Over a decade ago, Aracha Boon-Long embarked on her first journey to Doi Luang Chiang Dao. No signal. Silence. Sometimes, the forest made strange sounds at night. Only when she made it to the summit, a herd of gorals appeared and lay down basking in the first daylight. It is the moment when life begins. She thought to herself how small she is in the face of nature. What could she do to protect her home?
Doi Luang Chiang Dao. (Photo: Doi Chiang Dao Biosphere)
Since then, Aracha has volunteered for many environmental campaigns at her own expense. When an idea was floated to install a cable car ride to Doi Luang Chiang Dao, her local conservation group used social media to encourage the public to share personal experiences and join activities to raise environmental awareness. Following a large fire in 2019, the group helped officials raise funds for recovery.
Doi Luang Chiang Dao was closed for two years. In September 2021, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization added it to the list of biosphere reserves for its biological diversity, especially sub-alpine vegetation and endemic species. Aracha took part in a documentary project by Nadao Bangkok to change attitudes towards nature.
This limestone mountain is open to visitors for three months each year. Basically, it consists of three layers. In the transition space, community residents are allowed to settle on the margin. In the buffer zone, the forest is uninhabited. The core area, meanwhile, is used for research only. Because it is a wildlife sanctuary, not a national park, visitors are those who are eager to learn about nature. As a result, they must register and have a day's training prior to the field trip.
A new tool is the outcome of Aracha's decade-long dedication to the environment. Last year, the National Innovation Agency offered competitive social innovation grants. Aracha pitched the idea of using an offline app to guide educational visitors to deepen their understanding of biological diversity. They are required to download it onto devices in advance. By scanning QR codes, they can learn about nature along the route.
"Staff helped me understand how vulnerable and significant this place is. The offline app is not new, but innovative in the sense that it can change an attitude from a 'conqueror' to a 'guardian' of nature," she said.
Aracha is now a special lecturer and creative Lanna innovation co-ordinator at Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Architecture.
Doi Chiang Dao Biosphere app features a route including 28 QR code points. Visitors who collect 20 points are entitled to discounts from community shops. They can also send an SOS for assistance in a few designated areas. As of now, there are 6,000 users per year.
The app is a collaboration between four stakeholders -- Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary, Deco Moda Studio, Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Architecture and Faculty of Fine Arts, and We Love Doi Luang Chiang Dao. It is one of the 14 selected candidates from 200 participants in NIA's seed funding programme for innovation.
Aracha said the "conqueror" is so committed to exceeding their capacity and reaching the summit they do not pay attention to the natural world. On the other hand, the "guardian" mindset grows out of real experience and appreciation of the natural world. This technology can help visitors understand nature at their own pace. For example, they will be able to enjoy the sight of blooms in October.
"For the conqueror, it is a race against time. Normally, the journey takes 4-6 hours, but the conqueror reaches the summit only in three hours at the cost of not seeing anything along the way. With a signal over there, he or she posts a photo on social media. But do you see any flowers or animals other than yourself?" she said. "A journey is both external and internal. It is also spiritual growth. Your life can be encapsulated by the 9km trail."
Aracha wants to implement her brainchild in four other biosphere reserves in Thailand. Meanwhile, she is preparing to pitch a similar idea to NIA. A new application will be used at Doi Suthep, which is located in the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. This sanctuary is part of Mae Sa-Kog Ma Biosphere Reserve, which is known for its abundant ecosystem and watershed.
"The application is innovative in terms of how it is trying to change the mindset. Minimise your impact on nature. Don't forget to bring out everything you bring in. Stories are the journey itself, not the destination. I encourage those interested to adopt or turn it into a business model to change people's approach to nature for its sustainability," she said.
Visit the website doichiangdaobiosphere.com.
The Doi Chiang Dao Biosphere app. (Photo: Doi Chiang Dao Biosphere).
Aracha Boon-Long. (Photo: Thana Boonlert)
This article is part of a 20-part series that explores what it takes to create and secure a sustainable future. In collaboration with UOB. You can view the whole series here.
