Projects

Reef Check - Coral Reef Monitoring

See our Reef Check page for more details about marine conservation projects.

Island Ecology and Conservation

As a proposed national park and habitat for many important plant and animal species, Koh Ra and the surrounding islands are in need of basic ecological information to aid their conservation. For this reason we have an ongoing effort to document and record the ecology of Koh Ra. We maintain a wildlife sighting record and encourage guests and volunteers to add new species to the list. In particular, we record locations and activities of key species, for example, white-bellied sea eagle nests. We conduct sea turtle nest searches on the beaches of Koh Ra, during the nesting season from December to March. Currently, we are hoping to purchase an array of hidden "camera-traps" which photograph wildlife at night when they trigger hidden cameras; this has been an effective way of documenting elusive species in remote jungle habitat. Volunteers are needed to help us collect data on hornbill behavior and foraging- we want to know what types of fruits and trees they use for feeding and roosting; then we know what trees are the most important to protect, for example fig trees.

Community Education

Reef Check Thailand and the Koh Ra Ecolodge join forces from time to time to run various community education workshops or camps for local schools. We will be hosting a group of middle school students for a multi-day environmental education camp (to be scheduled). Other times we go directly to the communities where it is easier for community members to join the training. There may be an opportunity to be involved in helping our team provide environmental and ecotourism training to local communities.

Koh Ra National Park Surveys

Information coming soon.

Permaculture and Organic Garden

Our continuing goal is to make the Koh Ra Ecolodge as sustainable as possible. We offer the opportunity for volunteers to join us as we continue to improve our conservation and reuse of resources. Continuing projects in permaculture are available for short-term or long term volunteers. In addition to our existing green buildings, waste management, and low energy use, we are working on an organic garden, solar hot water heaters, and a created wetland for the kitchen gray water. We are especially seeking volunteers who can commit a serious amount of time and skill to these projects. For more information please e-mail us at projects@thaiecolodge.com.