Mangrove Conservation Education: Consultative Meeting | Study Visit

 Khlong Phitthaya Longkorn Primary School, Thailand 

 Bangpakong Bovorn Witthayayon Secondary School, Thailand 

 MAP (Mangrove Action Project) 

 SEAMEO BIOTROP 

 SEAMEO QITEP in Science 

 SEAMEO SEAMOLEC 

 SEAMEO Secretariat

 School communities in Southeast Asia 

 General Public 

 Khlong Phitthaya Longkorn School and its community 

 Bangpakong Bovorn Witthayayon School and its community 

Consultative meeting and study visit of SEAMEO Directors, mangrove environmentalists, educators and practitioners to two schools in Thailand to discuss possible collaboration in a multi-disciplinary project related to mangrove conservation education.  

SEAMEO SPAFA has been associated with Bangpakong Bovorn Witthayayon School and Khlong Phitthaya Longkorn School in Thailand in their mangrove conservation education by supporting a Mangrove Eco-Museum project and promoting mangrove education teaching materials respectively.  

SEAMEO SPAFA aims to promote the expansion of the schools’ best practices in mangrove conservation education to other schools in SEAMEO member countries.   

Khlong Phitthaya Longkorn School and Bangpakong Bovorn Witthayayon can share experience in managing a mangrove area that can be turnedinto study sites for various communities, student groups, andinterested individuals and groups – both local and international (see Appendix for background information on SEAMEO SPAFA’s involvement with the schools).  

This meeting/study visit shall enable participants to learn about the mangrove conservation education and practices of the two schools. Raising awareness and working with communities to protect and conserve mangrove areas are small but meaningful contributions to the efforts of restoring and sustaining mangrove habitats.  In this context, compiling and managing knowledge, experience, and innovation from community mangrove forest management will benefit education, communities, livelihoods, and the environment.  

The collaboration to follow will be based on the concept that community good practices contributing to a common learning process should be extended to cover other areas and other countries.  This can be achieved by mobilizing co-operation and forming partnerships to ensure appropriate understanding, active and wise local leadership, community participation, and management that will improve the quality of life for the whole community.  

1. Explore the possibilities for collaboration, and support needed (technical, training, financial). 

2. Identify issues of priority for further action. 

3. Establish working group to examine the areas of collaborationand collective.

Formation of a co-ordination group of diverse partners to initiate co-operation, set directions, and specify main activities. 

1. SEAMEO Centres co-operating with local schools in their areas/countries in implementing similar mangrove conservation practices. 

2. Teachers’ Training to enhance mangrove conservation in Southeast Asian schools. 

3. Replication of model mangrove conservation education and practices in other schools in Southeast Asia.

The two day affair brought together SEAMEO Directors, mangrove environmentalists, and educators to Amari Watergate Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand, to discuss possible collaboration in a multi-disciplinary project related to mangrove conservation education.

On the first day, participants were brought to visit two schools: Bangpakong Bovorn Witthayayon School, Chachoengsao, Thailand, and Khlong Phittaya Longkorn School, Samut Sakhon, Thailand.

After visiting the two schools and seeing their mangrove conservation efforts, participants met on the second day to discuss possibilities for collaboration and the support needed (technical, training, etc.), as well as identify issues of priority for further action. The outcome of the consultative meeting was that Bangpakong Bovorn Witthayayon School would be used as a model for science-teaching that incorporates mangrove education, and Khlong Phittaya Longkorn School would be used as a model for sufficiency economy through research to enhance the multi-uses of mangroves and skills development for students and families for income generation. It was also pointed out that values education concerned with environmental protection needed to be instilled at a young age, and mangrove conservation and restoration needed to be sustainable with the involvement of the surrounding communities. 

Indonesia was chosen as the first country outside Thailand to collaborate with in this mangrove conservation education project with SEAMEO BIOTROP and SEAMEO QITEP in Science tasked to identify partner schools in Indonesia. If this project is successful, it is hoped that other schools from other Southeast Asian countries will be included, such as in Malaysia and Vietnam.