EECG International Applied Environmental Education Courses in 2005

A summary of 2005 course activity will be posted here soon.

To have your name placed on a mailing list to receive information on future courses as details are finalized, send an email to emccrea@eecg.org.

Previous International Courses

Click the following bookmarks to jump to the indicated Course descriptions on this page:
2004 Course in Thailand
2004 Course in Namibia
2003 Course in Thailand

Second International Applied Environmental Education Course in Thailand

EECG’s second International Applied Environmental Education Course in Thailand was held from September 6th through September 24th at the training center of Khao Kheow Open Zoo (KKOZ) in Chonburi, Thailand. The course was sponsored by KKOZ, the Zoological Parks Organization of Thailand (ZPO), the Smithsonian Institution (SI), and Environmental Education and Conservation Global. As in previous years, the Smithsonian Institution provided funding and international coordination while EECG provided course development and instruction in cooperation with KKOZ staff. Content of the course focused on how to use applied environmental education and communications strategies as tools for resolving and preventing environmental problems.

Twenty-two participants completed the course. Participants were from 10 countries—2 from Botswana, 1 from Cambodia, 1 from Grenada, 2 from India, 1 from Indonesia, 1 from Malaysia, 3 from the Philippines, 9 from Thailand, 1 from Uganda, and 1 from the United States. 4 were from government conservation, forestry, wildlife, or water departments, 4 were from government education ministries or departments, 11 were from non-government organizations, and 3 were from universities. 15 were female and 7 were male. The 19-day course included fieldtrips to five sites to complement the extensive small group work and individual project development that form the core of the instruction.

A news release written by the participants that summarizes the course, along with quotes about the course provided by the participants, are provided below.

News Release for International Course on Applied Environmental Education

"Participants gather from around the world to discuss Applied Environmental Education"

The Second annual course on applied environmental education has recently concluded at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo (KKOZ) in Chon Buri, Thailand. The symposium was comprised of twenty-two participants from around the world representing ten countries. The three-week course was organized by Environmental Education and Conservation Global with the sponsorship-of-Khao Kheow Open Zoo, EECG, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Zoological Parks Organization of Thailand.

Representatives from Botswana, Uganda, Cambodia, Grenada, the United States, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines gathered under the guidance of James Massey and Edward McCrea, of EECG, to discuss current research, skills, and applications of environmental education. During the course, participants learned the concepts and shared experiences through the use of case studies, group work, poster sessions, and project presentations.

Several field trips provided opportunities to experience current practices and issues in Environmental Education. This included visits to zoos, aquariums, national parks, and ecotourism areas. Strategies like critique, interview, and observation were used at these locations to evaluate environmental messaging. Skills such as social marketing, grant writing, and participant-centered planning dominated the class and discussion time. Delegates found discussing each other's work inspiring, like incorporating local people in and effort to save the Bengal Florican in Cambodia and work to relocate villages out of tiger encroachment areas in India.

To conclude the course and synthesize information gained, each participant wrote a grant proposal to implement a new program or augment the work in which they are already involved. The proposal that best exemplifies the methods taught in the course was awarded the John Judy Award to implement the program. Congratulations to Luciana Sitanggang, from Indonesia for her winning proposal: "Promoting Environmental Awareness and People’s Involvement Through Reducing Waste at Work."

The opening and closing of the collaboration was celebrated with visiting dignitaries such as Khun Suriya Saengpong, the Director of KKOZ, Dr. Chaichana Satrulee, Director of the Auditing Department of the Zoological Parks Organization of Thailand, and Khun Thanong Nateepitak, Deputy General Director of ZPO.

People entered the course for a number of reasons but left inspired to create real environmental change by utilizing the techniques learned to change problem environmental behaviors and replace them with more sound sustainable practices.

For more information regarding the 2^nd Annual Course on Environmental Education or future courses, contact Environmental Education and Conservation Global at www.eecg.org.

WHAT THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE APPLIED ENVIRONMENTAL COURSE IN THAILAND

Botswana
We were introduced to techniques and approaches and different activities in other countries in solving environmental problems. We can apply some of these in our work and local situation. Arona Epadile & Segaetsho Ramahobo

Cambodia
I learned about using environmental games for teaching. Chamnan Hong

Grenada
The course was beneficial to all participants. We are now more equipped with environmental education techniques for application in our country programs. Wilan Hamilton

India
The training was a great opportunity to learn techniques of environmental education from the trainers and other participants. I hope to use my learning to better the implementation of new programs in my country. Firoz Ahmed & Kishor Rithe

Indonesia
I learned about many environmental issues, education techniques, and tips in selecting target audiences for education campaigns. Luciana, Sitanggang

Malaysia
Now I know how to promote environmental education effectively by using social marketing strategy. Badrul Azhar

Philippines
Meeting new people from different countries, networking and sharing our experiences and stories about the many facets of environmental education, ecotourism, and volunteer programs were the most significant aspects of the training. Carmen Villasenor, Rein Navarro, and Mary Ann Leones

Thailand

Building experiences take a long time. So learning from the experiences of many different countries who have been implementing environmental education is most valuable and useful to us. Panitnard Tunjai

Thanks to all organizers for building this course. I learned a lot of techniques for environmental education. I will bring these experiences to improve our environment. To all participants, I will remember you forever. Jongdee To-Im

It is precious to be in this training with my friends from-many countries to learn many things from our instructors and from each other. What we've learned here is very useful for application in our daily life and our work. Jongkolnee Wesuwon

Very good training program. Many-interesting interactive learning activities. Well organized training process and wonderful people to be friends with and to help promote environmental education. You all have made my training days fruitful. Thank you. Koontolrat Ratanasing

Many thanks to the organizers. It is great chance- for me to- /earn from this course, which is very useful for my project. I learn a lot from my instructors, participants, and activities. The workshop is well organized. Every activity is very interesting and meaningful for me. I will use this experience to improve my work. Thank you once again. Narumon Chunlahawanit

Thanks to the organizers. I learned a lot from this course, which will be applied in my work. Thanks to KKOZ for the accommodation and good food and to my co-participants. I look forward to seeing you again. Wiradech Saijun

The learnings I got from this course are important to me and for my job. I will remember the organizers and all my co-participants who are very kind and very experienced. Thank you very much. Sakaorat Chumchuey

Three weeks are full of work and play to keep everybody alive. Thank you to the organizers for letting me participate in this course and for their hard work. We are so lucky to have Emily as our game master. Life will be miserable without environmental games. Games and use of various media are effective ways to learn more about environmental education. Phatchanuch Wongwathana

It is a good opportunity for me to join this training. I gained knowledge and experience about environmental education. It is very useful for applying in my work. Thank you to the course organizers. KOB KHUN KRAB. Kosol Silakhao

Uganda
This course has been great, as it has equipped me with skills in designing and implementing effective environmental education programs. Many thanks to the organizers. Rose Nankya

USA
This course gave me an opportunity to see EE as more than Outdoor Education with kids. The variety of programs working to change people's behaviors to ones that sustain the Earth is amazing. This broadening of my vision was a result of class time as well as learning what other participants are already involved in. Thanks for sharing this experience with me. Emily Jean McGrath

From January 26^th to February 6^th, 2005, EECG worked with the Smithsonian Institution and the Cheetah Conservation Fund to hold its first Applied Environmental Education Workshop in Namibia. The Cheetah conservation Fund hosted the workshop and provided on-the-ground logistical support at its headquarters in Otjiwarongo, Namibia. The Smithsonian again supplied overall logistical and financial support. EECG staff members, Ed McCrea and Jim Massey, were joined by Joan Haley from the Smithsonian as instructors.

We had 22 participants and two observers attend the course— 16 participants and two observers from Namibia, four participants from Nigeria, one from Nepal, and one from Peru. Participants included personnel from NGOs, government organizations, universities, local schools, and a zoo.

The workshop was held at the education center at the Headquarters of CCF with a field trip to Etosha National Park. The 12-day workshop featured small group discussion, group projects, educational activities on the field trip, lectures, and guest speakers.

A key feature of the workshop was the completion of individual projects by each participant. These projects focused on actual problems or issues that the participants wanted to address when they returned home. A $500 grant was given for the best project. The grant was awarded to Tunde Lawal. Dr. Lawal is a Chief Lecturer in Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Director of the college’s Centre for Sandwich Degree Programmes for the University of Ado Ekiti and an education advisor to the Nigerian Conservation Foundation. EECG gives the award each year in memory of noted United States environmental educator, John Judy. Dr. Lawal will use the funds to conduct a three-day skills and resource material development workshop aimed at reducing the rate of incursion into the Gashaka-Gumti National Park for natural resource exploitation by local community members. The strategy used will be environment-related religious education since earlier, more traditional, education programs aimed at this problem have been less effective than desired.

Evaluation of the course was quite positive, and EECG hopes to cooperate with the Smithsonian and Namibian agencies for a second international workshop in 2005.

EECG's First International Applied Environmental Education Course Held in Thailand

From July 14th to August 4th, 2003, EECG's First International Applied Environmental Education course was held at Khao Kheow Open Zoo (KKOZ), Chonburi Thailand. Unlike previous courses that EECG has worked on in Thailand, the 19 participants for this course came from 10 countries rather than being solely from Thailand. Participants included personnel from NGOs, government organizations, universities, and zoos. Countries represented included Columbia, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Kenya, India, Bangladesh, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. The course was sponsored by KKOZ, the Zoological Parks Organization of Thailand (ZPO), the Smithsonian Institution (SI), and Environmental Education and Conservation Global. Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium (PDZA) also participated this year as a sponsor. Jim Massey and Ed McCrea (from EECG) and Karen Povey (from PDZA) provided much of the instruction and content planning for the course. Apidet Singhaseni from KKOZ handled in-country logistics, worked with EECG on planning and instruction, and arranged for other Thai instructors to work on the course. As in previous years, the Smithsonian provided significant funding in support of the course and managed international logistics.

As it has been in previous EECG courses for Thai nationals, the focus of the international course was on the use education as a management tool to help improve habitats, preserve endangered species, and enhance environmental quality. This year, the course also included an emphasis on education programs about the clouded leopard. The clouded leopard emphasis was added because it provided a good "real world" example of the type of issues the course focused on and because PDZA and KKOZ are particularly interested in captive breeding and conservation of clouded leopards.

The highlight of the emphasis on endangered cats was a "Clouded Leopard Festival" held the last Saturday of the course. Course participants worked for several days to design educational exhibits such as posters and activities that dealt with clouded leopard conservation and ecology. They then conducted a four-hour "festival" at KKOZ's new cat complex. Formal lesson plans were used to lead schoolchildren in educational activities about clouded leopards. The children had been invited to attend the festival and several hundred students took part. There were also a variety of activities such as making clouded leopard masks and finger puppets for the many families visiting the cat complex. A clouded leopard quiz seemed to be particularly popular with a group of monks and other adults attending the festival. After seeing the success of the festival at the course this year, KKOZ has plans to hold similar brief festivals based on the clouded leopard model throughout the year.

The course was held at the education center on the grounds of KKOZ with field trips to Khao Yai National Park, and to an aquarium with boardwalk (Krung-Krabaeng) that demonstrated mangrove ecology and a sustainable system for aquaculture. The 22-day course featured group projects, educational activities on the field trips, group discussion, lectures, and guest speakers.

A key feature of the course was the completion of individual projects by each participant. These projects focused on actual problems or issues that the participants wanted to address when they returned home. Two $500 grants were given for individual projects. One was given for the best overall project and the second one was given for the best education project dealing with the clouded leopard. Mr. Lanchakorn Satsanguan from Burapha University in Thailand won the John Judy Award from EECG for his project titled, "Green Marketing in Burapha University Chanthaburi Campus." Mr. Ranjit Konwar with the Forestry Department in Assam, India won the clouded leopard grant for his project titled, "Clouded Leopard Education Project." This grant was given by Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, the Clouded Leopard Project.

Overall evaluation of the course was positive and EECG plans to work with the Smithsonian and KKOZ on a similar course next year.