ECN Staff and Volunteers
Belinda Stewart-Cox
Director
Belinda is an experienced conservation project manager and field researcher with special interests in human-wildlife conflict, ecotourism, community-based conservation, and local NGO development, arising from 17-years of multidisciplinary research, training, project planning and implementation in Asia (primarily Thailand), and Kenya. A skilful communicator with strong facilitation skills, good writing ability, a ready rapport with people from all spheres of life, and experience in publishing and TV production.
Jittin Ritthirat
Founding Manager
A native of the rural hinterland of Nakhon Si Thammarat peninsula, Thailand, with six years experience working with rural communities in tourism development and nature conservation, preceded by fourteen years as a feature writer focusing on social, cultural, and environmental themes. A keen interest in nature, travel, cultural traditions, and rural communities has guided her career path.
Sineenat Amnuay (Pack)
HEC Research Coordinator
Pack's interest in conservation may have been instilled by her parents, who helped start a successful community-based tourism initiative in a long-established Kanchanaburi village, near ECN's target area. After Pack completed her bachelor's degree in chemistry at Kanchanaburi Rajabhat University, she joined On-Green Produces as a Quality Control Manager. But her cheerful, easygoing personality, and love of the forest, particularly hiking to mountains and waterfalls, eventually led her to ECN.
At ECN Pack is a research coordinator, focusing on human-elephant conflict (HEC). Her main priorities include data collection, follow up, and monitoring of elephant raiding in agricultural areas, crop-protection trials, and of cultivation changes in affected HEC villages.
Sirichai Chang-nga (Bee)
Field Officer
Bee is a graduate of Thepmongkolrangsi high school in Kanchanaburi. At ECN, he collects wild elephant crop-raiding data in the Tambon Tha Kradan and Tambon Dan Mae Chaleab areas, while also maintaining the fence used in crop protection trials.
Bee was introduced to ECN's work through the village chief and a member of the Tambon Administration Organization (TAO) from Thung Na and Koh Buk. He loves nature, and has enjoyed trekking ever since since he was very young. Through his youthful forest explorations, he acquired a wealth of knowledge about the ecosystem and the wild elephants that remain, making him quite suitable for his work. His local connections further advance his ability to work effectively, coordinating with villagers on surveys and data collection.
Saypin Hae-oo (Joy)
Data Collector
Joy was born and rasied in Kanchanaburi, and completed her bachelor's degree at Suan Dusit Rajabhat University. She is outgoing and loves nature, and when she learned of the problems facing wild elephants, she joined ECN as a data collector. Her job duties include visiting the villages around Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary to monitor the effects of crop raiding by wild elephants, as well as conducting surveys with affected villagers. In addition, she maintains a job as a night auditor at the Aekpailin River Kwai Hotel, keeping her days free to work with ECN.
Satit Khanacharoen (Mond)
Research Assistant
Mond grew up near ECN's project area in Kanchanaburi. He holds a Higher Vocational Certificate in Accounting from Rajamangala Suwannaphum University of Technology (Supanburi Campus) and a Bachelor's degree in finance from Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep. In addition to his studies, he joined several athletics teams, including badminton, volleyball, basketball, and football. His outgoing and social nature lent itself well to the work of ECN.
At ECN, Mond is conducting corridor forest surveys north of Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary and south of Srinakarin National Park. He also takes forest surveys inside Salakphra and neighboring villages, including thoroughly documenting all data which he has found. He particularly enjoys driving the "White Elephant" (ECN's 4WD Toyota off-road truck) through the forest, seeing new places, and learning valuable information about the experiences of the villages while performing surveys.
Pholkrit Pungnate (Krit)
IT and Technical Support
Krit provides ECN's technical support, and in addition to computers, he's interested in GPS monitoring and mapping (which is lucky for us!). Krit believes strongly in ECN's goal of mitigating human-elephant conflict, and is glad to be able to put his technical expertise to use in helping this cause.
When he's not busy behind a keyboard, Krit enjoys gardening and spending time with his two dogs.
Heidi Roesch
Ecologist
Heidi came to Thailand at the end of 2007 to work together with the dedicated ECN team running the forest and elephant ecology research project. Prior to joining ECN, Heidi was managing the Rhoko Research Center and eco-tourism lodge in the rainforests of south-western Nigeria. There she was working for the conservation NGO Cercopan together with the local community of Iko Esai towards sustainable forest management.
Heidi has five years of research experience including field research with the C.R.E.S. black rhino conservation project in South Africa and Namibia; elephant behavioural ecology in Zimbabwe through the University of Harare; tropical forest phenology and the behavioural ecology of mona guenons and red-capped mangabeys in Nigeria, as well as two years of research working for Massey University in New Zealand. She graduated in 2003 with an MSc investigating the role of olfactory communication in mate selection.
Erik Rogers
Webmaster and Communications Outreach
Erik's resume includes an MS degree in polymer chemistry, followed by a diverse list of fleeting careers, including corporate scientist, sales and marketing manager, and dot-com programmer. He finally found his stride with travel when he got a commercial drivers license and joined the legendary Green Tortoise Adventure Travel. During the low seasons he embarked on worldly explorations, venturing to Mexico, Europe, Peru, Nepal, Thailand, and Cambodia, often spending time living with villagers in home-stay situations and participating in community-development projects.
Erik developed a particular affinity for Southeast Asia. Following the tsunami of December 2004, he joined North Andaman Tsunami Relief as an English teacher, and spent ten months working with people from rural coastal fishing villages that had been devastated by the disaster. He returned to America and studied Thai culture and language at the University of California at Berkeley, and is now working with the ECN team in Kanchanaburi to develop outreach strategies.
Arunporn Sri-Ium (Tu)
Assistant Researcher
Tuu, a Kanachanaburi native, received her Bachelor's Degree in community development from Kanchanaburi Rajabhat University. Her principal duties with ECN are forest surveys and field maintenance in areas of Chalerm Rattanakosin National Park, Srinakarin National Park, and Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary. For these surveys she records elephant (and other wildlife) tracks, including dung, footprints, tree rubbings, and evidence of foraging, as well as evidence of logging and human encroachment in the park. This information will be used for the elephant corridor protection project to the north of WEFCOM, Thung Yai - Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. In the office, Tuu conducts data interpretation.
Natthinan Thammapui (Mam)
Assistant Coordinator/Project Assistant
Mam was born in Kanchanaburi, but grew up and studied in Bangkok. Despite her urban rearing, she loves nature, and never passes up an opportunity to venture into the forest. Before joining ECN, she worked for four years as a front officer in a hotel, in which she perfected her skills as a coordinator. Her main duty with ECN is coordinate with many organizations such as government office, village monitoring, community leaders, and also villagers. She has to deal with all villages which affected from crop raiding be wild elephant around Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary to collect data (about crop damage and raiding) for scientific research including giving feedback data and listen to villagers' problem (from raiding).
The work of ECN is not only mitigation of HEC but having other consequence results which is natural and wildlife conservation (decreasing regularly). This work makes her very proud that she can make advantage to her hometown.
Sasithorn Thampitak (Gib)
Research Assistant
Gib attended Kampangsan Wittaya School and Territorial Defense School, then completed her Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Ramkhamhaeng University. During her studies she developed an interest in agriculture, forestry, and wildlife conservation.
At ECN, Gib is working with the staff to conduct forest survey in Salakphra area, Rattanakosin National Park, and Srinakarin National Park to record all data using GPS, track forest routes, and assisting in the office.
Tidarach Toktang (Joy)
Biological Ecologist
Joy was born in Kanchanaburi but left to study Biology (Ecology), first at in Khon Khaen University where she earned her B.Sc., then persued an advanced degree at Chiang Mai University, where she completed an M.Sc. After several years working with FORRU (Forest Restoration Research Unit) at Chiang Mai University, she was ready to "go back home and understand more about my hometown." Joy joined ECN in July 2008, and is putting her skills to use in ECN's Forest Restoration Project. Joy enjoys to walking and working in the forest, especially watching birds. She's eager to explore Kanchanaburi's forests and to to good work for her hometown.