Education Cambodia Project #7510

Raise Awareness to Protect Wildlife in Cambodia

by Wildlife Alliance

Raise Awareness to Protect Wildlife in Cambodia

Project Report | Oct 13, 2014
Back to School

By Sheena Thiruselvan | Communications Associate

Learning about different endangered animals

For many of us, fall is in full swing and students are back in school, but in Cambodia students are enjoying their summer break still. The Kouprey Express Mobile Environmental Education Unit (KE) finished up the academic year by providing forest, habitat and wildlife conservation lessons to 588 students last month. This was the first time they worked in schools in Phnom Penh as part of their expanded Memorandum of Understanding with the government. They also introduced their new wildlife and forest conservation lessons to these classrooms. These updated lessons focus on animal classification and biology; the importance of wildlife and forest conservation; threats facing wildlife; the impacts of extinction, climate change, waste; and how this all fits into the ‘bigger picture.’

The last school visit of the academic year was to Chak Tomouk elementary school in Phnom Penh, where the team worked with 213 kids. These lessons always extend beyond just the classroom in which they are working – the activities and games drew interest from other students, teachers, and even construction workers on the campus! They all stopped to watch what the students were doing and listened to the message and rescue hotline number being promoted.

Over the next couple of months, KE has been invited by several NGOs in the area to deliver their environmental lessons. The team has also been asked by the Cambodian Organization for Living and Training (COLT) to conduct teacher trainings for university students, community educators and teachers from several NGOs. This will be an incredible opportunity to spread environmental awareness while fostering the growing professional field of conservation in Cambodia. So while school may not be in session in Cambodia, the next couple of months are shaping up to be busy months for the team! Help them continue to bring about lasting environmental change in Cambodia by making a gift today, or make your gift go even further this Bonus Day on October 15!

Getting ready to enjoy their summer break

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Jul 18, 2014
KE Rescues Palm Civet at Restaurant

By Sheena Thiruselvan | Communications Associate

Team Leader, Sang Vanda with owner and palm civet

On June 16, the Kouprey Express Mobile Environmental Education Unit (KE) was headed to Mondulkiri at the invitation of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to conduct wildlife lessons. While on their way, the team stopped for lunch where they spotted an Asian palm civet being kept in a small cage. The team approached the owner of the restaurant about the civet, and he admitted to keeping it as a pet. Concerned about the safety of the animal, they explained to the owner who they were and what they do. They then encouraged him to give the civet to the team, who would then give it to the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team (WRRT) to be taken to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center for care. The owner at first refused, but the team was persistent and explained to him that it was illegal to keep the animal and it was also likely the civet would die in its current conditions. This persuaded the owner and he was happy to hand over the animal. The team thanked him for doing the right thing and gave him two t-shirts, five animal posters, and a hotline sticker to encourage him to report wildlife crimes, and reward him for donating the civet to the team. Furthermore, he promised to educate other villagers in the area about wildlife protection!

While rescuing animals is out of Kouprey’s project scope, the team felt it was an urgent matter that could not wait for the WRRT to come back a few days later, in case the civet was not actually a pet and was there for sale or trade. This incident also demonstrates the importance of the Kouprey Express’s role in educating citizens about wildlife, and the existing need for increased awareness in rural communities about wildlife related laws. Help the Kouprey Express make a difference through education and awareness by making a gift today!

Rescued Palm Civet

KE staff giving educational material to share!

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More about the Kouprey Express

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May 20, 2014
The Wild Side of Learning

By Sheena Thiruselvan | Communications Associate

Kids Arriving at the Rescue Center

In March, Wildlife Alliance’s Kouprey Express (KE) took 60 students and 20 community members from Kampong Som province to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescued Center (PTWRC) for a unique wildlife experience! The participating students and community members had the opportunity to see, firsthand, the effects of wildlife trade and habitat destruction in Southeast Asia.

The trip to PTWRC was the culmination of a four day KE program in Kampong Som province. Beginning with two days of classroom lessons and activities at Kirivorn and Stoeung Chhay primary schools focusing on forests and wildlife, the third day played host to a Community Night Show for more than 200 community members after installing educational signage at both schools. On day four, students and community members were finally able to travel with the Kouprey Express to PTWRC and partake in a guided tour of the rescue center. Despite the day’s high temperatures, the participants’ enthusiasm never faltered and everyone was engaged in the stories of rescue and rehabilitation of the animals living at PTWRC. Following the tour, participants enjoyed an afternoon of art activities, games, and face painting influenced by their experience at PTWRC.

These field trips to PTWRC offer unique, hands-on environmental education to children and adults who would not otherwise have access to these kinds of experiences. The trips to PTWRC reinforce what is taught during KE classroom lessons and outreach events. Furthermore, this field trip with students and community members from Kampong Som would not have been possible in past years. In 2013, Kouprey Express signed a new MOU with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport in Cambodia that enables Kouprey Express to conduct lessons, capacity building, and public events in Phnom Penh and Kampong Som, in addition to the lessons they were already providing in Koh Kong. This means that quality environmental education and interactive PTWRC field trips can be expanded to more youth and adults in Cambodia!

Interested in supporting Kouprey Express’s educational opportunities for Cambodian children? You can send another 75 children on an exciting trip to PTWRC through our micro-campaign. Help underprivileged, rural Cambodian youth attain quality education by supporting this campaign today!

Taking notes as they meet each animal.

Inspire change! Make a gift to our micro-campaign!

Links:

Inspire Cambodian Youth to Care About Wildlife

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