Another amazing accomplishment in the community-based Tom Yum project! The creation of a seedling nursery specifically dedicated to crops that elephants don’t eat.
In partnership with the community in Ruam Thai village, bordering Kuiburi National Park, we have been studying the palatability of 10 crop species since September 2020. Data suggests that elephants do not consume any of the species trialled as part of the experiment, and minimal loss (less than 6% of any species) has been recorded due to trampling or uprooting.
These encouraging results have local farmers interested in implementing the model on their own plots of land. A supply of affordable, accessible, and pesticide-free seedlings will allow this model to grow and develop, so a group of 25 people, including BTEH staff, local farmers, Royal Thai Army soldiers, and WWF Thailand staff worked together to build the nursery and prepare over 1200 seedlings in one day.
As the project grows, as does our team. We’re proud to introduce our Tree Nursery Manager, Chidapha “Bee” Oiumao, who has been involved in the project since the start and brings great skills and passion to the team.
Special thanks to
Thank you to WWF Thailand for allowing us to build the nursery outside their office, and to Sally Elliot and everyone else at Nonthaburi Neighbourhood Reach for awarding us the grant that supported the nursery’s construction!
Please support Tom Yum proect
You can support the project by purchasing products made from the yield of these crops at Elephant & Co, or by making a donation to the project.
