Authors : Suchart Burirat, Penkae Thamsenamupop and Sonton Kounbuntoam
Abstract: The main purpose of the qualitative dissertation was to study local wisdom in management of the community forest in Ban Nong Hua Khon, Tambon Nong Muen Than, At Samat District, Roi-Et Province. The target group population was 90, including 36 local learned persons and 60 community forest users, derived through a purposive selection. The instruments used for collecting the data were the interview, participative and non-participative observation and documentary review. The data analyses were deduction and classification methods. The research findings revealed that the villages of Ban Nong Hua Khon in both villages, Moo 6 and Moo 15 used local wisdom in using community forest resources beneficially and worthwhilely by emphasizing the a cummutative local wisdom of the accepters. These included tending cattls in the community forest and collecting mushrooms, insects red ant eggs, krajiaw flowers, dry wood sap and herbs. This yielded the mutual and supportive plant ecological systems forming the balanced and sustained ecology. In addition there were conventional wisdom, beliefs, observation of Lord Buddha’s Teachings in self-independence and mutual dependency and maintenance of harmony between humans and humans and humans and environment. The finding also revealed that there was selection of natural resources for economically beneficial and worthwhile use in eating, living, healing and in conservation for future generations. The villages of Ban Nong Hua Khon had the model in management through the forest management processes of the Villager Voluntary Group on forest Protection (VVGGEP). The group was naturally formed up for group living and rather highly supporting the community and society and there was the senior citizen group with beliefs and transfer of knowledge in forest management to youths. Nevertheless, even through community forest management practices were not fully carried out, the community forest of Ban Nong Hua Khon would still exist as the heritage for future generations up to the present.
Suchart Burirat, Penkae Thamsenamupop and Sonton Kounbuntoam, 2010. A Study of Local Wisdom in Management of the Community Forest in Ban Nong Hua Khon, Tambon Nong Muen Than, At Samat District, Roi-Et Province. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 7: 123-128.