Update on our Wildlife Education Programme: Inspiring Thailand’s Future Wildlife Protectors

Children hold the future of Thailand’s wildlife in their hands. While laws and enforcement play an important role, lasting change can come from nurturing respect, compassion, and awareness in the next generation.

Thanks to support from The Resilience Fund, we’re delighted to be running a local education outreach programme in 2025. Through interactive presentations, hands-on activities, and guided tours of our sanctuary, local students are discovering the incredible animals that share their forests and fields. Our sessions cover a wide range of wildlife-related topics about how these animals live, why they’re threatened, and how every person has a role to play in protecting them.

So far, we have undertaken education sessions in five schools and had two school groups join an educational tour of the WFFT sanctuary, with more sessions still to come! Read more below.

“If children don’t grow up knowing about nature and appreciating it, they won’t understand it. And if they don’t understand it, they won’t protect it.

And if they don’t protect it, who will?”
– Sir David Attenborough

Ban Nong Puen Taek School

Located near Kaeng Krachan National Park, Ban Nong Puen Taek School was the very first stop on our education programme. Thirty-seven bright and curious children joined the session, taking part in team games, quizzes and interactive activities designed to inspire care and compassion for wildlife.

The students gave wonderful feedback and showed great enthusiasm throughout the session. Just over a week later, thirty-nine of them joined us at WFFT for a guided tour of the sanctuary, where they could meet the animals they had been learning about. Seeing the rescued wildlife up close helped bring the message to life and sparked an even deeper sense of empathy.

Ban Mae Ka Moei School

Deep within the rural areas of Kaeng Krachan, Ban Mae Kamei School welcomed us with warmth and excitement. Twenty-five students took part in our interactive presentation, which introduced them to key conservation themes in a fun and engaging way.

The children were wonderfully enthusiastic, eager to join in with activities and discussions, and gave us excellent feedback afterwards. Even without a sanctuary tour, it was clear that the session had a lasting impact, leaving the students inspired to protect Thailand’s wildlife.

Ban Yang Nam Klat Tai School

Ban Yang Nam Klad Tai School, located in one of the most remote corners of Kaeng Krachan, was another memorable visit. We were greeted by Principal Natakorn and forty-three students, whose smiles and energy set the tone for a fantastic day.

The children joined in enthusiastically with the games and quizzes, and the feedback showed that everyone learned a lot while having fun at the same time. Although this school did not visit the sanctuary, the session created a strong connection with the students and encouraged them to think positively about their role in wildlife conservation.

Nongchokwittaya School

At Nongchokwittaya School, teachers T. Lyn and T. Waraporn welcomed us to an energetic group of one hundred students. Right from the start, their smiles, warmth and enthusiasm made the day a joy for our team.

After the interactive presentation, fifty-six of the students visited WFFT for a guided sanctuary tour. Seeing the rescued animals up close left a lasting impression, reinforcing the lessons from the classroom and building a strong sense of empathy and responsibility towards wildlife. The students’ cheerful spirit and eagerness to learn made this a particularly special stop on our programme.

Padengwittaya School

We were especially excited to visit Pa Deng Wittaya School in Pa La-U – an area renowned for its incredible wildlife, including wild elephants. With Principal Siriya and Deputy Principal Radawadee welcoming us, eighty students joined a lively and engaging session.

This was a unique opportunity to talk about wildlife protection in a place where human-animal encounters are a part of daily life. The students were full of energy, asked great questions, and gave us very positive feedback. Some even expressed an interest in visiting WFFT as volunteers in the future – proof of just how inspiring the experience was for them.