprayed during the Vietnam war to deny communist groups in Thailand the safety of forest cover.

I cannot agree with that this deforestation is too wide spread here in the north any back highway you take you will see the same thing happening a slow 1 or 2 year process to clear the forest to plant crops in there place. When they are done the cleared areas will cover the slopes of several hills reaching down into the valley and up the slopes of other hills. These farmers need more land to feed there families and to make money

[Thai at Heart]

Maybe this well meaning childrens' group should get a talk on illegal loggers and their activities and the script to include the much favoured phrase ' a local politician / influential person in the area ".

no illegal logging envolved in this just plan deforestation. Recently travelled to Khon Kaen from Chiang Mai. I usually take the 106 highway from Lamphun in many area along this road you will see the results of first burning the forest then they go in and start cleaning the area pulling up tree stumps then they prepare the land for planting. I have seen this progress since my first trip along this highway in 2012. I could also see this in the mountains along the 12 highway thru Phetchanbun Province. The farmers in these areas are slowly destroying the forest to have clear land to plant and raise crops.

I think you will find that is a legacy from defoliants sprayed during the Vietnam war to deny communist groups in Thailand the safety of forest cover.

I cannot agree with that this deforestation is too wide spread here in the north any back highway you take you will see the same thing happening a slow 1 or 2 year process to clear the forest to plant crops in there place. When they are done the cleared areas will cover the slopes of several hills reaching down into the valley and up the slopes of other hills. These farmers need more land to feed there families and to make money

I drove that road many years ago and was curious why it seemed so utterly denuded of foliage on one side but not the other. That was the reason given to me.

That said of course, they are cutting stuff, but many stretches of land up there were cleared using chemicals and little or nothing grows well in those areas.

[Phronesis]

So what if the trees grow back...There won't be a SINGLE wild creature to populate the new forest...

[Robby nz]

So what if the trees grow back...There won't be a SINGLE wild creature to populate the new forest...

With a post like that I doubt very much if you have ever been in a forest let alone a second growth one.

Ever noticed birds, these things that fly about and sometimes poop on your car.

Well they love second growth forest and because a fair few species eat fruit they poop out the seeds which then grow and increase the density of the second growth, there are also seeds in the ground which will grow when the ground is not disturbed farther adding to the density.

Insects also quickly populate second growth, a farther attraction for birds.

As the forest grows any larger animals that are in surrounding forest will move in, they even seem to get into isolated patches of second growth.

Go the kids, don't listen to the knockers.