Wet lands

The ‘Khao Sam Roi Yot’ National park and marshlands are are outstanding in their natural beauty and diversity of wild life... for example they have over 300 different recorded bird species and a vast number of other creatures in this amazing flora and fauna. As with all sensitive environments they are trying to educate and allow people into the wetlands while at the same time trying to minimize human interference ... always a trick, but that is what gives this park such great ecological and educational significance not just to Thailand but to the world. The fact that the World Conservation Union (IUCN) has recognized these fragile wetlands as a site of global importance shows me once again how interrelated and interdependent all of us are to all things... and how important it is for us to work globally... I have always thought the slogan 'think globally act locally' is misleading and self serving...especially in school where acting locally somehow only means getting kids to pick up the litter on the playground. I think it should be 'think globally act globally' so students can realize their larger connection to this planet and all people. I can also understand 'think locally act locally' but they are not the same thing.... ahhh I should have been a scientist.... and talking about globally thinking scientists...

As you can see in the picture Aja and Layli are fascinated as brother Thom, the scientist, showed us and went over a few of the names of the local plants...... starting with Casuaria equisetifolia (Sea oak), then on to the Theapesia populnea, Calophyllum inophyllum, Manilkara hexandra, Diospyros mollis (Ebony tree), Wrightia tomentosa (Ivory), Dracaena loureiri, Diospyros bejaudii, Afzelia xylocarpa, Rhizophora mucronata (Red mangrone), Rhizophora apiculata, Ceriops decandra, Xylocarpus granatum, Avicennia marina;

whereas social plants found in fresh pond are

Cyperus spp., Neyraudia reynaudiana, Arundo donax, Themeda arundinacea, Hymenachne pseudointerrupta, Leersia hexandra, Nymphaea spp., Marsilea creuata (Water clover) Alocasia sp.,

It is fascinating how interesting plants can be... thanks dr. thom..

Pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26080359@N08/sets/72157623598114508/