Day 6 - Elephant Park - Planting trees

Today, Saturday, we had another adventure - together with another organization, there is an attempt to resettle elephants back into their native surroundings - the jungle. However there is not a lot left, so this group has acquired some land and is replacing the crops with jungle trees. The objective is to re-establish a jungle area where the elephants can roam in their native state. To acclimatize the elephants one or two at a time are taken up to the area, and allowed to roam freely for a couple of days before being brought back down to the Park.

(L - Highly illegal in Australia, we load in the back of the truck for the trip up)

(R - Our journey starts on sealed roads)

A volunteer group of about 15 will walk up the hill with the elephants, then stay overnight at the (very basic and rough) building there. On day 2 another group of volunteers will go up by truck and stay overnight replacing the first group who will then travel back in the truck. On day 2 both groups are involved in planting trees in the area that has been cleared of crops.

(L - Our road soon deteriorates to a vehicle track)

(R - And then deteriorates further to the stage where we need the four wheel drive)

I was involved in the second batch - planned to go up on the Saturday and then walk the elephants back down on Sunday, in time for those finishing up to clean up and catch the buses back to town.

(L - The scenery is beautiful - even if the road is not)


(R - Our "home" for the night - basically two rooms upstairs, a verandah to sleep on, two toilets and a shower - with cold water - but that is not noticed to much as the weather is generally so hot and muggy!!)



(L - Group 2 meets up with Group 1 and exchange notes about the walk up)

(R - The adjacent shower and toilet block)




(L - We all head down to the area where the tree planting is to occur)

(R - Our Group surveys the task up the hill)





(L - The band of stalwarts are issued with their tools - basically a hoe and trees in tubes and cardboard and fertilizer. One to the staff has the huge task of cutting the head height elephant grass down to a manageable level, then with the hoe we drag the cut grass away to expose the ground, then dig a small hole for the tree. After the tree is place in the hole, some fertilizer is sprinkled around the tree and a sheet of cardboard is placed around the tree like mulch. A stake is then driven in to the cardboard to hold it down, and also indicate where the tree is)

(R - Waiting for instructions and some holes to be dug)


(L - Tic shows us how to remove the tree from the plastic tube and plant the tree in the hole)


(R - The trees are placed in distances of about 2 meters to the nearest next tree - some of our measurements were a bit hay wire)


(L - We returned to the building for lunch


(R - After lunch groups were split up again, some back to the tree planting, and some others assigned to making the stakes to drive into te ground. Bamboo is used extensively here. The broad bamboo is cut into length and then with a machete - also a much used item here in Thailand - the bamboo is splintered to make a number of stakes. Then, again with the machete, the end is pointed)

(L - Meanwhile back at the tree planting work progresses but is slowing as the chap cutting the grass is slowing!)

(R - The Group 1, who walked up the day before climb into the trucks and head back to town and the showers. We continue for another half hour)

(L - The cane splitters and sharpeners continue - I managed to get a job sharpening points until we finished all the work)

(R - The beds on the verandah - we shared two to each mosquito net - this one was mine - shared with Tep, our guide)

(L - The view from the bedroom was great)

(R - We lined up for dinner at 6pm - again a great selection of Tahi food - then we had a cup of tea or coffee, and chatted for a while. There was nothing else to do, we were miles from anywhere, and the closest local store had no beer - so it was bed around 8.15pm - ready for the fun walk on the morrow to take the elephants back to the Nature Reserve)