Outreach Programme

BPAMP aims at spreading and increasing knowledge and awareness about biodiversity conservation at the local level for communities living around Virachey National Park and at the national level for a wide audience, with a focus on children and students.

National level outreach is implemented under the National Policy and Capacity Building Component. This component also aims at strengthening the Ministry of Environment’s capacity to deal with the media in a proactive way and to promote a positive image of the Ministry of Environment in the national media.
TV and radio broadcasts, newspapers, a project newsletter and special events are used to raise awareness about biodiversity conservation.

In 2005, environmental education TV and Radio spots on “Protecting the Environment is Protecting the Future of your Children” were broadcast on TV5 and Radio FM 98, and a radio debate programme, “People and Nature”, was broadcasted on Radio FM 98.

A number of videos for community development and to document project activities were produced, coving topics such as, introducing the Community Protected Area concept in 5 villages/ communities, and interview of a village chief and an old man from minority tribes about their vision on Community Protected Areas and protecting the environment, in Khmer and Ka Vet languages.

In 2005 a video series was produced entitled “Morodot Daun Ta” (The Heritage of our Ancestors) consisting of three parts of 30 minutes each: part I, Virachey National Park and the Mekong River, part II, Bokor National Park and Koh Kong, and part III, Kulen and Tonle Sap. The videos were broadcast on TV5 during the second half of 2005 and from January 2006 to August 2006 on TV Bayon.

In 2006 another video series was produced entitled “Life and Environment”. It consists of ten parts of 6 to 7 minutes each, covering the following topics: Cambodia’s Environmental Heritage, Biodiversity, Ecotourism, Community Protect Areas, Mangrove Forests, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Cambodia’s Protected Area System, I am a Ranger, Culture and Environment. Broadcasting on TV3, TVK, TV Apsara, TV9, and TV Bayon started in August.

The project produces a quarterly Virachey National Park newsletter. The newsletters and press releases are available on this web page.

A National Environmental Drawing Contest for primary and high school pupils as well as pupils from NGOs working with children was carried out in 2005 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. 324 children participated in the contest and 13 drawings were selected for the production of a desk calendar and a one-page wall calendar. A second National Environmental Drawing Contest was carried out in 2006. In addition, a National Photo Contest for high school and university students was carried out. Winners from both contests will be awarded prizes during a ceremony in October and a desk and wall calendar for 2007 will be produced using the winning drawings and pictures.

Illustrations for information and education materials as well as for ecotourism were produced by the project’s artist.