TERAC – Thailand’s Environmental Reptiles and Amphibians Committee is a Senior team dedicated to improving the lives of and raising awareness about the native amphibians and reptiles in Thailand. Did you know, “herp” is the word used to call a reptile or amphibian? We aim to educate children and those interested in herps in Thailand about the ecological roles they have and the environmental benefits they serve, as well as to encourage conservation of species at risk of endangerment or extinction. Looking ahead, we plan to donate and further engage with the school community to bring our aims to fruition. 

So far this year, our team has organised a stall where we shared our passion for amphibians and reptiles with the rest of the school. We ran a range of fun, interactive activities, including a drawing wall where anyone could doodle freely, “Guess the Reptile,” and an amphibian-vs-reptile identification game where students distinguished between two species. This allowed them to test their knowledge, whilst learning more about herps along the way. We hosted these activities on both Thursday and Friday, and they were very well-received. Lots of students joined in and enjoyed winning small prizes, such as keychains and sweets. As a new senior team, this was an important opportunity for us to build awareness, attract an audience, and encourage more students to participate and get involved with TERAC.

Looking forward into the future, we plan to strengthen our impact and achieve our aims by partnering with a charity to raise funds, expanding our team and electing board members to help with upcoming projects. As TERAC continues to grow, we are hoping to organise a herp watching trip, so keep an eye out! Throughout these steps, TERAC will continue to build momentum in conservation, education and community engagement, ensuring that our mission to protect Thailand’s native amphibians and reptiles becomes even more impactful.