Rainforest Conservation
So, uhmm… where are the Gibbons?
That’s our questions too. Deforestation, over-hunting and overuse of land in many parts of Thailand have all contributed to a a general decline in health of the forest ecosystems, including primate populations. While our canopy tour takes place in a beautiful, pristine old-growth rainforest where the plant ecology is primarily intact, some areas near our site have suffered from decades of overuse. A truly healthy ecosystem that can support a wide range of plants and animals needs a very large area for animal populations to stabilize. From the inception of Flight of the Gibbon, it was our goal to minimize the impact of bringing tourist to this amazing place and restore the surrounding areas to once again be a stable, healthy, functioning ecosystem.
To do this, we have created the Flight of the Gibbon Conservation Project. Our first goal with this project is to work with the local people to find the causes for the decline in ecosystems, and then work with the locals and restoration experts to bring back the forest in a way that will last. Our second goal is education. We want to engage and educate people who come out to enjoy the canopy tour. We want to give people a unique, unforgettable experience when they come to Thailand, but also take back with them a curiosity about what is happening with the ecosystems in their own countries. And maybe, they will become inspired to engage and start working on environmental issues at home.
If we are going to do this restoration work, we want to do it right. That is why we teamed up with Dr. Stephen Elliot and the Forest Restoration Research Unit of the Biology Department at Chiang Mai University (FORRU). They literally wrote the book on restoring tropical forests. They have been with us throughout the restoration process, from conception, to our present work, and for our long term strategy.
The Project
Mae Kompong Area
Mae Kompong is a mountain village about an hour East of Chiang Mai and is where the Flight of the Gibbon tour takes place. In the beginning of July, 2008 we worked with the local villagers and the forest service to plant 500 trees in a deforested and overused area near the tour site. Dr. Stephen Elliot and FORRU designed a restoration program based on the damage and location. Some bamboo in the area was removed and nine different species, both saplings and more mature trees were planted. The forest service also helped us create a nursery so we are in a position to sustain and increase our reforestation efforts year after year.
Mae On Area
Mae On village, which is about 30 minutes East of Chiang Mai, has one of the last known primate groups in the area. These primates, known as Crab-Eating Macaques or Ling Samae in Thai, are dwindling in numbers, and it is not clear why. In response to this, we have created the Primate Habitat Restoration Project. It is a collaboration among the Mae On villagers, the local temple, FORRU, the forest service and Flight of the Gibbon. We have three primary goals for this project. The first goal is to find out why the primate numbers are declining. Nichar Gregory of the University of East Anglia in the UK is coordinating a study to find out more about their habitat, their current food sources, their population, and why their numbers are declining.
Our second goal of the Primate Habitat Restoration Project is to plant fruit-bearing trees in a protected area to provide a food source and refuge for the primates. On Sunday, July 13th 2008, volunteers from the project planted 1500 fruit trees on 3 rai near Muang Cave. We have another 1500 trees to add to that throughout the year. It is our goal to double the planted area every year up the 400 rai we have designated for restoration. In April, villagers have agreed to build firebreaks and guard the fragile area against fire.
And finally our third goal in doing this work is to reach out to tourists coming to Thailand about the issue we are facing here.
Our problems in Mae Kompong and Mae On are not new. Ecosystems are declining all over Thailand and the world. This is just the little piece that we can make a difference with. We hope that by bringing outsiders in, and letting them become intimate and excited about these magnificent rainforests and animals, they can take away a sense of appreciation and become inspired to go back and engage with the ecological issues in their own country.
Here are some photos from the event on the 13th of July:
Primate Habitat Reforestation Project
Khun Dutsadee from FORRU facilitating the replanting efforts with villagers
The nitty-gritty of reforestation work. Planting fruit trees for primates.
