PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN, 10 January 2014His Majesty the King on January 9 visited the Sirinart Rajini mangrove ecological system learning center in Pranburi District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province.
The center is part of a reforestation project covering one million rai of land launched in celebration of the 50th anniversary of HM the King’s accession to the Throne in 2002. When the project was presented to him in that year, His Majesty asked officials concerned to make sure that people would benefit from the reforestation project. Following the royal advice, government units concerned and the private sector joined hands to develop the project area into a learning center on mangrove forests.
In his visit to the center on Thursday (Jan 9), His Majesty travelled along the 600-metre-long study trek to observe how much mangrove trees including the one he grew 11 years ago had grown. An evaluation by the center showed that this mangrove forest is able to absorb 7,000 tons of carbondioxide per year and at the same time releases 5,100 tons of oxygen annually.
His Majesty also visited an exhibition zone displaying native fishing tools and information about shrimp farms developed on deteriorated forest land. His Majesty also stopped at a pier to release nine giant mud crabs.
The learning center represented an integrated effort among government units, people, schools and temples which have jointly managed the center until it achieves a concrete success in promoting public awareness in natural conservation for the community’s common interest.
Before his return to Klai Kangwon Palace, His Majesty the King gave moral support to officials working in the project and asked them to continue protecting watershed areas and mangrove forests as habitats for animals.
