Khao Yai Aug 2008
25,000th tree planted at Khao Yai
I picked up the new group of volunteers for Trees for Elephants in Bangkok. Ten students from Canada, the United States and Great Britain. After arriving in Khao Yai, they get an introduction and hear about the programme for the next two weeks. Then Khun Alongkot gets a telephone call from a princess. When she hears we have just arrived with a group of volunteers, she invites everybody for a drink and to go out right away to spot some elephants. Two unknown bull elephants have been spotted and have to be identified. Jetlagged, the group jumps into the truck to come along. We quickly practice how to behave in royal company, but the encounter is much more informal than expected. Volunteer Noortje is asked to play with the house band. She has no idea what is expected of her, tries not to burst out in laughter, and than casually plays away on the drums.
After coffee and the group photo we go into the jungle. Soaked by the monsoon rains and exhausted by the long trip we arrive back at the camp hours later. About an hour later we get a telephone call and hear that the elephants are at exactly the same location we were before. Unfortunately we just missed them. We make a DVD of every camp, and as background music we want the volunteers to sing the tree-planting song. In between jobs, like during transport of the 8,000 sprigs, the song is rehearsed frequently. That night, after taping it for the tenth time, it sounds rather good. At least the participating children at the camp think it is absolutely great that the international volunteers can sing in Thai. During the first tree-planting session we plant over 5,000 trees. We’ll make our goal for Khao Yai with ease.
By now the volunteers have become close friends with the children. Our final tree-planting session is on Wednesday morning. The elephant Thong Deng leads the parade. The children rushed onto the field. I check the planted trees, and try to plant as many as I can. Then I pick up a tree, and that one turns out to be the very last one. All 130 volunteers and Thong Deng gather round. The 25,000th tree in Khao Yai has been planted, a moment to never forget! In the remaining time the volunteers have an easy time: fertilizing, do some weeding, collecting seeds, and clean up the nursery. We also place camera traps around the planted area to find out what kind of wildlife occurs near the land right now. And again next year. And in the years coming there will no doubt be a photo of a wild elephant eating from these new trees.
In Khao Yai the volunteers and I will be taking care of the newly planted trees. Pulling out the weeds and doing some fertilizing. To me this is one of the most fun things to do. You see the young tree almost losing the battle with the weeds. By removing the weeds and fertilisation the chances of survival for the tree is highly improved. Every tree we help makes me feel happy. After just three months the tree is strong enough withstand most of the competition. In between the work I talk to the volunteers. In the short time available I try to teach them everything about elephants. The group is very sympathetic and will go home with notebooks full of ideas to dedicate themselves to saving the elephants. This has been a very inspiring time.
