An average of 70,000 rais of Naan forestland disappears every year. That is equivalent to 190 rais per day. Popular media blames the locals, corporations, and local government for burning the forest to make room for their farmland of natural rubber and maize. But what is really happening? Is it possible that we are all a part of the problem?

Seeing the complexity of the problem, we worked with Mae Fah Luang Foundation to design a program to bring “Influencers, Storyteller and Changemaker” into the heart of Naan, where corn fields deplete the majority of the land. In a form of a hiking trip through the deforested farmland and local villages, participants listened to the stories of the locals and uncover for themselves the complexity of the problems behind the headlines.

After the trip, there were various spin-off projects initiated by the participants to help further communicate the problems to the public. Many are still ongoing today. This trip has proved that authentic stories really have the power to inspire actions, and ignite change.