Archived Outdoors

Training program partners Smokies and Southeast Asian parks

out asia parkCambodia and Thailand might be on the other side of the world from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but they deal with similar resource issues — including plant and wildlife poaching — so the Smokies is reaching out to provide a week of training to 10 female park officials from those southeast Asia countries. 

 

Rangers are leading hands-on field activities, including crime scene processing, and teams will be learning field investigative techniques and incident management coordination.

“We are honored to host park leaders from Thailand and Cambodia not only to teach skills, but also to learn from them,” said Smokies Acting Superintendent Clay Jordan. “This is a unique opportunity to exchange information and ideas to help us all to be better stewards of these special places entrusted to us.”

The training is held in partnership with the State Department Global Women’s Issues Office, the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation and ranger instructors from the National Park Service Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia. 

The entities have been working together since 2007 through sister park initiatives, including training for women in environmental leadership positions in southeast Asia.

“The United States NPS has the knowledge, skills, and the rangers to teach and mentor these women to become leaders, and not just followers, in protecting our future,” said Stephan Bognar, Chief Executive Officer of the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.