The PEEK Project is supported by Rainbow Divers. Read more: Students photographing biodiversity Vietnamese and American organizations and businesses launched the first ever science – education program to an archipelago in Vietnam – Con Dao, where Con Dao students were given cameras to photograph animals and plants in Con Dao to encourage the community to protect biodiversity. The Biodiversity PEEK - Photography Educating and Empowering Kids – (called PEEK project) will train local youths, aged 13-16, to become citizen scientists, naturalists, photographers, and above all, “ambassadors” advocating for the unique biodiversity of the islands. The PEEK project will put cameras into the hands of the students in Con Dao so that they can document the diversity of animals and plants in Con Dao and share the photos on the internet to show the rest of the world what there still is to value about the biodiversity of Con Dao. The top goal of the project is to raise people’s awareness and affection for wild nature, and call for actions to protect biodiversity values of the ecosystem there. The six most outstanding and qualified students were selected from 60 candidates participating in the two rounds of test. They are Lê Trần Anh Thư, Nguyễn Trần Ngọc Nhi, Trần Nhân Đạt, Nguyễn Đăng Khoa, Võ Hoàng Minh Thuận, Đặng Việt Trung Nhân – 8th and 9th graders of Võ Thị Sáu Secondary School in Con Dao District. In order to take part in the project, these students were trained environmental and biodiversity knowledge, and necessary skills to photograph the nature in Con Dao and use these pictures for the sake of education and scientific research in Con Dao and other places. Mrs. Stephanie jo Bowman, Education Director of the Biodiversity Group, said at the opening ceremony: “We hope to bring together the citizens, businesses, and National Park of con Dao to work together to help preserve the islands’ incredible variety of land and marine wildlife”. Mr. Chau Anh Kiet, Vice Chairman of Con Dao District People’s Committee said: “The project, although it is of small scale, is very meaningful to Con Dao because this is the first time ever a biodiversity project is done by students in Con Dao, and I hope that the project will be expanded so that more students will have an opportunity to learn and broaden their knowledge”. During the course of the project, six students – after school hour – were trained by experts of TBG and the Con Dao National Park the skills of swimming, snorkeling, methods of photographing in the water and on the land, how to recognize species in the forest at night… They had a chance to expose themselves to the coral reefs, observe sea turtles laying eggs, see sea turtles’ eggs hatching ponds and baby turtles being hatched, release baby turtles to the sea, and photograph in the forest at night. “I’ve been living in Con Dao more than ten years but this is the first time I am able to see coral reefs and such a beautiful species and forest. I want all of my friends and local people in Con Dao to have the same experience. I hope that the photos we take will help”, Le Tran Anh Thu said. All the pictures taken in the PEEK project will be selected and uploaded onto inaturalist.org/places/6847#taxon=2 , where is storing millions of natural and species pictures take from all over the world. PEEK project is implemented by CHANGE and The Biodiversity Group with the funding from the U.S> Consulate General in HCMC and technical supports from the Con Dao national Park. The project has also received valuable supports from the Vo Thi Sau Secondary School and some local businesses who care much about biodiversity protection in Con Dao such as Six Senses Resorts, Rainbow Divers and contribute to the project in various forms such as securing boat, staff and necessary gears. The text above is a Translation of this Vietnamese newspaper article: vfej.vn/vn/4095n/hoc-sinh-chup-anh-bao-ton-da-dang-sinh-hoc.html
Posted on: Sat, 07 Sep 2013 03:21:30 +0000
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