FORRU

Some programs have attracted funding to obtain longer term support from FORRU-CMU, including not only training workshops, but support visits and assistance in project planning, nursery management, and framework tree species research. FORRU-CMU's involvement depends entirely on the demands of the project. Current longer term projects in which FORRU is involved are:

Training programs are aimed at NGO's, government officials and agencies, international bodies, and university students. Workshops usually involve spending time in the nursery and learning about propagation and germination techniques, phenology studies, and general nursery care. A trip to the Hmong village of Ban Mae Sa Mai is undertaken to see the experimental plots that FORRU-CMU has planted over the past 8 years and to witness first-hand the results of the Framework Species Method. The trip to Mae Sa Mai is also important as it gives the participants a chance to see the restoration plots first hand, and to have a discussion with the community and learn from them what it means to be a part of this project. FORRU-CMU is able to tailor a workshop for your specific needs, so feel free to contact us (email: forru[at]science.cmu.ac.th) if you are interested. Workshops can be run in either Thai or English. In the past couple of years, local workshops have been run for:

FORRU-CMU ran 3 workshops entitled “Introduction to Forest Restoration - general concepts and skills” for staff and villagers from the Doi Mae Salong (DMSL) Reforestation Project for the King’s 80th birthday Workshops were held on 9-11th November 2007, 25-27th January and 9-11th September 2008. The objectives were to pass on concepts and techniques, developed by FORRU-CMU, to key stakeholders in the DMSL project, to assist them to plan and implement effective forest ecosystem restoration. Participants learnt about restoration techniques, expected results and recovery of biodiversity in the plots. Tree propagation was covered in the nursery and socio-economic and cultural aspects of restoration were explored during joint discussions among the participants and the village conservation committee at the education centre.
In March 2008, FORRU-CMU hosted a workshop for participants of FORRU’s Eden Project at Ban Mae Sa Mai. The Eden Project aims to disseminate forest restoration techniques to 12 communities in N. Thailand. Activities in and around the nursery focused on species selection and seed collection. Participants stayed in the village overnight and on the second day viewed the planted plots and learned about FLR concepts.
In August 2008, FORRU-CMU provided a 3 day workshop for staff of East-West Siam Travel. East-West Siam is a Chiang Mai-based eco-tour company, which is starting a 300-rai forest restoration project (Project Himapan), in collaboration with the Department of National Parks, in which eco-tourists can participate. FORRU-CMU was asked to train the company’s staff in appropriate forest restoration methods, so that they can implement an effective project and so that staff can demonstrate techniques to their volunteers. The BMSM facilities were used during a full day visit to the FLR site, and the nursery also provided trees and staff to help establish a 1-rai trial plot, planted in July 2008.
In October 2008, FORRU-CMU provided a 5-day training course for the Elephant Conservation Network (ECN) The ECN, Kanchanaburi Province, aims to restore elephant habitat in and around Salak Pra Wildlife Sanctuary and reduce conflicts between elephants and humans. Participants included NGO staff and some of the villagers with whom the NGO works. Once again the BMSM site was used for this training program. In addition to the usual program, BMSM nursery manager Khun Neang shared his experiences with the villagers of Ban Kaeng Prakob, who are building their own tree nursery in the buffer zone of Salak Pra WS.
In April 2009, FORRU-CMU provided a 3-day training course for managers of the WWF Greater Mekong – Thailand who hope to use the principles of FLR and the Framework Species method in a lowland context restoring forest to the Nam Chee watershed, Khon Kaen. This group visited Ban Mae Sa Mai to visit and discuss the research plots for a full day.

For details of past capacity building projects go to our the Past Outreach Projects page.