Research-based Volunteering

Introduction

All the efforts at VWB and Pang Soong Lodge Outdoor Education and Research Centre are dependent on ongoing research conducted by volunteers and academics alike.

Without research such as baseline studies of flora, fauna, community natural resource management, ecotourism, etc, it would be difficult to gauge the true impact the VWB initiative is having on the environment, community development and future generations. Given limited funding, VWB needs assistance accomplishing baseline studies and ongoing data collection/analysis.

VWB depends on volunteers/academics to both establish ongoing research projects/sites and maintain them. For example, when a water gauging station is set up in the stream that runs past the lodge by one volunteer/academic group, we will need others to collect ongoing data in order properly to organize and analyze it. Participating in this research can be mutually beneficial as it has the potential to provide new research sites and hands on information gathering for a diverse array of people.

The villagers need scientific validation of their ability to manage the community forest and protect the biodiversity and watersheds therein, if they are to win their long running campaign for those rights, and to stop the plunder of the forests by vested interest groups.

Research is often conducted by:

• Ecologists and social scientists in search of new field sites,
• Teachers from international schools interested in displaying hands on scientific data collection and analysis to their students,
• Retired professionals who are interested in pursuing research and information gathering related to their existing or newly developed skills, and
• Ecotourists interested in hands on learning.

* Please note that this list is by no means exhaustive. All are welcome to contact us with their research interests and we will be happy to match you with the right projects or in some cases help you set up a new one.

The remaining sections provide examples of the research possibilities in the village and forest. Additional suggestions are always welcomed and will be fully considered by the VWB team.