American Schoolkids to the Rescue!

An endangered baby elephant may soon be off the streets of Bangkok, Thailand thanks to some compassionate second-graders at Upper Blue Elementary School.

The students raised $2,000 this semester and hit their goal Wednesday — less than a week shy of the last day of school.

They announced their success through a video teleconference Friday with Lek Chailert, founder of Chiang Mai's Elephant Nature Park.

“I would like to give you a big hug,” Chailert said. “I wish you all could come and visit us some day.”

The time in Thailand’s Chiang Mai province is 13 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time, so she was leaving work as the students began their school day.

Chailert said she plans to purchase a baby elephant and lead it into a truck with bananas for an eight-hour ride back to the nature park. She plans to take the elephant’s mother along, too.

The population of Thailand’s Asian elephants has been in decline since the country banned logging in 1989. Many of the giant animals walk the streets of large cities, earning money for beggars. Often, the beggars sell people a $1 banana to feed the elephants.

The nature park purchases the animals and provides a safe, more natural environment for them. Some 34 are living in the park today, Chailert said.

The kids decided to help save an elephant while learning about peacemaking through International Baccalaureate curriculum in Ellie Coakley and Cheri Fisk’s classes. Lisa Ferguson, a para-professional at the school, had told the classes about her trip to the nature park.

Funds were raised through hand-decorated coin jars placed in businesses across Summit County, as well as other student activities.

Fisk said about $800 was raised through an event when the kids stayed late after school and their parents made donations. She said the participation was impressive, with everyone in her class and nearly all of the other class participating.

The students participating in Friday’s teleconference greeted Chailert with “sawadeeka,” a greeting in Thai. The face-to-face gave students a chance to ask such questions as “How many babies are at the elephant park?”

Chailert said there are seven calves. A boy was born last week and a girl was born last month.

“We have two baby ones now in the park — so cute,” she said.

Before the conference ended, Chailert held up a couple of cats for the children to see from the other side of the planet.

Source: Summit Daily News - Breckenridge, Colorada, USA - 31st May 2009