gvi thai elephants q report 114

8/3/2019 GVI Thai Elephants Q Report 114

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Global Vision International3-1-2012 Report Series No. 005

GVI Thailand

Domestic Thai Elephant Forest Habitation

Community of Huay Pakoot

Quarterly Report 005

October December 2011


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GVI Huay Pakoot Village, Chiang Mai, Thailand, October December 2011 Page 1

GVI Thai Elephants Programme Report 005Submitted in whole to:

GVI

&

Josh Plotnik, Ph.D.Dept. of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge

Produced by

Amy Quandt GVI Thai Elephants Base ManagerSateesh Venkatesh GVI Thai Elephants Volunteer Leader

And

Talia Gale Intern Kristy Ficken Volunteer

Alix Collins Intern Stephanie Anstis Volunteer

Lindsay Grant Intern Linda Zimmerman Volunteer

Arijana Arpadzic Intern Clare Nightingale Volunteer

Frederic Reuter Intern Rachel Nightingale Volunteer

Allison Mayberry Volunteer Kar Yan Kylie Wait Volunteer

Victoria Fellowes Volunteer Carlin Palme Volunteer

Jessica Motion Volunteer Nicola Jones VolunteerSass Bailey Volunteer Katie Willis Volunteer

Allison Aughtry Volunteer Matthew McClelland Volunteer

Stephanie Oster Volunteer Phillipa Cotter Volunteer

Caili Anderson Volunteer Charlotte Luxford Volunteer

Caitlyn Hoggan Volunteer Jackalyn Robba Volunteer

Natacha Gillain Volunteer Sarah Pullen Volunteer

Amy Evans Volunteer Ingrid Estevez Volunteer

Erika Kilgore Volunteer Nerelis Valdes Volunteer

Edited by

Jeff Smith GVI SE Asia Projects Director

GVI Thai Elephants

Email:[email protected] page:http://www.gvi.co.ukand http://www.gviusa.com
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gvi.co.uk&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNH78-ivnEYvKuWtfSoSoL5hSq_ltQhttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gvi.co.uk&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNH78-ivnEYvKuWtfSoSoL5hSq_ltQhttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gvi.co.uk&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNH78-ivnEYvKuWtfSoSoL5hSq_ltQhttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gviusa.com&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEwCvTaUZtd4QhXIyzH9uXnOpUcRQhttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gviusa.com&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEwCvTaUZtd4QhXIyzH9uXnOpUcRQhttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gviusa.com&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEwCvTaUZtd4QhXIyzH9uXnOpUcRQhttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gvi.co.uk&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNH78-ivnEYvKuWtfSoSoL5hSq_ltQmailto:[email protected]


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Executive Summary

This is the fifth quarterly report summarising the work being done on the GVI Thai Elephant

Project, which has been in operation since July 2010. The programme has effectively

allowed a herd of 5 domestic elephants to live in the forest. The programme has maintainedworking relationships with local communities by providing both alternative livelihoods for

mahouts and home-stay families as well as English classes in the village. The programme

continues to work towards monitoring the social and physical health of this elephant herd

whilst working with the local community to increase the scope by involving more elephants.

The following projects have been run during Phase 005:

Elephant Forest Habitation Program

General Biodiversity Survey in the Forests Surrounding Community of Huay Pakoot

Alternative Livelihoods for Elephants, Mahouts and the Local Community

Community Development and English lessons in Community of Huay Pakoot


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Table of Contents

Executive Summary .................................................................................... 2

Table of Contents ....................................................................................................... 3

List of Tables ................................................................................................................... 4

1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 5

2. Domestic Thai Elephant Forest Habitation Programme .............. 6

2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 6

2.2 Aim .................................................................................................................... 6

2.3 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 7

2.3.1 Elephant Health Checks and ISRs .............................................................. 7

2.3.2 Foraging Behaviour Study ........................................................................ 8

2.3.3 Traditional Herbal Medicine .......................................................................... 8

2.3.4 Changes in Behavioural Data Collection .................................................... 8

2.4 Results ............................................................................................................. .10

2.4.1 Elephant Management ................................................................................10

2.4.2 Elephant Health Checks and ISRs ..............................................................11

2.4.3 Social and Foraging Behaviour Studies ......................................................12

2.4.4 General Biodiversity Study ..........................................................................15

2.5 Discussion ........................................................................................................15

3. Alternative Livelihoods for Elephants and Mahouts, Community

Development and English Teaching ....................................................... 16

3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................16

3.2 Objectives ........................................................................................................17

3.3 Activities and Achievements ..............................................................................18

3.3.1 Village Trash Pick Up .................................................................................183.3.2. Field Day at the School ...............................................................................18

3.3.3. English Lessons for Mahouts and Villagers ...............................................18

3.4 Review ............................................................................................................19

4. References ................................................................................. 23

5. Appendices ................................................................................. 24

Appendix A. Existing Methodologies .....................................................................24

A.1 Elephant Management .....................................................................24

A.2 Social and Foraging Behaviour Studies ..............................................25


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A.3 General Biodiversity Study ..................................................................27

A.4 Elephant Health Checks .....................................................................27

Appendix B. Elephant Health Check Form ..........................................................30

Appendix C. Sample Scan Sampling Data Sheet ..............................................31

Appendix D. Sample Continuous Sampling Data Sheet ..................................33

Appendix E. Sample Biodiversity Data Sheet .......................................................35

Appendix F. Continuing History of Achievements ..............................................36

F.1 Community development generation of local businesses ..........36

F.2 Provision of free English classes in the local community ..........37

List of Tables and Figures

Table 1-1. GVI Forest Reintroduction Herd, March 2011 ................................................10

Table 2-2. Elephant Social Behaviour Continuously Sampled ........................................26

Figure 2-1. Quarterly Proximity Data for Tong Dee.......................................................... 12

Figure 2-2. Quarterly Proximity Data for Boon Jan.......................................................... 12

Figure 2-3 Quarterly Proximity Data for Mana ................................................................13

Figure 2-4. Quarterly Proximity Data for Bpee Mai.......................................................... 13

Figure 2-5 Quarterly Proximity Data for Song Kran ........................................................14


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1. Introduction

The Domestic Thai Elephant Forest Habitation and Alternative Livelihoods Programme,

located in Huay Pakoot Village, Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand has

now completed its fifth period of operations.

The programme to date has assisted the local community in keeping the GVI herd of 5

elephants living in the forest, and is successfully monitoring the physical and social health of

the herd, and foraging habits of the elephants. Methodologies continue to be improved and

focused as experience is gained and improvement to data quality is continuous. Much credit

is due to Prof Josh Plotnik of Cambridge University for his continued assistance in

developing the programmes elephant behaviour observation methodologies.

This program has profound implications for ethical and sustainable elephant management in

Asia, as it displays a reversal in trends of urbanization and mahouts seeking more extreme

and less natural circumstances for their elephants in search of livelihoods. Here we have

mahouts returning to their village and rekindling the traditional elephant management of the

past. A little known and unfortunate truth is that captive elephants are not sustainably

breeding under current mainstream management practices. Working elephants often find

themselves living in harsh conditions. By changing these circumstances, bringing the

elephants back into the forest, this project is keeping hope alive for the survival of this

incredible yet endangered species.


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2. Domestic Thai Elephant Forest Habitation Programme

2.1 Introduction

Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are listed as threatened and endangered on the IUCNRed List. In Thailand, typical of all Asian elephant range states, they are enduring a massive

population collapse. Despite the legal protection for wild elephants under Thai law, there is

virtually no protection for the captive population. There could be less than 1000 wild and

about 3000 captive elephants left. With the status of the wild population widely unknown and

at risk, many experts now look to the larger captive population with hope for the survival of

this species.

Karen villagers have been keeping elephants for generations, but now in the modern contextthey are very expensive to properly care for. Logging was their main occupation in recent

Thai history, which continued until a ban was placed in 1989 due to intense deforestation.

This led mahouts to seek work in tourism. Elephant tourism is an unregulated industry and

unfortunately in a struggle to compete for tourist dollars, elephant care is sometimes

neglected. Circus shows push elephants to the limit with new tricks to attract tourists.

Suffering perhaps the worst fate are elephants brought to beg on city streets.

In the Karen village of Huay Pakoot there exists a tradition of bringing their elephants home

and releasing them in the forest to allow them to forage on natural vegetation. These

traditional mahouts understand such practice is good for their elephants health. This same

sentiment is echoed by Marshall (1949):

It is axiomatic that the nearer a captive animals living conditions can approximate to

those of its wild cousin the fitter it will be.

2.2 Aim

The GVI domestic Thai elephant forest habitation program aims to reintroduce elephants to

the forests surrounding the community of Huay Pakoot, under direction of the local

community, while providing for the livelihoods of mahouts, elephants, and members of the

community.


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2.3 Methodology

It must be understood that for hundreds of years, generations of mahouts have been

releasing generations of elephants into the forests surrounding the community of Huay

Pakoot. Mahouts and elephant owners understand this practice is beneficial to theelephants health. This traditional practice of forest reintroduction typically lasts several days

to several months, but is not seen as permanent. The starting point for methodology thus

originates with traditional local elephant-keeping culture.

All forest walks with elephants are led by a GVI staff member who is responsible for data

collection by the volunteer team. They are to ensure accurate data is effectively being

collected, and the staff member reviews each data sheet with the recorders before signing

them. Unsigned forms are assumed to have poor data and are discarded. Later the data is

input to the GVI computer on base by the recorder, and this process is overseen by a

separate GVI staff member assigned to base duties that day. The base staff member

reviews the digital data and signs the corresponding data sheet, rejecting any data that

seems unclear or improperly input to the computer. This independent data review system is

followed for all studies on this programme whenever possible.

Detailed existing methodology is described in Appendix A: Existing Methodologies. New

activities and changes to methodologies are described in the following sections.

2.3.1 Elephant Health Checks and ISRs

Health checks have been revised and improved upon by intern Frederic Reuter during this

quarter. After speaking with the vet during his two visits to the village, slight changes were

made to the checklist used. In the overallsection, circling the specific parasite was added. In

the mouth section, a smell test was added to check for odour emanating from the mouth. In

the feetsection, the elephants walking stride was added in case of limping or favouring of acertain leg. Another smell test was added to the faeces section. The last change made to the

health check list was in the earsection. The check to see if the ear was dirty was changed to

see if the ear had any drainage. The revised health check sheet is included as Appendix B.

In addition to the checklist changes, a blank, laminated diagram has been added to the

health check. Any wounds or cracks or health problems can be marked on the elephants

diagram to make the problem easier to monitor over time. When the problem is passed, it

can easily be wiped from the diagram so there is no confusion about the current problems.


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2.3.2. Foraging Behaviour Study

Lindsay Grant, an intern, has been working on the foraging behaviour study during this

quarter. There are now 75 documented species of plants that our elephant herd forages for

in the forests surrounding Huay Pakoot. In late November, samples were brought to the

Herbarium at Chiang Mai University where species have been identified by J F Maxwell.

Additionally, sample labels have been created for labelling plant species and for properly

entering them into the Herbarium. During this quarter Lindsay has continued to work on a

foraging plant guide to be used as educational and training material for volunteers.

2.3.3. Traditional Herbal Medicine

Frederick Reuter, an intern, has been working on the local traditional medicine study during

this quarter. There are around 30 documented species of plants that are used in traditional

remedies by the people of Huay Pakoot. Fritz has been speaking with the village Chief, a

village shaman or traditional medicine man, and Ae from Free Spirit Travel, to learn what the

plants are called, what they are used for, and how to use them. Samples are beginning to be

brought into a walking garden that was built next to base hut. In the next quarter we hope to

bring samples to J F Maxwell and continue to fill out the medicinal walk-through garden.

2.3.4. Changes in Behavioural Data Collection

For this quarter some changes have been made to the method of data collection with the

help of Volunteer leader Sateesh Venkatesh and intern Arijana Arpadzic; the current method

of collection will be identified in this section. Both the Scan Sampling and All Occurance

Data Sheets were revised this quarter and the new data sheets are in Appendix C and D,

respectively.

The Status regarding MahoutorNo Mahouthas been change during this quarter to unify the

data being collected. Previously some elephants could be considered as having No Mahout

and are free roaming while others are considered to still be controlled by the Mahout. The

status ofNo Mahoutmeans that the elephants are freely roaming and free to interact with

each other; thus Proximity data is collected as well during this time. Upon further

consideration with the advisement of Jeff Smith and Prof Josh Plotnik it has been

determined that all three of the adult elephants must be free roaming from the mahouts

before they can be considered to be No Mahout. This is due to the fact that if one elephant is


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being controlled then they are not all being allowed to socialize naturally. Thus this quarter if

one elephant is being controlled but the other two are not they are still considered to all be

Mahout. This also means that when data is collected all data sheets should show No Mahout

beginning at the same scan period. If an elephant and mahout cannot be seen and are

considered to be together the mahout is considered to be in control of the elephant.

During this quarter operational definitions for data collections were written by Arijana, an

intern, in order to standardize data collection and to make sure definitions are clear to

volunteers. Also, data collection was modified for infant elephant behaviour to include

playing sessions, which would be difficult to appropriately capture using the same data

collection methods that are used with the adult methods. The following are the operational

definitions now used:

PLAYING SESSION

Playing begins when one elephant touches another elephant more than once on the head or

body, playing ends 5 seconds after the final touch. The length of each playing session shall

be marked in the NOTES section of that occurrence on the AO data sheet. The initiator of a

particular playing session is the ACTOR and the other elephant shall be listed as the

RECIPIENT. If the initiator of the playing session could not be determined then the

observers elephant shall be listed as the ACTOR and the other elephant shall be listed as

the RECIPIENT. Tallies of Trunk touch to Head (TH) and Trunk touch to Body (TB) shall

be kept within each playing session data point. A continuous touch (holding/pushing trunks

for example) is considered 1 touch and shall only be marked once on the data sheet. Once a

continuous touch is broken and another touch occurs within 5 seconds then it shall be tallied

as a separate touch within the sameplaying session. If the following touch occurs outside of

the 5 second window then the previous playing session shall be ended and another data

point started.

NURSING

Nursing begins 5 seconds after the baby elephant has attached to the adult elephants

nipple. Nursingends when the baby elephant has detached for more than 5 seconds. The

mother shall always be listed as the ACTOR and the baby elephant as the RECIPIENT. The

length of the nursing session shall be recorded in the NOTES section of that occurrence on

the AO data sheet. Another NS data point shall be started if the baby elephant continues

nursing more than 5 seconds after the end of the initial nursing session.


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TRUNK TO HEAD

Trunk to head (TH) is defined as a touch with the trunk to another elephants head. The

head includes anything forward of the shoulders, such as; the ears, trunk, tusks, mouth, and

neck. Any specific information about the touch shall be listed in the NOTES section of that

occurrence on the AO data sheet. For example; trunk to mouth touch shall be recorded as

TH under the BEHAVIOUR section and trunk to mouth shall be written under the NOTES

section.

TRUNK TO BODY

Trunk to Body (TB) is defined as a touch with the trunk to another elephants body. The

body includes the shoulders, legs, back, tail, and underside of the elephant. Any specific

information about the touch shall be listed in the NOTES section of that occurrence on the

AO data sheet. For example, a tail-pull shall be recorded as TB under the BEHAVIOUR

section and tail-pull shall be written under the NOTES section.

2.4 Results

2.4.1 Elephant Management

The project continues to host 5 elephants supported directly and independently by GVI, to

live out their days in the forest. The current GVI Forest Reintroduction herd is listed in Table

1.1, below.

Elephants Name Approximate Age Sex

Ma Na 38 yrs FPee Mai 4 yrs M

Boon Jan 18 yrs F

Song Kran 1.8 yrs M

Tong Dee 54 yrs F

Table 1-1. GVI Forest Habitation Herd, December 2011

Many elephant owners have expressed interest in joining our forest program, which indicates

successful recruitment of elephant owners and promotion of alternatives to mainstream

elephant management. The project continues to seek additional partners and fundingsources to increase support for alternative elephant management by members of the


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community. During this quarterly period the chief has kept one new elephant mother and her

calf in the forest and community, and is welcoming eco-tourists to visit and fund that

elephants care.

2.4.2 Elephant Health Checks and ISRs

During this 3 month period volunteers have made 28 health checks, successfully monitoring

the health of the GVI herd. Additionally, a veterinarian visited the village and gave our

mahouts de-worming pills to give to our elephants. Health Check Forms are collected and

stored on base and organized in log books for each elephant.

ISRs have been successfully filled out by volunteers to track the overall well being of our

elephants. Weekly data reviews take place on Friday afternoons and a weekly overview is

written in the ISRs for each elephant. The following are some examples of these weekly

overviews:

30/12/11 Song Kran - Nothing unusual with Song Kran this week. He has been

mounting Bpee Mai again this week and he tried to head-butt a volunteer; being bad

still. He has overall been very playful with Bpee Mai.

25/11/11 Boon Jan - Boon Jan has been walking mostly up the front of the pack

during the hikes so we haven't seen a whole lot of her. During the health checks we

have noticed she has been resting her back right leg a bit, mostly on Tuesday but not

as much on Thursday. We got to observe her a lot on Friday on the hike as she was

knocking down and eating bamboo right in front of us. She has mainly just hung out

with Song Kran this week.

18/11/11 Thong Dee - Health checks were good, just a couple of scratches andsweaty toenails. Appetite has been up and down, doesn't eat as much on hikes after

having ele grass at health checks. She has been drinking a lot this week. She has

been on her own most of the week with very little interaction with the other elephants.

11/11/11 Bpee Mai - Bpee Mai continues to explore relationships with all the other

elephants, especially Thong Dee and Song Kran. His rowdiness seems to be ebbing

and hopefully he will continue on this trend. He was well behaved during his health

check and never seemed dangerous during the hikes. He really liked scratching his


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GVI Huay Pakoot Village, Chiang M

underside on logs, I a

will see in the coming

11/11/11 Mana - Man

very calm the rest of t

mahout time in the for

cane). Not a lot of inte

2.4.3 Social and Foraging Be

The programme has succes

following the methodology ex

Plotnik along with this report.

The following figures represe

elephants, and can be used t

members of the herd. These

This data is based on observ

depending on the amount of ti

Figure 2-1. Proximity Data for Ton

0

20

40

60

80

100S

Bpee Mai

Tong Dee

i, Thailand, October December 2011

not sure if this was any kind of sexual beh

eeks.

was very excited on Monday during the b

he week. She never ate a lot during the hik

st) but the mahouts have been giving her s

action with the other elephants, a lot on her

avioural Studies

fully studied the foraging and social beh

lained with this report. All quantitative data

nt proximity data gathered during hikes in

o indicate how each elephant chooses to a

figures are based on observations during

d time for each elephant thus could differ b

me that elephant has been observed over th

g Dee, Oct-Dec 2011

ong Kran

Boon Jan

Mana

CP

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Page 12

aviour. I guess we

anana feeding but

s (more during no

ecial treats (sugar

own.

viour of the herd,

is presented to Dr

the forest with the

sociate with other

the entire quarter.

etween individuals

e quarter.


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Figure 2-2. Proximity Data for Man

Figure 2-3. Proximity Data for Boo

Figure 2-4. Proximity Data for Bpe

Bpee Mai

Mana

Bpee Mai

Boon Jan

Boon Jan

Bpee Mai


a, Oct-Dec 2011

n Jan, Oct-Dec 2011

e Mai, Oct-Dec 201

0%20%

40%

60%

80%

100%Song Kran

Tong Dee

Boon Jan

CP

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%Song Kran

Tong Dee

Mana

CP

0%

20%40%

60%

80%

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CP

Page 13


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Figure 2-5. Proximity Data for Son

GVI volunteers and staff wer

forming elephant herd. There

and other social activities a

good sign, as these elephant

programme in 2010, due to

previous lines of work. Very land Song Kran, have showed

and wandering away from th

entire herd was seen to displ

touching in close proximity to

The foraging study has yielde

intern Lindsay Grant. During

mahouts, the village chief, an

compendium of these plants

be added to as more species

yielded by this study will be

date.

2.4.4 General Biodiversity Stu

Many species have been do

into logical categories and ph

Bpee Mai

Song Kran


g Kran, Oct-Dec 2011

e able to observe a bulk of qualitative soc

have been several instances of trunk tou

ongst the elephants. Any social activity is

s had not been part of natural social units

a differences in elephant management

ittle social conflict has been observed. Thesignificant social development this quarter

eir mothers more than ever. On more tha

ay social behaviour as a group, such as s

each other.

d exciting results during this quarter thanks

this period, 10 new plants have been identi

d the village monk, which brings the total u

along with descriptions and pictures are hel

are identified. A complete species list of edi

shared with the elephant management co

dy

umented. All biodiversity photos to date h

tos continue to be collected on field hikes.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%Boon Jan

Tong Dee

Mana

CP

Page 14

ial data within the

hing, vocalization,

being taken as a

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infants, Bpee Maiand are socializing

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ied with help from

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munity at a future

ve been compiled


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2.5 Discussion

The fifth phase of this project has enabled the community of Huay Pakoot to continue their

domestic elephant forest habitation programme in and around the community, by providing

basic funding and hands-on support. Throughout this period, 5 elephants have participated

in the programme directly supported by GVI, and one new mother and calf are taking a

break from working in tourist camps. GVI staff and volunteers have been able to support the

mahouts providing basic care by conducting health checks and feeding the elephants. The

studies, although continuously developing, indicate the elephants are showing some social

and foraging behaviour as expected of natural social groups.

Participation by elephant owners is stable and the potential to recruit more elephants and

owners is high. It is the intention that over the long term other funding sources will be found

to support the existing herd of 5, and perhaps more importantly, to increase the size of the

GVI forest habitation herd by bringing more elephants back from working camps. The

programme must find more diverse funding sources beyond just volunteer fees to increase

sustainability and to responsibly plan for the long term wellbeing of this herd. A fundraising

plan should be organized to bring donor funds to the project. A working relationship with

Free Spirit Travel, a licensed tour operator based in Chiang Mai City is being developed in

an attempt to encourage ethical eco-tourism as additional funding to elephants outside the

GVI herd. In the next phase this project will continue to develop relationships with additional

partners and seek additional funding sources.


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3. Alternative Livelihoods for Elephants and Mahouts, Community

Development and English Teaching

3.1 Introduction

After a logging ban in 1989, most elephants and mahouts in Thailand found themselves out

of work and struggling to support themselves. Many have now sought work in tourist camps.

These camps typically involve a combination of elephant rides and circus shows. The

methods used to train elephants are often painful and the shows themselves can be

culturally demeaning. Taxi elephants giving rides wear heavy benches and carry tourists for

up to 6 hours a day. This can lead to serious back problems. Working also leaves little time

for calf rearing, mating or socialising with other elephants. Elephant tourism is an

unregulated and competitive industry. This has meant that the quality of life for elephants

and mahouts often suffers as a result. New tricks are introduced at different camps to attract

more business, which means additional and more complex training for the elephants.

It is impossible to over emphasize the damage brought to elephants by the shortage

of well-paying, humane work.

Richard Lair, United Nations Forestry and Agriculture Organization, 1997

The mahouts are entrusted with caring for this endangered species, but they are at the

bottom of the management chain in many camps. This means they often have little say as to

how the elephants are treated or the activities they endure. The mahouts themselves live for

many months away from their families and sometimes must go on working without being

paid. The village of Huay Pakoot is a traditional Karen community and very family orientated.

Young mahouts living far from home experience a number of social problems as a result.

GVI began providing alternative livelihoods for elephants and mahouts as of July 2010

through the domestic elephant forest habitation programme. By providing funding the project

has helped give alternative work to originally 8 elephants in the programme, and later to

solely and directly fund 5 elephants remaining in the programme. This means the elephants

and mahouts no longer have to work in tourist camps and are exploring alternative elephant

management practices. The elephants roam the forests surrounding the community and the

mahouts provide them with daily care. The mahouts role has shifted away from

entertainment and towards that of educators. The mahouts can live with their families in the

community and are also central to the running of the project. Their opinions about elephantcare and where elephants should roam is paramount to the programme.


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A key focus of this programme is community development as the support of the community

is central to the success of our project. The community of Huay Pakoot is two hours from

Mae Hong Son, the nearest major tourist location and is largely unaffected by tourism. Many

of the villagers have had little or no interaction with foreign visitors, except mahouts who

work in tourist camps. GVI began bringing volunteers to the village in July 2010. Local

villagers are benefiting by opening their homes as home-stay lodgings for GVI personnel and

other visitors. They provide food and accommodation for the volunteers. This provides an

alternative income and also the opportunity to learn about other cultures. This project is

encouraging a number of new businesses to develop in the community, specifics of which

are provided in the following sections. Every week volunteers take part in a planned session

discussing ethical elephant activities, when they are encouraged to think of ways in which

the community could benefit from the project and alternative strategies for elephants to

ethically generate revenue. These ideas are passed on via several formal and informal

channels to eventually be discussed at the monthly community meetings hosted by the chief.

Mahouts and the Karen community in general have a low social status in Thailand.

Speaking English is one way to elevate this social status. It can also improve employment

opportunities. English lessons provided in Thai state schools are often underfunded and

struggle for sufficient personnel and resources. In a bid to gain the support of the local

community and show that volunteers are not just tourists but people who want to make a

difference, GVI began providing free English classes to villagers in July 2010. These were

firstly offered to one member of each home-stay family to enable them to be the point of

contact for volunteers staying in their homes, as well as the mahouts. The villagers seem to

appreciate English classes from a native English speaker.

3.2 Objectives

1. Provide alternative livelihoods for mahouts, elephants and the local community2. Develop alternative strategies for mahouts and elephant owners themselves to

generate revenue related to elephant management

3. Build capacity in the local community to independently manage small businesses and

effectively secure additional revenue from tourism and GVI personnel as a result

4 Provide free English lessons to local partners and community members, aiming to

support their capacity building and also elevate social status associated with English fluency

in Thailand


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3.3 Activities and Achievements

Continuous achievements which have been ongoing and unchanged since previous periods

of operation are described in Appendix F. Any changes to activities are described in detail in

the following sections.

3.3.1 Village Trash Pick up

During December we began to do a bi-monthly trash pick-up around the village. The pick-up

takes place on the Wednesday of the second week of the volunteer program. Lindsay Grant,

an intern, is currently coordinating the trash pick-up. Along with volunteers we are

encouraging villagers to get involved and thus far the village children have shown interest in

helping with our trash pick-ups.

3.3.2. Field Day at the School

In early December staff, interns, and volunteers organized and executed a field day for the

students at the school. The field day took place on a Friday afternoon and was a

combination of arts and crafts and games. There was face painting, flag making, pom-pom

making, bobbing for passion fruit, and bubble blowing. The games included a water relay,

sack races, and a three-legged race. The feedback about the event was very positive from

students, teachers, and GVI personnel. We hope to continue to hold field days periodically.

3.3.3. Mahout and Village English Classes

Arijana Arpadzic, an intern, has lead 4 English classes in the village which are separate

from the school courses.

1. Mahout Classes

2. Adult Classes

3. Jr. Guides Classes

4. Beginner Classes

Mahout Class

The mahout classes are comprised of our 4 permanent mahouts, or elephant keepers.

These English classes consist of specialized elephant and local knowledge, such as; parts of

the elephant, ailments, village places, common foods, and conversational phrases.


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These lessons occur two times a week; on Wednesdays and Friday afternoons. This

particular class is unique because it involves 1 to 1 tutoring for each mahout following each

lesson. Volunteers that show interest in teaching are assigned to a mahout and spend

approximately 20 minutes reviewing their vocabulary and assisting with their pronunciation.

These lessons are also reinforced by practice during hikes and other volunteer activities with

the mahouts. The mahouts have showed their interest in these lessons by using their new

English skills during many interactions with volunteers. This class has been running since

October of 2011.

Adult Class

The adult class is comprised of approximately 8-10 adults ranging from 16 years of age to 35

years of age. All of these students have had previous English education whether in formal

school classes or previous village classes, which were led by a former GVI staff member.

The adult classes are held on Sunday and Tuesday evenings and take place at the chiefs

house, most commonly. This class has been running since October of 2011.

Jr. Guides

The Jr. Guides class was started as a way to train the young and enthusiastic village

children at performing village tours. The 10-12 students that are currently enrolled have all

had previous English exposure and education. Their lessons originally occurred once a

week, on Thursdays, but their needs were reassessed after the initial 6-week term and a

second class was added. They now occur on Mondays and Thursdays at 5:30pm. This class

has been running since October 2011.

Beginner Class

The beginner class was started due to an influx of children showing up for the Jr. Guides

class. Some of the children that enrolled had no previous English exposure and had different

needs than that of the Jr. Guides students. The 7-8 students that are currently enrolled came

for lessons on Monday afternoons. Upon reassessing the needs of the Jr. Guides and

increasing their class frequency, the leadership of the beginner class was taken over by

Lindsay Grant, another 6-month intern. Currently, the beginner class occurs twice a week as

well, Mondays and Thursdays, at the same time as the Jr. Guides class. This class has been

running since October 2011.


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3.4 Review

During its sixth phase this project has achieved the following with regards to its community

development objectives:

Objective 1: Provide alternative livelihoods for mahouts, elephants and the local community

The project has created a number of business opportunities for the local community

including home-stays, laundry services, providing transport for volunteers, giving basket

weaving workshops, and selling traditional Karen products. There is a shop selling fruit

shakes and fresh coffee. The villagers produce many non timber products including

traditional Karen clothing and bags. These are very popular amongst volunteers and the

villagers are beginning to see potential business opportunities arise as a result. Specifically

this quarter GVI has created several new alternative livelihood opportunities including

cooking classes and mahout dinners.

The project aims to encourage the villagers to set up a local shop selling their produce which

could attract business from tourists passing through the area. There are three small shops in

the village which already benefit with business from GVI personnel. Business could be

expanded by selling more goods that are used on the project on a regular basis.

By bringing volunteers into the village the project has been successful in establishing

alternative livelihoods for mahouts, elephant owners and elephants. The funding provided by

volunteers has provided a different source of revenue other than from conventional means in

the elephant tourism industry. The project aims to maintain this during the next phase, and

also to expand funding sources and opportunities for elephant owners and mahouts. At this

stage there are many elephant owners eager to join the GVI forest habitation programme,

but funding from volunteer fees alone is limited and more sources are needed.

Objective 2: Develop alternative strategies for mahouts and elephant owners themselves to

generate revenue related to elephant management

During this phase the project has been successful in maintaining the support of the mahouts

and elephant owners. They continue to prove a willingness to try alternative elephant

management strategies. The project aims to develop further strategies in which the mahouts

and elephant owners can generate revenue related to elephant management. This could

include bringing more of their elephants into the Forest Habitation Programme, providing

transport so project personnel can cut grass for the elephants to eat or provide land on


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which food can be grown for the elephants. Bridges are being built with Free Spirit Travel, a

licensed tour operator based in Chiang Mai, with the intention to help villagers host ethical

eco-tourism visits. The project does not intend for volunteer participation, alone, to ultimately

provide the sole alternative income for elephants and mahouts. Additional options for

revenue to elephant owners and mahouts will be explored as the project matures.

Objective 3: Build capacity in the local community to independently manage small

businesses and effectively secure additional revenue from tourism and GVI personnel as a

result

During the sixth phase of this project, GVI continues to establish the trust and interest of the

local community. It has taken time to show villagers the potential to develop and

independently manage small businesses from which they could generate additional revenue

from tourists and volunteers alike. Volunteers are supporting local businesses by purchasing

snacks and other items from the three local shops. Handmade traditional Karen clothing

made by the villagers has proven to be very popular amongst volunteers. Volunteers have

also suggested many services, workshops and goods they would be happy to pay for in the

village.

During the next phase the project aims to continue to support members of the local

community who wish to establish new businesses. The project also aims to encourage

villagers to set up a local community shop selling local produce managed by the villagers

themselves. Community members who offer eco-tourist visits to support alternative elephant

management strategies will receive open offers of support from GVI personnel. GVI will

continue to seek out Thai organizations and individuals able to promote ethical business in

the community of Huay Pakoot.

Objective 4: Provide free English lessons to local partners and community members, aimingto support their capacity building and also elevate social status associated with English

fluency in Thailand

During this quarter, free English lessons at the village school have continued. Also, village

classes in the village have begun including mahout classes, adult classes, jr. guides, and

beginners classes. Feedback is good and staff and volunteers will continue to build on this

success. English lessons at the village Nursery have continued and have been successful.

While basic, it is beneficial to begin teaching English to young children, and hopefully they

will continue to show interest in learning English while growing up. The Nursery school


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students enjoy the lessons and have learned a variety of vocabulary including animals,

clothing, colours, and actions.

With regards to teaching children, a basic teaching guide has been written which is be read

by volunteers/interns before planning and teaching a lesson. Children in the community are

showing an increasing interest in GVI volunteers, regularly visiting base hut to spend time

with them. Volunteers and interns are encouraged to take advantage of this to teach the

children English outside of the school. Pre-made packs with lesson plans and resources

have been created. These have been set out in such a way as to enable anyone to sit down

and teach a lesson. Fun games and activities are included which will make the lessons fun

for both children and volunteers alike. There are also a number of English reading books

which volunteers can use to sit down and read with children in the community. By doing so,

the project aims to strengthen relations with the community and improve the level of English

spoken by the younger members of the community.

The pre-made lesson plans are also used by volunteers and interns to teach classes at the

village school. Volunteers and interns use the green folder at base hut which contains

guides, documents and resources to enable them to plan and teach a lesson without the

guidance of trained staff. In order to ensure lessons are effective, GVI personnel should

meet with teachers at the school and ask that only those students genuinely interested to

learn English should attend class.


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4. References

Lair, Richard. 1997. Gone Astray: The Care and Management of the Asian Elephant inDomesticity. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), DharmasarnCo., Ltd., Bangkok

Marshall, H.M. 1959. Elephant Kingdom. Robert Hale, Ltd., London.


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5. Appendices

Appendix A: Existing Methodologies

A.1 Elephant Management

The elephants are not set free to roam the forest unattended. They are monitored by

mahouts who ultimately choose the area they will forage in, selecting habitat with sufficient

food sources and safe distance from crops, human settlements, or any other potential

hazards. Typically the mahouts will tether the elephants on 10 to 20m long chains during the

night. They hike into the forest at dawn to check on the elephants and untether them, and

then decide if there is sufficient forage remaining in the immediate area or otherwise move

the elephants. Typically the elephants will freely roam and forage for most of the day and

mahouts return periodically to check on them, however there seems to be much variation

from mahout to mahout in terms of both chain time and also freedom of movement.

The biggest change to (the above) traditional methodology stems from the introduction of

GVIs assistance with monitoring and funding. Funding allows the traditional practice of

short-duration forest reintroduction to continue indefinitely. To enable GVI personnel to

access the elephants for routine health inspections, and to give easier access for western

personnel unable to hike deep into the forest, a 2-day migratory pattern has been

established.

Two-Day Elephant Migration Pattern:

Elephants sleep tethered near the edge of the village, then are met by personnel in

the morning, fed and inspected in a controlled environment, untethered then led into

the forest by their mahouts.

GVI personnel follow the herd into the forest that morning and observe behaviour,

monitoring the social development of the herd and feeding patterns.

Elephants forage in the forest for the day and are later tethered deep in the forest to

spend the night. Western personnel are often unable to follow the herd the full

distance into the forest, due to rough terrain and thick vegetation.

The elephants are able to forage again most of the second day before being led by

their mahouts back to the edge of the village in the afternoon

Evening of the second day elephants are tethered near the village and the 2-day

cycle continues


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This 2-day pattern allows a compromise between traditional mahout methods and the need

for personnel to access the elephants. Traditionally the mahouts would tend to take the

elephants deep into the forest, away from any human settlements or hazards and into thick

vegetation to provide ample food. Near the edge of the village there is not sufficient foliage

available for forage. To meet the elephants needs, GVI provides grass and other food while

elephants are tethered close to the village. Food is sometimes purchased in the market, and

most often is harvested by GVI personnel from local sources at the mahouts discretion.

GVI volunteers and staff conduct research on elephant foraging and social behaviour during

their walks with the elephants in the forest. They also gather information on biodiversity in

the area, and make routine basic health checks. Each volunteer is assigned one specific

elephant on their entry into the program and asked to collect data on that elephant for the

duration of their stay.

A.2 Social and Foraging Behaviour Studies

Each volunteer is assigned to one elephant upon arrival to the project, and will study the

habits of that particular individual during their stay. The first morning after arriving at the

project site each volunteer is introduced to their elephant and their mahout, and taught how

to identify the individual elephant. By the second day of training each volunteer is expected

to be able to identify their elephant in the herd, both by the front and rear view of the

elephant, and know the elephants and mahouts names. Keys to identifying the elephants

via ears and tails are explained by GVI staff. If a volunteer is unable to identify their elephant

they cannot move forward in the program and participate in gathering data.

Behavioural data is collected every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during our 8 am

morning hike with the elephants. Data is not collected on the first Monday of every fortnight

to accommodate time for feeding. For each day that data is being collected volunteers arepaired up into groups with one observer and one recorder. Every observer dictates their

observations of their assigned elephant while the recorder fills in the data sheet verbatim.

Depending on volunteer numbers, one to three adult elephants are observed for these days

and on some days two groups may observe the same elephant. Interns are assigned to one

of the baby elephants each, and due to their greater experience and length of stay, both

observe andrecord for this elephant, without being paired for observation/recording.

Behavioural data collection is started at the beginning of each hike, after all the elephants

have begun to move off in one direction. At this time the start time is recorded and the stop


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watch time recording the amount of observation time is started. Keeping in accordance with

previous methods of scan sampling, feeding and proximity data is recorded as an instance

every five min during the observation period. Feeding is defined as visual conformation of

plant material in the elephants mouth at the instance of sampling. If the elephant stops

during the instance or the observer is unable to see, an X is recorded to note Can't See.

Feeding is recorded using the following codes: FL is feeding leaves, FB is feeding bark, FR

is feeding roots, FV is feeding vines and NF stands for not feeding.

M stands for Mahout and NM stands for No Mahout. The state of Mahout is defined as, the

Mahout for that day is either on the elephant or controlling the movements of the elephant

from nearby. Depending on the various mahouts actions at any given time, some elephants

can be recorded as having a mahout while others are not. When there is No Mahout

proximity data is recorded to show which elephants are spending time with each other. If the

elephant is within 10m of another elephant it is considered to be within close proximity (CP)

with that elephant. If the elephant is Within Trunks (WT) it means that the elephant is about

its trunks distance on any sides from another elephant. If there is no elephant within close

proximity of the elephant then the elephant is seen as having No Proximity (NP) to the other

elephants. If the proximity of the elephant is not visible then it is marked Cant See (X).

During observation periods All Occurrence data is also recorded to keep track of the social

interactions between the elephants. The All Occurrences that will be recorded have been

cited by Dr Plotnik as important social markers. All Occurrence data is recorded continuously

during the observation period. At the start of the period a stop watch is started which begins

the observation period and will be used to mark the time of the interaction over the period.

When an observation is made the recorder asks for the time and records the stopwatch time

at that occurrence.

Both Urination (UR) and Defecation (DE) are recorded for each elephant at the time theyoccur. For Defecation the number of blouses is recorded.

Table 2-2. Social Elephant Behaviour Continuously Sampled

Elephant Behaviour

Trunk Touch to Head (of another individual)

Trunk Touch to Body (of another individual)

Nursing

Urination

Defecation


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In order to visualize the data collected, graphs have been created showing the proximity of

each of the elephants to the others. Each of the graphs represents the amount of time spent

within close proximity and within trunks reach, recorded during the scan samplings. The

proximity data is only recorded when the elephants are not being controlled by the mahouts

because at that time they have no choice who they spend time with. For each instance of

Within Trunks Reach (WT) for the elephant one point was recorded to the graph for the

elephant they were near. For each instance of Within Close Proximity (CP) one point is given

to the elephant they are near and one additional point is also given because they are also

within trunks reach. If the elephant has No Proximity (NP) to the other elephants then no

points are recorded. In order to calculate the percentage of time spent near each other

elephant a total number of observed social interactions needs to be calculated. In order to do

this each instance of WT and CP along with each NP is added together. If it was marked as

Cannot See (X) then it is not counted in the total of observed interactions. From this total the

percentage of observed social time for WT and CP is calculated.

These points make up a Radar graph created using Microsoft Excel. This graph shows the

amount of time spent with the other elephants by creating a triangular shape that represents

the present age of time spent with the elephant. Thus far only graphs for the September

proximity data have been graphed and can be seen in Results section, below. These graphs

will be shown during the first weekly data session with new volunteers and at the end of

each month. To further show volunteers the information gained from the data collected more

graphs will be made in the future to represent Feeding and All Occurrences.

A.3 General Biodiversity Study

On some forest walks with the elephants and mahouts, volunteers are assigned to observe

biodiversity. A sample Biodiversity Data Sheet is listed as Appendix E. Volunteers are asked

to note anything they find interesting, including plants, insects, mammals, birds and reptiles.They require the confirmation of any other member of the team for a positive identification,

and confirmation is indicated by the signatures on the form. They are also encouraged to

take digital photos of each species and store them on the base lap top.

A.4 Elephant Health Checks

Every Tuesday and Thursday health checks are conducted to monitor the heath and well

being of the elephants in the GVI program. The Health Check forms were devised in late

March by Intern Jonathan Borradaile with the assistance of Amy Quandt, Base Manager.


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The purpose of the health checks is both to continually monitor the health of our herd as well

to provide a concrete record of elephant health in case of serious future illness. Health

checks take place during and after the hikes and are performed by volunteers on their

assigned elephants. The health check form is divided into parts and used as a check list

defining the important characteristics to be examined during the checkup. A sample form is

included as Appendix B: Elephant Health Check Form. The faeces section of the form is

filled out during the hike directly after the occurrence, while all other checks are done after

the hike while the elephant is feeding on grass provided. At the end of the hike volunteers

wait for the elephants to be tethered for the night and fed grass before approaching. Close

contact with the elephants is only done under the close and attentive supervision of the

mahouts.

One health check form is used for each adult elephant, at the bottom of which the volunteers

performing the checks write their names and the date. Any problems or additional

information is written down in the notes section of the form.

Faeces are checked directly after defecation during the hike and only when the subject can

be identified. Volunteers search around in the faeces with either a stick or gloved hand for

proper inspection. The faeces should be in nice round boluses and if not this could be a sign

of dehydration or intestinal problems. Any blood found in the faeces is bad and is recorded.

Large amount of soil in the feces is noted and may represent a lack of nutrients that the

elephant is trying to balance. Large amounts of mucous coating the dung is a sign of

stomach or intestinal problems. When looking through faeces volunteers check for long thin

worms. Often worms are found still wriggling in diarrhoea. Faeces that are very dry are a

sign that the elephant could be dehydrated or constipated.

After the elephants have been tethered the volunteers check the overall condition of the

elephant, including the top, stomach and bottom. Biting flies and large insects about 2cmlong are identified by volunteers and pointed out to mahouts to remove. Any bad smell

coming from the elephant, other than natural elephant smells, are noted on the sheet as they

can be signs of intestinal problems. If the elephant is blowing or scratching repeatedly in a

certain area it is noted as a sign of irritation.

Specific checks are then done on the eyes, mouth and feet of the elephant. High proportions

of older captive elephants are blind, possibly caused by debris irritating the eye then the

elephant rubbing it with their trunk. Thus when checking the eyes it is important to note any

debris found and any cloudiness in the eyes.


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While the elephant is eating grass it is easy for volunteers to do a check of the mucous

membrane in the mouth including tongue and lips. All elephants should have a light pink

coloured mouth and any deviation from this colour is noted.

Elephants can weigh up to seven tones delivering substantial stress to their feet. During the

health checks volunteers check the toenails of the elephant for any cracks or broken nails.

During the hike volunteers check the soles of their elephants feet for any blisters or sores

that they can see. The sweat glands of elephants are found only around the toenails and

should be noted as a sign of hard work.


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Appendix B. Elephant Health Check Form

Elephant Health Checks

Elephant

QuestionPlease Tick (X)

NotesYes No Can't See

Overall:

Can you see any biting flies, ticks, insect larvae on the skin or in ears? (circle

specific parasite if present)

Can you see any new wounds (blood), abscess (new lumps)?

Have the old wound healed properly (if applicable)?

Is there any bad smell coming from the elephant?

Is the elephant blowing or scratching a lot at a particular area? If so where?

Eye:

Does the eye look irritated? Eg, pink/bloodshot/watering alot

Is there cloudiness in the eye?

Are there any spots/ debris in the eye?

Mouth:

Is the mucous membrane any color besides light pink?

Is there a bad smell coming from the mouth?

Feet:

Are there any cracked or broken toenails?

If possible, are there any blisters on the sole of the foot?

Is there any sign of sweating around toenail (coronet)?

Is the elephant limping or favouring a leg at all?

Faeces:

Are the faeces in nice round boluses?

Is there blood in the faeces?

Is there soil inside the faeces?

Is there thick mucus in/on the faeces?

Are there any parasites/worms in the faeces?

Are the fresh faeces very dry?

Is there a strange smell coming from the faeces?

Ears:

Is there any drainage?

Other:

Volunteer Date


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Appendix C. Sample Scan Sampling Data Sheet (double sided)


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Appendix D. Sample Continuous Sampling Data Sheet (double sided)


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Appendix E. Sample Biodiversity Data Sheet


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Appendix F. Continuing History of Achievements

F.1 Community development - generation of more local business

GVI has been sending volunteers to Huay Pakoot since July 2010. Volunteers are

encouraged to support the local community by using the 3 village shops which supply a

range of snacks, drinks and toiletries. The programme has structured a bi-monthly visit when

volunteers can purchase handmade traditional Karen clothing from community members for

a set price which the community have agreed collectively. This includes traditional shirts,

bags and skirts. This has been incredibly popular with volunteers and has generated a high

demand for traditional Karen products. Over time, the villagers are beginning to see the

business potential of making and selling their wares.

On Thursday evening during the first week of our two week volunteer schedule there is an

arts and crafts night where members of the community are invited to come to base hut and

demonstrate local crafts. The mahouts are invited to demonstrate how to make a number of

non-timber forest products such as bamboo cups, spoons and coat hangers. Volunteers then

have the opportunity to make a cup after a health and safety debriefing from GVI personnel.

This is a great opportunity for volunteers to learn new skills and also for the villagers to see

that people are interested in learning their traditional skills.

Every first Tuesday in the two week volunteer schedule, there is a discussion session where

volunteers are encouraged to think of ethical elephant activities and ways in which issues in

the Thai elephant industry can be resolved. Volunteers also discuss ideas as to how the

local community can benefit from our project, and things that volunteers would pay for in the

village. This has included cooking courses, basket weaving workshops and machete

training, laundry, buying fruit shakes and fresh coffee, setting up a local shop selling local

produce and traditional Karen products. GVI personnel discuss these ideas with members ofthe local community at monthly village meetings.

GVI continues to support the local community in establishing businesses and continues to

embolden villagers to develop more. Villagers are encouraged to develop ideas proposed by

volunteers in our fortnightly group discussions. As a result, volunteers continue to make

regular use of the three village shops. During the last quarter the fruit shake and coffee

business has proven to be increasingly popular with volunteers and villagers alike. Basket

weaving workshops take place at least once each fortnight and are led by members of the

community with volunteers paying 30 Baht each for a hands-on demonstration of traditional


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bamboo basket weaving. Other income generating projects include fortnightly cooking class

and mahout dinners. GVI continues to provide work for community directly by hiring them to

lead volunteers harvesting elephant food. During the dry session GVI also hires a village

truck to shuttle volunteers and mahouts into a deeper part of the forest to meet the elephants

on several occasions.

F.2 Provision of free English classes in the local community

GVI personnel began providing free English classes to adults and children in the local

community in July 2010. Due to time constraints, this consisted of two hour long classes

offered each week to one person from each home stay family and mahouts. GVI personnel

have designed a programme to teach villagers vocabulary they are likely to use on a daily

basis with volunteers and other visitors to the village. The focus is placed on teaching

speaking and listening rather than reading and writing which are a secondary focus of each

lesson. The project aims to get villagers speaking English as soon as possible and using the

language fluently. This will enable community members to access new potential revenue

from English speaking visitors. Volunteers are also encouraged to practice English with their

home stay families.

The project began offering two English classes each week at the local primary school in July

2010. The first class consists of students from Grades 1-3 and the second consists of

students from Grades 4-5. During the second week of the two week volunteer schedule

volunteers have the opportunity to plan and teach the Grades 4-5 class on Wednesday

afternoon. Volunteers begin planning on Sunday evening with guidance from GVI personnel.

They are given a brief introduction to teaching in Thailand, background about the school, the

level of English teach provided at the school and the level they will teach, an introduction to

TEFL teaching, classroom management and discussion about resources that need to be

made. Volunteers are encouraged to plan the lesson together as a group and all areencouraged to take part in the teaching. If the lesson is not planned or volunteers do not

take it seriously, they are not allowed to teach. They are also reminded that they are

representing GVI and the expectation to uphold the excellent reputation already established

in the village. Volunteers are introduced to the teacher before the lesson begins and the

class is begun by GVI personnel. Volunteers are then encouraged to teach the lesson

themselves.

English classes continued into Jan 2011 but then were eventually ended. This is partly the

result of teaching staff suffering an immobilizing injury. The GVI English teacher was unable


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to visit the village school and so English lessons for children stopped. Adult classes were

extended to four evenings a week. However, the number of students decreased to just two

regular students during the 1st quarter of 2011. Near the end of that quarter one of the adult

students moved to another Province, and the other was too shy to attend class on her own.

Therefore, adult English classes have also stopped at the end of the 1st quarter, 2011.

Provisions were then made to enable volunteers and interns to restart teaching both adults

and children. For adult classes, a basic training guide has been written, which should be

read by volunteers/interns before planning and teaching a class. Resources have also been

made for level 1 and 2 classes to enable non professional people to plan and teach lessons

effectively, without the help of trained staff. These can be found in the blue teaching folder

kept at base hut.

In early June 2011 GVI resumed free English lessons at the school in Huay Pakoot. This

school is run by the Thai government and teaches Thai as the main curriculum. The teaching

method used was designed by the staff member Sophie Lemberger who began teaching in

May of 2010. The TEFL teaching method being used is designed to teach English without

any knowledge of the local foreign language thus is able to be taught by any volunteers

interested. By using lesson plans designed by Sophie the teaching is consecutive and

organized. Before teaching at 1:30pm the volunteers plan what will be taught that day during

the lesson. This is then written down on a set form where it can be referenced during the

lesson if needed. The theme of the lesson is followed in order of the lesson plans but the

vocabulary and the method in which it is introduced is decided by each of the volunteers.

First during the lesson new volunteers will introduce themselves to each of the students in

turn having them say their names aloud. Next volunteers review any vocabulary that was

introduced in the previous lesson concentrating on topics that were identified as needing

more practice. Often standard repetition is used to start the new material followed by games

or a fun activity to keep the students interested. Following the completion of the material for

the day if there is time left volunteers play a fun game as a way of positively reinforce

English teaching as a enjoyable activity to be looked forward to. Some games that have

been introduced with great success are Simon Says and Duck Duck Goose. Following the

lesson volunteers debrief by identifying on the planning sheet anything that needs to be

continued in the next lesson and anything that was particularly successful.

In August of 2011, GVI Intern Alix Collins, began leading volunteers teaching English at the

village nursery school. The nursery school in Huay Pakoot is where children aged 3- to 5-

years go during the day so their parents can be free to work in the field and seek out


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livelihoods. English classes at the nursery will help provide a foundation in English for the

youth of Huay Pakoot. English classes are being held every Tuesday morning at 10:15AM.

Volunteers plan the lessons on Monday nights for the following Tuesday. The lessons are

basic and involve games, flashcards, coloring/drawing, and singing/dancing. The lessons

typically last an hour. Alix has also put together a resource binder so that English lessons

can continue at the nursery after she has completed her internship.

gvi thai elephants q report 114

Documents