Forests are the foundation of our ecosystem. They are the source of fresh air, food, water and the home of wild animals. But in the past 50 years, large swathes of Thailand’s forests have been destroyed, resulting in increasingly severe and frequent natural disasters and climate change. Therefore, forest restoration is an urgent issue that requires immediate mobilization and collaboration among all sectors so that our children and grandchildren may have food to eat, resources to use, clean air to breathe, and a safe home to live.

The most important factor to success in forest and environmental restoration is community participation, whether local villages, temples, or schools, because communities are the pillars of a society, which, like the trunks of trees, nourish their branches, flowers, and leaves and stand firm amid rainstorms and gales. The Rajapruek Foundation’s Community Development projects are activities that communities initiate and implement on their own with the foundation’s continued support.

Ecotourism offers an accessible and fun way to connect with nature and an opportunity for families and friends to engage in social activities together, resulting in a positive impression of environmental conservation. Ecotourism is, therefore, another channel through which the Foundation can branch out and expand environmental awareness in Thai society.

Youth are the seeds by which we can cultivate an environmentally sustainable future. The Rajapruek Institute Foundation has always adhered to the principle of “building forests by building people,” organizing youth leadership development projects alongside fun, challenging, and hands-on forest restoration activities in the hopes that the younger generation will discover the value of nature firsthand and continue to love and cherish it in the future.