Field Trip on the Tonle Sap

The best way to make education come alive is through experience, which is why we’re making sure that secondary school students in Chanleas Dai have the opportunity not just to read about Cambodia and its environment, but also to SEE and FEEL it. Last week, all of Chanleas Dai’s 9th grade students joined our team for an environmental lesson about the Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and an essential part of the livelihoods of many Cambodians. Often referred to as “the heartbeat of Cambodia,” the lake is the source of nearly half of all the fish captured in Cambodia – an estimated 8% of the country’s population relies directly on the Tonle Sap for their livelihoods.
Though their homes are only 75 kilometers from it, most students had never seen the Tonle Sap until this weekend, when PEPY joined the Sam Veasna Center to offer students a tour of the environmental reserve, Prek Toal. As the group took boats across the lake to the reserve, they learned from guides about endangered birds, mangrove forests, the 130 species of fish inhabiting the lake, and the precarious livelihood of those who make their homes on the floating villages of the Tonle Sap.
To see pictures of the students’ trip, check out our pictures on Facebook. Stay tuned next month for news from the upcoming 7th and 8th grade field trips as we help making learning come alive for students!