THE BIG DAM EXPERIMENT
Now that the tanks by the school are full of frogs and fish, project volunteers wanted to try something new, deep in the nearby forest. There's a stream there that could support fish if it could hold water throught he dry season. These workers, mostly from the fisheries department at Maejo University, think they can build a dam that will create a good size, year-round fish pond, surrounded by lush foliage. If it works, the pond will supplement the villagers' diet, and also serve as a demonstration project for other villages to try on their own. All the projects at Mae Vak are a collaboration of villagers, elders, volunteers, and project coordinators. This project's cost was all free labor and materials costs were close to zero. Three streams converge at an ideal spot in the forest. The student volunteers filled bags and hauled logs to build the dam before the rainy season. Villagers and students alike hope the big rains will create the