By Amy Van Nice | Environmental Education Technical Advisor
December 1, 2021 marked an incredibly exciting event for the Kouprey Express (KE) – the first student field trip to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC) since March 2020! After a long period of uncertainty and complete suspension of our core, in-person activities due to community outbreaks of COVID-19, this was a welcome relief and so exciting, not just for the students who joined the field trip but for the KE who finally felt a bit of normalcy.
The KE collaborated with the Development for Community Center, located in Stung Meanchey District of Phnom Penh, to bring 32 students and 2 teachers for an exciting, memorable, and educational experience. Participants got to meet all kinds of wildlife they had only heard about or seen on television or social media while learning about the plight of these animals and reasons why they are now residing at PTWRC. PTWRC serves as a vital educational tool, especially for the KE, as we are able to provide firsthand experience for many students and adults to meet victims rescued from the wildlife trade – an experience they could not get just by watching videos on social media. These trips provide a unique human-animal connection that is critical to not only understanding what the wildlife trade really looks like, but inspiring people to change their behavior and protect their natural heritage. Check out this video with of one of the students explaining how much the field trip meant to her and her peers!
Furthermore, the KE loves to collaborate with and support local initiatives such as the Development for Community Center, which supports disadvantaged children to study English and important life skills they would otherwise not be able to learn. Supporting local efforts is also key to sustainable development. The KE looks forward to many more collaborations and PTWRC field trips in 2022!
Your donations help the KE to make these trips happen and to keep educating Cambodians about their natural heritage. Thank you so much for your support!
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