We left Bangkok today and headed southwest along the coastline to Samut Songkram, where there is a mangrove conservation area. In our fall class, the students learned about mangrove ecology and conservation; today we wanted the students to experience mangroves. We had two activities by which I think they now have an indelible concept about this important ecosystem.
Everyone is loaded into the shallow-draft boat to head out to the mangrove area.
Our first activity was to load into two-person kayaks and spend two hours kayaking through the mangroves.
Here go Carley and Anna.
Olivia and Jess.
My instructions were to not simply paddle through the channel, but to get into the 'weeds' so you can really experience the mangroves and see what lives there. Kelly and Gabi took this to heart.
Olivia and Jess.
After the kayaking, we traveled to a different part of the mangrove so the students could plant mangrove saplings in an area in which the mangroves had been wiped out.
The mud was soft and we sunk deeper than was planned.
Dana planting one of her mangrove saplings.
Jake is in deep while Sara and Alysa struggle.
Jake and Alysa.
Becca went down and Olivia is on her way down.
Alysa.
Down again.
Sara called for extraction.
Becca getting deep.
Alysa looking for the river so she can clean up.
A troupe of long-tailed macaques kept their distance from us.
Evidently, we walked around this ngu-ba, a non-venomous fish-eating snake.
Some students thought swimming in the channel was a more effective way to clean the mud off.
Alysa never did quite get all the mud off, but she and the others all had a great experience, which was exactly the plan. Now they will always retain some level of understanding and appreciation for mangroves.
Some of the shelters for the clam farmers.
We had a fantastic lunch of various types of seafood.
We split up between two tables.
A nice bowl of tentacle soup :-)
For dessert we had sweet rice cakes wrapped inside banana leaves.
Wow that looked incredible and had to be a better experience than a mud wrap at the spa!! :) Go Lys and everyone!!! Well earned lunch after.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome!! I can't wipe the grin off my face while I look at the pictures and read the captions. Anna, your kayaking and snake holding :-) back here in Missouri have come in handy, I'd say.
ReplyDeleteAre there mosquitoes?
ReplyDeleteYo Kel!! Looks like you've come a long way, baby, since your days of catching massive bullfrogs bear-handed in Norfolk, MA! Wow!!
ReplyDeleteLove you, Mama
looked like jakes kind of party.
ReplyDeleteWayne trachsel
trip to mangroves looked awesome--reminds me of other times Sara has been stuck in the mud--have fun :)
ReplyDeleteWow that's some mud!! Thanks for all the pictures & updates. Several of Jessica's family members & friends are following all of your adventures. (Kevin & Shelly - Jessica's parents)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun time it looks like all of you had. That is so great you planted more mangroves and yes swimming is always the best way to remove mud. Thanks for all the posts. Melissa (Jessica's aunt)
ReplyDeleteIncredible day!
ReplyDeleteIncredible day!
ReplyDeleteTentacle soup? Interesting! Kyler, your long legs should have come in handy walking through all of that mud. You could have been a real friend and carried someone on your shoulders!
ReplyDeleteI'm almost speechless at all these new photos. Thank you so much for sharing them. The photos and descriptions are so amazing, I can't even imagine how much more so it has to be in person. Thanks again! Susie Powers
ReplyDeleteWow, i'm really feeling the experience through these pictures all the way from USA. Thanks for all the good pictures. Looks like the students are having a lot of fun.
ReplyDelete