2:30PM 15th March 2006, Kong Rey Mountain- Instead of studying the Dhamar or doing sermon in pagoda, many monks were rushing to the forest near by Kiri Pheakdey pagoda in order to put out the forest fire. This fire had been started since 2:00PM. Until 7:30PM that the fire was put out.

Kratie, Cambodia- A forum on Fishery Resource Management and Tree Ordination was conducted in Ruseykeo Pagoda, Ruseykeo village, Ruseykeo commune, Prekprasap district, Kratie province on 5th March 2006. There are around 300 participants coming from different stakeholders - KAFDOC staffs, ABE staffs, ActionAid staffs coming from 5 countries, local authorities, and villagers.

On 1st February 2006, the Association of Buddhists for the Environment (ABE) launched its Environmental Education Through Pagodas Project. The ceremony took place in Kiripheakdey pagoda in Pur commune, Kompong Leng disctrict, KompongChnang province. About 120 participants including local villagers, pagoda committees, monk district governor, and commune and district level authorities and ABE staff attended the ceremony.

On 10-12 February 2006, Venerable Hiek Sopheap, Executive Director of the Association of Buddhists for the Environment (ABE), attended the International Conference on “Buddhism in Asia: Challenges and Prospects”, organized by the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi, India.

Cambodia is one of the countries which is full of natural resources especially the forest. Forest provides lots of benefits to Cambodian people especially the local people who mainly depend on those resources. Because of the limited control over the deforestation and the large area of the forest covered in Cambodia, forest is faced with deforestation. Therefore, the government tries to encourage the establishment of the community forestry in Cambodia, so that the forest will last for long time.

The executive director of the Association of Buddhist for the Environment (ABE) Venerable Hiek Sopheap had a private visit with His Holiness Dalai Lama during an international conference in Sarnath, Varanasi, India on 10-12, February 2006.

The Association of Buddhists for the Environment is producing a 15-20 minute video on Buddhism and the Role of Monks and Pagodas in Community Forestry in Cambodia.

Monks and villagers celebrated “The Forestry Day or Tree Planting Ceremony” in Chrang Chaot Community Forestry, Kampongkor commune, Prek Prasob district, Kratie province.