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Student Environmental Education and Demonstration Project (SEED) |
The rapid economic growth of Thailand has drastically affected the predominantly poor rural communities of the Northeast. Forests have been severely depleted by commercial logging and the clearing of land for agriculture, giving rise to many environmental crises including soil erosion, drought and periodic flooding and the loss of habitat for native wildlife and plant species. The over-use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides has polluted rivers and water tables, affecting the health of humans and animals alike. Poor waste management and sanitation practices add to the degradation of the land, water and health of the population.
The SEED project, established in 1997, aims to address these environmental problems by raising public awareness of environmental issues and catalysing local action to conserve and protect natural resources. The project is located in 4 provinces in north east Thailand: Buriram, Khon Kaen, Mahasarakham and Nakhon Ratchasima. |
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The project objectives are as follows:
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In order to achieve these objectives, the SEED Project has employed an educational and capacity building strategy encompassing:
'Environment Days' for 400,000 students from 850 primary and secondary schools involving a visit by the SEED bus, educational exhibits, participatory activities and elephants,
Training of 1000 teachers in environmental education,
Development of environmental education curricula, teaching materials and tools,
Establishment and support of 600 village-level Environment Protection Societies, along with the training of villagers in current environmental management issues,
Establishment and support of 28 registered, district-level, Environmental Protection Associations which will coordinate and develop multi-sectoral support for the district wide conservation activities,
And tree planting on at least 6000 rai (960 hectares) of rural land with business sector support.
| Environment Days are big events in Northeast Thailand, and not just because the elephants arrive at school. By prior arrangement the SEED bus, the SEED team and the sponsored elephants arrive at schools to visit over 1000 students, some who bus in from other locations. The SEED team then set up a variety of activity stations, covering issues such as waste, energy, animals and forests. |  |
At each of these stations there are activities that involve students in experiencing environment issues and solutions. These range from fuel efficient charcoal stoves, soil erosion experiments and creative things to do with waste products, to discovering Thailand's vanishing and extinct wildlife through the murals on the side of the bus.
In order that the SEED activities be successful, there is a substantial commitment to training of the teachers involved in the Environment Days'. Teachers that have been chosen by the schools to be part of the Environment Days are given preparatory training in environmental education and printed material at the CBIRD centre at Nang Rong prior to the school visits by the SEED team. An E-Day booklet has been prepared outlining the activities that take place during the school visits, and a teacher's manual is under preparation to give more details and activities to demonstrate the environmental problems and potential solutions.
This material is also supported by curriculum material for teachers to use in their classrooms, with examples and activities that can be undertaken at school and by the students at home. This is still under development, but once completed it will be also available from this web site so that the maximum benefit can be obtained from the efforts of PDA staff and volunteers.
Some of the paintings done at the schools in preparation for the Environment Day can be viewed here. These have recently been exhibited at the PTT offices in Bangkok.
Following the visits of the SEED teams at the Environment Days another team from the project return to the schools to help establish local environment protection societies. These societies involve teachers, students and villagers in a variety of environment conservation and improvement exercises such as litter collection and waste disposal, tree planting, forest protection and wildlife conservation.
These societies are intended to involve the communities in the management and improvement of their local environments. It is hoped that the participants will also use business skills transferred through the SEED, CBIRD and TBIRD activities to acquire necessary equipment and funding to bring about some of the necessary changes.
| At CBIRD Centre at Nang Rong an Environment and Energy Park is currently being designed to demonstrate many of the better approaches to managing the environments of Thailand. Its aim is to demonstrate working examples of appropriate renewable technologies and sustainable agricultural practices. It is intended that when it is completed it will become an attraction and educational resource for school children, teachers, local groups and families to visit and experience first hand alternative environmentally friendly ways of living and producing energy. |  |
The demonstrations, learning tools and activities include human and solar powered water pumps, a solar hot water system, a variety of composters for household and garden waste, biodegradeable waste demonstration boxes, a 'feely box' and a variety of sustainable agricultural practices such as pesticide free production, a Thai medicinal garden, natural insect traps and mulching.
In addition, an environment resource centre will provide local people with up-to-date information on environmental issues and contacts both locally, nationally and internationally through a library and Internet access.
Environment
Page
This page forms part of the Home Pages of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) Thailand. The site has been created by Cliff Ogleby with the assistance of many of the PDA staff and volunteers.
