A sustainable model

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?

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…