Sixty-three teachers from the North and Northeast took part in a "train the trainer" programme on the Mae Wong River in Chiang Mai recently as part of an environmental and conservation project.

Activities included numerous field trips to study and observe plants and animal life in and around streams and rivers.

"I feel like a kid, because this programme is fun and exciting," said Jumphol Kittisarn, from Chiang Rai, who joined the project with teachers from schools in the North and Northeast.

"Train the trainer" participants had to draw a map of the river and mark a position where they wanted to investigate, then measure the speed of the river and take the temperature of the water and the air. The temperatures should not differ by more than 10-12 degrees Celsius.

The teachers then had to collect and identify river insects and determine the river's quality from the health of animals and insects that depended upon it. As a result of their investigation, they concluded that the Mae Wong River was in fine shape.

The Children's River and Stream Investigation project has two phases. The first finished in July 2006 and the second started in September and will run until May 2007.

Some 3,600 students from 90 schools in the North and the Northeast have participated so far.

Chamnong Daengjeen, a teacher from Chiang Mai, said the project was good as it taught people to be aware of the environment and life on the river. Most teachers said the project was good for science and social studies.

Lecturer Sukanya In-see, from Phayao, said she would introduce the programme to her students in February as the river teems with insect life at that time.

The project has been sponsored by Philip Morris (Thailand) and conducted in tobacco-growing areas in cooperation with various agri-business partners: the Thai Tobacco Growers', Curers' and Dealers' Association, Alliance One Services (Thailand), Siam Tobacco Export Corp and Adams International, as well as villages and associated schools.

Pikul Chomduang, special projects coordinator from Alliance One International, said phase two had been given a Bt3-million budget.

"We spent more than 500 hours with teachers and students with the aim of promoting children's awareness and understanding of simple and practical conservation and preservation practices of the environment for future generations," Pikul said.

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation

Chiang Mai