Several members of the Andaman Discoveries and N-ACT teams joined with a wide variety of groups to spend an afternoon planting water lilies. The event raised awareness of plighted youth.

Nakha boasts stunning mountainous scenery, and is home to the highly endangered Water Lily, known locally as the "Yah Chong." This fresh-water plant has unusually long leaves and delicate white flowers that bloom from October to December. Unfortunately, the water lily faces serious threats from river dredging and collection for resale as aquarium plants.

To help save the Water Lily, locals formed a conservation group to protect its habitat, and now offer rafting excursions to raise public awareness of this beautiful plant. Profits are used by the club to pay for school trips. The club also sponsors a nursery that is used by the youth group for replanting the water lilies.

Labels: conservation, endangered species

Naucrates Shares Insights

We believe in maintaining an open dialogue with all of our partners. Naucrates has been our partner organization since the tsunami, and responded to a story in our April newsletter about releasing a baby sea turtle in Phuket. Turtle release events may vary drastically from one to another. The best bet is check with a reputable organization like Naucrates, who have a program to sponsor baby turtles and help this critically endangered species.

Dear Andaman Discoveries,

We receive your monthly newsletter and we are always impressed by the work that you are doing in Thailand. Reading the April newsletter, however, I felt sorry to read the article about turtles. The turtle releasing ceremony is very popular, and they are a great event to raise awareness but they are NOT a conservation tool!I am sure the person who had the opportunity to release the young turtle has not realized how hard it was for a green turtle hatchling (not leatherback as it is stated in the article) to be kept in the sun all day in the middle of thousands of people, at risk of dehydration...sea turtles are not social animals. There have even been cases of onlookers taking one of the baby turtles home.

Usually the turtles released are from Similan island, the only stable breeding population left in the Andaman sea). Turtles are known to go back and lay eggs on the same beach where they are born.... yet these babies are released on a totally different beach on a developed island.
I could continue, but the list would be too long... My opinion comes after years of working to save turtles swimming in the wild.....

Thank you for reading it,
Monica

Labels: endangered species, green turtle, Naucrates, sea turtle