One World
by Gillian Wills - a guest in Thailand

There was a sudden screaming and chattering, very close, and we could see the branches of the trees bending and shaking. But, even through high-powered binoculars, we could see no signs of the gibbons. "We are too late", said Supradit, one of the group leaders. "We should have been here at dawn. Maybe tonight we will see them".

It was a weekend early in October, and I was with fifty young school pupils at the Sarasas Witaed English Camp in Khao Yai National Park as a guest of the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand (WAR). Brightly coloured butterflies, the size of your hand, were drifting in and out of the trees, huge dragonflies were hovering in dozens (a sure sign of rain to come), and we were all hoping to see the large Hornbills that are abundant in the Park. The pupils were divided into groups of ten, each with a teacher and volunteer helper from WAR, and were busy on assigned projects to help them learn more about the National Park and the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation's work in Thailand. Each group was led in a different direction through the jungle, to observe and make notes on the species they saw. Waiting for them in the area of the hide (a camouflaged hut near a small lake, an ideal place for spotting wildlife) I could hear excited calls in the distance as some animal or bird was seen sometimes there were shrieks of alarm "Aaaeee, leeches!" Eventually the ten groups were reunited in a large depression in the ground that was bare of all vegetation. This was a favourite salt lick, and after recent rain the prints of elephants and deer were very clear and the groups were soon busy being taught to make plaster casts of these prints. After a long hot and muddy day in the Park we drove back to the camp and passed cheeky Pig-tailed Macaques and Barking Deer - no Hornbills on this trip.

At dinner that evening there was much chatter and laughter about what had been seen and done during the day, and each group performed a short play to illustrate their observations. There was a question and answer session at which it was obvious that the youngsters had learned a great deal and were genuinely concerned for the future of the Park and its wildlife. The next day we went to the river, where some of the WAR staff and schoolteachers prepared a treasure hunt and quiz and there was strong competition among the groups to gain the highest points. After a hard trek along the riverbank we returned to the camp to have lunch and pack up ready for the drive back to Bangkok. Torrential rain was falling, but this could not dampen the children's enthusiasm as they climbed into the mini buses to head home. It had been a very successful weekend, thanks to the efforts made by the Sarasas Witaed English School, the Wild Animal Rescue staff, the volunteer helpers, and the pupils themselves.

Every astronaut returning from a mission has remarked on the astonishing beauty of Earth as seen from outer space. It is possible that Homo sapiens is the only species capable of aesthetic appreciation, and often spiritual satisfaction derived from this appreciation. Through the centuries great works of art, music and literature have inspired and uplifted our species. It is, therefore, paradoxical that this same species is capable of seemingly unlimited greed and destruction: a greed and destruction that ultimately threatens the survival of our marvellous planet. The ever-increasing world population, coupled with continuing exploitation of natural resources, will take its toll of other species, our environment, our water, and even the very air we breathe.

The future well being of the Earth is in our hands. Homo sapiens is the top of the evolutionary tree and surely has a responsibility to protect those people and species dependent on us for their continued survival. We must accept this responsibility if we want to preserve the infinite and wonderful variety of life in our world for future generations. By sustained programmes of education and exposure to the wild and natural places, and by teaching a respect for all living creatures we can stop the endless exploitation and the future need not be totally bleak. Thank you WAR and Econet for a very rewarding weekend.