Working to conserve

The work of Wildlife Alliance at places like Phnom Tamao Zoo and in their new ecotourism initiative in Chi Phat in the Cardamom Mountains are just the tip of the iceberg of their program's here in Cambodia. Here's a 'story from the field' that shines some light on the Chi Phat initiative.

A new day for community-based ecotourism
Wildlife Alliance's Jules Colomer takes environmental education on the road with the Kouprey Express and finds a way to blend his enthusiasm for mountain biking with a new ecotourism project in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains.

When you’ve just ridden 40 km of single track through the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, heard gibbon calls echo through the canopy, and watched giant hornbills cruise overhead, it’s important to remember that life is supposed to be tough in rural Cambodia. Thankfully a boat carrying ice makes its way to Chi Phat Commune by mid-afternoon, and the rambling wooden guest house offers good food and a great view of the main village street where locals go about their daily lives. Chi Phat, home to around 550 families, is one of the largest settlements in the Cardamom Mountains of Southwest Cambodia, and Wildlife Alliance, my host organisation, has been working to develop capacity in community-based ecotourism here since early 2007. Traditional use of forest resources has recently given way to increasingly commercial extraction of timber and wildlife, and community-based ecotourism (CBET) has the potential to provide alternative livelihoods to locals. It also contributes to poverty reduction and provides an incentive to protect the area’s rich environment. Recognised as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, the Cardamom Mountains’ 16 different ecosystems are home to many species, including endangered Asian elephants, Indochinese tigers, and Siamese crocodiles. The mountainous topography makes a welcome change from the generally pancake-flat terrain, and old logging roads and walking trails crisscross the forest – leading from village to village, to rivers, waterfalls and cultural artifacts. Chi Phat is a muddy 17km ride or 2.5 hours by slow boat from the nearest main road.

What does a VIDA (Volunteering for International Development from Australia) volunteer do in such situations? Having met a fellow Australian volunteer in Cambodia, Terry Wooltorton (an AVI with the NGO Live and Learn Environmental Education), with a shared passion for mountain biking, and with the support of Wildlife Alliance, we successfully proposed the development of a community-based mountain biking enterprise in Chi Phat and were awarded 25,000 Euro by the IUCN (World Conservation Union) to undertake the 9-month project. The project is based on building capacity in eco-awareness, hospitality, First Aid, eco-guiding, and mountain biking among community members. Trails are being mapped, groomed, and signposted. In November 2008, 12 quality mountain bikes will be brought in from Thailand, and a promotional multi-day ride for tour operators, media, and recognised mountain bikers is being organised by the community with the aim of providing the basis for a small-scale enterprise managed by Chi Phat’s democratically-elected CBET Committee. All benefits from the project are shared between local service providers and a commune fund administered by the Committee for the benefit of Chi Phat.

I spend roughly one week per month in Chi Phat, dividing my time between this project and managing Wildlife Alliance’s mobile environmental education unit, the Kouprey Express, which travels the country providing interactive, hands-on environmental education to rural primary schools in proximity to protected areas. Working with children who are eager to learn, participate, and who are excited by just the sight of the project vehicle (a coaster bus featuring a wraparound forest and wildlife scene) is a great experience. Between the busy schedule of tree planting, mural painting, bin decoration, and environmental games, the project managed to squeeze in a wildlife art competition to celebrate World Animal Day in September 2007. We worked with 250 children from five orphan and vulnerable children centres in Phnom Penh for a week, and took 50 lucky artists to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre. There they saw the tigers, walked with the elephants, and prepared food for the bears – a special experience for the children, the majority of whom had never seen wildlife.

I’ve been here as a VIDA volunteer since January 2007, leaving behind a government job for the opportunity to experience Khmer culture and to contribute in a small but meaningful way to the people I interact with along the way. Clichéd, but true nonetheless. Being a VIDA has broadened my understanding of the vibrant and evolving Khmer culture, allowed me to meet people and see places that would otherwise be inaccessible, and provided me with a strong in-country support network. I can highly recommend the experience to anyone with an open, curious, and adventurous mindset. Copyright Jules Colomer

To find out more about the work of Wildlife Alliance, click here