Forest on Blackboard - Krabi

Language

fob krabi front cover — Krabi Teacher's Manual - Front cover

fob krabi back cover — Krabi Teacher's Manual - Back cover

FOB-Krabi is the latest iteration of Forests on Blackboards - once more sponsored by KNCF. Since FORRU-CMU has supported a local tree nursery and forest restoration project (FORRU-Krabi) in Khlong Thom District, Krabi Province, since 2005, FORRU-Krabi staff selected local community schools (classed as “expansion” schools), suitable for the project in Khlong Thom and Lumtap districts. Participating schools are clustered around the Khao Pra–Bang Khram Wildlife sanctuary (which includes the mountain of Kor Nor Chuchi), where a wide variety of local environmental issues are ongoing (e.g., forest encroachment for oil palm and rubber tree plantations, over-development for tourism, species extinction etc.).

Krabi teachers — Phai and James introduce the FoB concept to Krabi School Teachers

The Krabi FoB teachers’ manual is aimed at grades 6 to 9. In 2019, the FORRU-CMU team went down to Krabi to twice, to discuss the project with the Vice Provincial Director of Education and help recruit schools to the project. The FORRU-Krabi team reviewed locally available environmental teaching materials, and surveyed where children could be taken on field trips. The Emerald Pool, in lowland rainforest, within Khao Pra Bang Kram Wildlife Sanctuary is the nearest site to the schools for studying terrestrial and freshwater ecology and the impact of tourism development on natural resources.

The first teacher’s meeting was held at Anubarn Klong Thom School, Khlong Thom District, Krabi Province on 23rd August 2019. Several representatives of each of the 10 target schools attended. The teachers ensured that the manual contents would match the national curriculum. The event generated the draft contents of the manual, which FORRU-CMU staff then worked into a first draft. The first draft was then tested at another teachers’ meeting in September 2020. In response to feedback, final revisions were made and the manual was launched at another teachers’ event in Krabi on March 29th 2021.

Like all the other FoB manuals, the Krabi manual (Thai only) is online – Teachers using the manual in class should encourage their pupils to register, log in to FoB Online and take the quiz. A certificate of learning from Chiang Mai University is awarded to all those who complete the quiz.