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GOING GREEN 

Every Saturday Nick Anthony hosts a radio show on 89.5FM from 3-5PM with the text available here. Listen live also online at http://www.phuketliveradio.com hit play on media player and if on an apple you need to also press the play button... enjoy. 

http://www.myseek.org/news-and-events/this-weeks-going-green-radio-show/

 missed the show... listen on playback...

http://www.phuketliveradio.com/interview/index

 

CLEAN PHUKET

In Honour of retiring Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha, a massive Phuket Green Island event was organised to clean reefs and beaches on 30th Sept and 1st Oct and to keep the campaign going through high season.

Governor Tri has been on Phuket for over a year and in a short period of time been one of the Andaman regions most progressive leaders, recognising the value of her crystal clear seas, world class diving, lush green mountains and the large protected natural areas.

Governor Tri steered Phuket in a short time away from the brink of collapse from exploitation and pollution and leaves our Island in the hands of residents who recognise they are stewards for future generations and support the islands Phuket Green Island campaign. Without clean seas, clean beaches &  healthy communities our future is uncertain.

Governor Tri setup a Green committee in 2011 and has been pushing ahead with a long term sustainability plan with the support of SEEK that will be a roadmap for the future.

In honour of Governor Tri’s work and commitment to Phuket the world’s largest dive clean up called “Dive against Debris” with over 500 registered divers took place on Sunday 30th September at Koh Racha and Phi Phi, plus an Island wide beach clean-up “Beaches against Debris “on Monday October 1st in over 20 locations with almost all beaches involved in a spring clean after last weeks big storm.

Big turnouts on Mai Khao, Nai Yang, Layan Beach, Bangtao Beach, Surin  Beach, Patong and at Kata and Karon had fun in making the beaches and surrounding areas spotless.

 

Kamala Beach has mobilized on facebook with SEEK to run the kamala green campaign on facebook with regular, co-ordinated cleanups leaving kamala about the best its ever been. Roadside cleaning twice a month when the Or Bor Tor cuts the grass is helping reduce the amount of litter on the beaches and has dramatically cut plastic bags. Much of the debris collected is fishing fleet waste, nets, rope, bulbs, red bull bottles and floats.

 

 A big tropical storm, “Gaemi” is expected this weekend, which means beaches will need another clean towards the end of next week. Keep the momentum going as high season is around the corner, with her easterly winds and clean beaches.

 

Involvement from Phuket’s schools, hotels, charitable organizations, the construction industry and local government will help to ready Phuket for the coming high season. The goal is to create an ongoing beach management model like Kamala Green (see facebook) a public and private sector partnership. Please contact SEEK (www.myseek.org) for module details.

The local Governments Phuket Green Island campaign educates residents, hotels, small businesses and tourists about the Andaman Seas’ fragile eco-system and the impact that we have on its flora, fauna and marine reserves, spreading positive messages about Phuket to the world.

In 2013 we are hopeful that island wide curb side recycling, sustainability education for local schools, local composting support and fishing as well as boating education will be implemented supporting the fishing and boating campaign.

Data collection of what is collected will be summarized and given to the International Coastal Cleanup NGO that tracks data on how much trash is coming out of the oceans.

Beach Clean Data Card

icc data Click this link to download a marine debris report card to be filled out.

TRASH TO TREASURE

All fishing rope and marine debris (nets, traps, floats, string and bulbs) will be separated and an art piece made by John Underwood.

Phukets dolphins, turtles, fishes and dugongs thank you for helping to keep the ocean clean.

                                   

Keep Phuket Clean Location Schedule

Scheduled start is 4:00 PM on Thursday, November 1st 2012 unless otherwise stated.

Low tide is 4pm to 6pm.

Meeting locations with * indicate staffed meeting point

Rubbish collection by Or Bor Tor at 6pm

Bring your own gloves and rubbish bags. Hotels will also provide extra.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate the event will take place the following day on October 2nd

Locations and organisers indicted in BOLD

  

Mai Khao Beach Zone 1:          meet at the park area between Sala Phuket and JW Marriott

Mai Khao Beach Zone 2:          meet on West Sands North boundary West Sands

Nai Yang Beach:                      meet in front of DEWA

Naithon Beach:                        meet at middle of beach Malaiwana

Layan Beach:                           meet at National Park hut Trisara and Phuket Marbella

Bangtao Beach Zone 1            meet at Reggae Bar CBRE

Bangtao Beach Zone 2             Laguna Boundary near LOTUS seafood 

Bangtao Beach Zone 3            Meet at Best Western

Bangtao Beach, Zone 4           South end klong, meet at Amancruise area AMAN

Surin Beach                             meet at main car park AYARA Surin

Laem Sing Beach                    meet at ALIs

Kamala Beach Zone 1              meet at small bridge PARESA

Kamala Beach Zone 2              meet at Tsunami memorial ANDARA

Kamala Beach, Zone 3             meet in front Temple area CAPE SIENNA

Kalim Beach                            meet at bridge 

Patong Beach, Zone 1             meet in front La Flora

Patong City, Zone 2                 meet in front Holiday Inn

Patong City, Zone 3                 meet at Millennium Hotel

Karon Beach, Zone 1               meet at car park north of roundabout

Karon Beach, Zone 2                meet in front Moevenpick

Karon Beach, Zone 3                meet in front HILTON

Kata Beach, Zone 1                 meet in front of Club Med North End

Kata Beach:                             meet in front of The Boathouse

Nai Harn Beach:                      General beach clean

Rawai Beach:                          General beach clean

The Aquarium:                         General beach clean PMBC

Cape Panwa:                           Cape Panwa

Chalong Beach:                       Chalong Pier Kan Eang restaurant

Phuket Town:                           Soi Romanee,

Ao Yon:                                   Coral Seekers

Koh Sirey:                               Westin Resort

Royal Phuket Marina:               Meet at Les Anges

Boat Lagoon:                           Meet at Watermark Bakery

Ao Po Marina:                          Meet at marina Office

Yacht Haven:                           Meet at marina office

 

Dive Against Debris Cleanup: Similans Island Mid Oct.. date to be announced

Phuket businesses interested in joining the “Dive Against Debris” are invited to contact any local PADI dive center, or Tony Andrews, Regional Manager of PADI, at tony.andrews@padi.com.au

 

For further info, media enquiries or regarding the cleanup or SEEK, please contact K Nok, also send her photos and contact to arrange art debris pick up.                                      

Kanokwan Homcha-aim, SEEK Coordinator                                                                  

Tel:      +66 873 705 7070                                                                    

Email:   kanokwan@myseek.org

 

SEEK is a organisation setup to work with the local community, the local Phuket government, the private sector and residents of Phuket to communicate and lobby to keep Phuket a leading sustainable destination for the future.

Our aim is to aid Phuket's sustainability, coordinate and communicate on issues such as waste management, water management, - social and economic development and education initiatives.

SEEK Mission

 An active focused coalition dedicated to synergizing the promotion, support, and implementation of initiatives focused on developing sustainable awareness and actions in order for the Phuket community to flourish long term

  • To enhance the lives of individuals

  • To support the growth of local communities

  • To rebuild the environment

  • To help corporations perform in line with their values & passion

  • To offer a support structure for Phuket Green Government

  • To build relationships between the government, NGO and private sectors

  • To connect cultures and people

SEEK Phuket Concept
SEEK Phuket will work as a platform / service to create links between the government, private sector and NGO's to develop sharing and collaboration environment, enhancing communication, developing relationships and offering support to projects enabling the community to flourish.
To develop SEEK as a tool for the greater Phuket community to utilize and impact the island, sharing environmental issues and indicatives through a targeted website, brochure, accreditation and membership program offering advice and support to the local community.
SEEK Compass Sustainability
Education that empowers you to take action
Our actions influence the world around us so in order to truly create a sustainable environment we need to examine the systems that our world is made up of. 
We have adopted a powerful and practical tool called "The Compass of Sustainability" created by the Atkisson group and our thanks to them for allowing SEEK to work with Phuket using this model that is used in schools.
North / Nature: The natural systems that life depends
East / Economy: The economic systems that provide goods, services, and meaningful work
South / Society: The social and cultural systems that provide cohesion, identity, security, and freedom
West / Wellbeing: Health, happiness, and quality of life for individual people and their families.

 

About SEEK: What We Do

We are a coalition of Global Citizens working together to help find synergies and solutions to the problems faced by Phuket as it grows as a tourist destination and sustainable community. A non profit

We identify and promote existing projects, celebrate positive work and support and award them, develop new initiatives and projects to share with the greater Phuket community.

Phuket is a destination we feel passionate about for sustainable living. We aim to eventually offer SEEK Phuket programs throughout Asia and can integrate our networking to any existing environment wanting to make a difference.

Everyone experiencing SEEK is there for a purpose, they are in touch with the environment, they integrate communities, they participate in community projects, they reflect on their own experiences, they feel passionate about their commitment to make a difference to the lives of others and their own.

SEEK Tools   
Eco Directory:  An extensive list / data base of relevant business and services related to the environment and Phuket
Web Site: This website is highly interactive  that should be visited frequently to find out about what is going on in Phuket with the environment.
Links to projects, services, advertising by eco businesses, weather reports, environmental news from Phuket and around the planet.
Media campaigns:  A dedicated "Litter Bug" campaign to keep Phuket clean and green with the TAT as principal sponsor. High level media including billboards, TV ads, radio slots, road show etc. Eventually a movie about Phukets' environment
Accreditation:  SEEK Phuket Standards and membership. Visit all local business and offer them SEEK Phuket, sing them up so we can help them improve their impact on the environment. Offering simple standard to comply by and logo to use for branding
Children's Books: Princess Sausage, Tommy the Turtle and more to come, a great way to tell the story of our natural wildlife and the impact of the tourism on their lives
Awards Ceremony: A yearly SEEK Phuket Awards Ceremony, high profile ceremony to reward successes and efforts by people over the past year, best project, new project, most improve.
Education seminars: Targeted trainings for different groups on SEEK Modules to help further awareness and education. All projects to have modulated standards to maintain quality and strictly adhered to.
Forum & Expo: Yearly high profile 3 day event comprising of Government, NGO and Private sectors. Learning and sharing of information, meetings to agree on Phukets future, workshops, EXPO of relevant goods and businesses, SEEK Awards Dinner
Synergy Explorer:  Visiting schools and corporate programming to support community initiatives developed by SEEK Phuket, an action arm.
Art fair: Eco Arts fair and competitions with the first fair co-inciding with the July Eco Festival
Our Working Style
We work and meet at various locations that reflect a strong educational and sustainability experience or initiatives.
We work with Government, Non Government Organizations, Private Sector, School groups, Communities Corporations and any other group striving to build the relationship between themselves, nature, communities and the environment.
We are positive and flexible in our dealings with all of our partners and persons, working from a solid foundation of ethics and morals for the community of Phuket and the better of the global community, A transparent organization offering support in a timely and ethical manner
What we want to Create
We want to create an easy access sharing platform / service for local, regional and international participants where the information and projects impact globally. A simple resource for people to refer to when they have a question about the future or environment of Phuket, or that want to share experiences and potentially help us on our mission.
What we stand for
We represent the planet and the people that live on it. SEEK Phuket is here to support good action and try to promote this to others while helping more challenging situations. Developing a SEEK Phuket membership base and solid stakeholders to share our vision and help save Phuket is essential to be able to serve the island in the best way we can long term.
SEEK Projects
Specific, targeted, measurable
- Introduce the plastic bag ban throughout the Phuket retail sector December 5th 2011
- SEEK is working with the Phuket Governor on eliminating free plastic bags around the island in the first step of an island wide waste management strategy change
- Mai Khao Organic Garden (Organic Vegetable, Organic Fertilizer)
- Phuket "Litter Bug" campaign with the Government and TAT
- Introduce curb side recycling in a systematic manner throughout Phuket, first trial licked off in Phuket town during August
- Provide education and incentives for all fishing boat crews, and recycling facilities at all harbors with initiation started with a fleet owner with 120 boats.
- Increased support of broad clean-up activities supported by hotels, dive operators, etc. Kamala & Nai Yang pilot projects confirm private sector sponsorship through end 2012
- Promote Coral Rejuvenation project and mangrove initiatives
- Develop Sustainability plan for The Andaman Coastal Region 2011 to 2025 in January 2012 at Thanyapura with Phuket Governor.
- Work with the tour companies to increase awareness and improve their impact on the environment
- SEEK Phuket Outdoor Education Center at PIA
- Teach CEB to local community
SEEK Governance
  • Founding members' Weekly Meeting: To keep momentum moving forward and align the team's efforts, no written agenda, potential summary needed. 
  • Monthly SEEK Phuket Coalition Meeting: Updates on what we have been doing as a group and plan our next month accordingly, share experiences in an open forum where every idea is a good idea.
  • Bi Monthly Project Meeting: Alignment and coordination of initiatives, people from SEEK coalition bring in contact and project to present 

 

SEEK Programs
SEEK Phuket is also designed for offering experiences to companies, schools or government agencies who want to embrace Social Responsibility principles, we can guide them to help our projects.
By going out there and experiencing nature and the environment, and interacting with local communities, team members will walk away with a greater understanding of their impact on the environment and the values that bind communities and make the connection with their personal culture and goals.
SEEK Phukets' action arm is Synergy Explorer, operated by SEEK Phuket co-founder Sean Panton
SEEK Phuket Wellness is designed to awaken the spirit and help you find your own balance unique to you. It is a combination of physical, mental, and emotional connectedness and has a very strong energy focus. Participants walk away feeling invigorated, connected, stronger within and clarity of what they need to do to maintain a healthy and well state of mind body and spirit through engaging in active community based work and tasks.
 
SEEK Inaugural Andaman Coastal Forum: Building an island sustainability plan
"Sea, Sand & Sustainability / Seeking a Sustainable Phuket"
Thailand has a coastline of almost 3,000 km (one third along the Andaman Sea Coast and two-thirds along the Gulf of Thailand Coast) and an EEZ of around 360,000 km2. Throughout the entire coastline, in-shore shallow water fisheries provide important food security and income for local small-scale fishers. Marine capture fisheries within the EEZ and coastal aquac ulture together generate around $3 billion income/year.
Mangrove cover declined from 2 million rai in the mid-70s to 1 million rai in the mid- 90s, but has since recovered to 1.5 million rai. Phang-nga, Krabi, trang and Satun account for almost two-thirds of remaining mangroves, while Chantaburi and Trat have the most remaining mangroves on the Gulf side. Coral reefs and sea grass beds on the Andaman coast are generally more abundant and in better condition than on the Gulf coast. There are a total of 23 coastal/marine protected areas in Thailand, but together they represent only a very small proportion of Thailand's seas and coasts, while mangrove forests and inter-tidal mud-flats are vastly underrepresented in Thailand's protected areas system. Large parts of the coast are de-facto managed by local communities.
While their rights and responsibilities in this regard are enshrined in the Constitution, there is no law passed to recognize, permit and control community-based management of mud-flats, coral reefs and sea-grass beds, etc. In large islands including Phuket, Samui and Chang, tourism is a major driver of the economy. For the last 40 years, the coastal zone has been the scene of severe conflicts between small scale fishermen and large commercial fishing businesses; and between local communities and investors in commercial prawn farms, tourism, and other development projects.
In many ways the tragedy of the 26 December 2004 Tsunami spurred a renewed interest in Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) and rehabilitation of coastal ecosystems from sustainable livelihoods and disaster risk reduction. More recent (and still growing) concerns about the effects of climate change in the coastal zone, are helping to maintain that momentum.
The Thailand Coastal Forum was an opportunity to share and exchange experiences and lessons learned from a variety of recent initiatives, programmes and activities in the coastal zone – both in community-based resource management; sustainable fisheries and aquaculture (including certification) marine protected areas; marine tourism; climate change adaptation and disaster risk management. It will identify workable solutions to pressing problems in the coastal zone; help to identify gaps that need to be filled; and prioritize issues for capacity-building, institutional development and legal/policy reform. A policy and action based document will be released with local Government in Q1 2013 with support of IUCN, Atkisson Group, The Thai Environment Institute (TEI) plus a wide range of NGOs, private companies and interested individuals.

See News & Events section

http://www.myseek.org/news-and-events/seek-eco-festival-august-2012/

 

 

SEEK News

Seek Events

SEEK a sustainable Phuket, Friday August 24th 2012