Land-use Portrait 2; near Ban Thom Lod
At the foot of mixed deciduous forest, corn crops.
Land-use Portrait 1; near Ban Thom Lod
High-altitude, mountain-side farming.
Boundary Map near Ban Thom Lod, Thailand.
Color Legend (? for what I could not translate):
White - Village borders
Brown - ?
Red - Conserved forests and watershed areas
Yellow - Agricultural land
Blue - Water sources
Orange - Program ____?___
Cream - ___?___ and raising animals
Black - Villages
Pink - __?___ forest
Loong Mongkol and Wasan, skilled fisherman and carriers of local knowledge, Trat
Article and more photographs here:
Local Wisdom and Modern Science: Community-based Mangrove Restoration Research
This well-known forest mentor pushed for community forestry and a community forestry committee in Mae Tha thirty years ago. He says he feels at home here, in the forest, more than anywhere else.
Before community patrol arrives, children and women of Thung Yao survey the area until they find the almost-stolen teak. Despite only the lower trunk left, it remains an insanely valuable and aged teak! Barely pictured in the photograph are all the different sawing attempts at several angles to unearth the old tree.
One woman called another woman, who called another woman, who called Pa Paki (top and in pink), the village chief’s mother, while we were eating dinner to say that she saw a mysterious big truck go into the community forest. Pa Paki called her son, and soon thereafter, he sat in his car patrolling the entrance of the forest all night.
Ashes of a smoking log, the slow end of a selected forest fire, Thung Yao.
Village chief’s wife working the rice factory, Thung Yao
Rice bran hourglass at a one-person rice factory in Thung Yao
Another Guardian for CF
History in Four Quadrants:
Quadrant 1 - Portrait of Thung Yao Village Chief (Buddhist year 2490-2493/1950-1953)
Quadrant 2 - Photographs of community forestry gatherings (1950’s/60’s)
Quadrant 3 - (Illiterate) Villager signatures via fingerprints in 4th Village Chief’s notebook
Quadrant 4 - Current map of Thung Yao
Cotton maker, Thung Yao. Learned from her mother 70 years ago. Can finish 3 balls of yarn a day.
Spirit speaker (by inheritance) and rice grower, Thung Yao.
Herb alert: several bags full to sell for new years… livelihoods!
Encountered a man, two actually, collecting herbs to sell for new years! I was told it usually sells for roughly 10 baht per bundle. Will keep my eye out for it in the next coming weeks as songkran approaches. Smiley man offered some to take home, but the group of us decided to help the pair collect more.
