Thailand’s living floral heritage takes root in a park of rare and ancient trees

Thailand’s living floral heritage takes root in a park of rare and ancient trees

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — During the second half of the 20th century, Thailand’s forest cover plummeted from around 50% to 25% due to urbanization and rapid economic development. Although legislation such as the Community Forest Act of 2019 has helped to slow the rate of deforestation by empowering those who live in the forest, the demands of economic growth continue to take priority over protecting the country’s environment, pushing several plant …