Tha Kham sub-district is located on the eastern margin of the Ban Pakong river, which empties into the northeast corner of the Bay of Bangkok. In the past, the area had extensive mangrove forests, though these have been dramatically reduced as a result of a large amount of industrial and urbanization. In total, approximately 250 ha of remnant mangrove forest are in the region, mainly in the zone to the northwest of the Bang Na-Chonburi expressway.
The objectives of the project “Bang Pakong Mangrove Youth Camp (BPMYC)” were to hold an environmental education youth camp for children in Tambon Tha Kham to give participants a better understanding of the mangrove and riverine ecosystems of their district. The wider, long-term hope is that this knowledge and awareness will be passed on to their parents and elders in their community and that they themselves will use this knowledge as they grow and take up roles in their community.
The BPMYC took place on November 17-18 2022, with several months of preparation. 75 primary school students (grades 4-6) from three Tha Kham sub-district schools attended the camp. Games, activities, a field trip, and hands-on experiences brought environmental education about mangrove ecosystems and their contributions to the students.
At each of the schools from which BPMYC students were sourced, a three-hour visit in the week following BPMYC was conducted, which was called BPMYC-lite. This was generally for the classmates of the participants who were not able to attend BPMYC. The activities of BPMYC-lite included many of the activities of BPMYC but in compacted or limited forms. Over 200 students attended BPMYC.
