สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 47  Thawatchai Santisuk Her Majesty the Queen and the conservation of biological diversity On the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s 80th Birthday Anniversary in 2012, it is an appropriate time to mention an important role of Her Majesty the Queen in the nature conservation of the unique, picturesque wild fl ower fi elds or ‘Thung Dokmai Pa’ which are under threats from deforestation and urban development, especially in northeastern Thailand. A love of nature, forest, fl ora and fauna is deeply rooted in Her Majesty’s character. She is always fascinated by the wilderness of a forest landscape with a variety of colorful, sweet-scented wild fl owers. Her Majesty’s passion for fl owers and plants re fl ects an appreciation of and a deep concern for nature and biological resources that encompasses not just the pleasure of their aesthetic values, but also the need to care and nurture them. For the past 60 years Her Majesty the Queen has accompanied His Majesty the King on their innumerable visits to the local populace in rural areas, and thus witnessed the drastic changes in ecosystems as a consequence of the massive forest destruction and modi fi cation. Over fi ve decades, Her Majesty has long been dedicating herself to raise the welfare and livelihood of local villagers. She has also worked simultaneously on the conservation of natural resources and the environment. Whilst His Majesty focuses his attention on the development of water sources for agriculture, Her Majesty fi nds ways and means for the restoration of forest and watershed areas. Her Majesty is aware that deforestation will sooner or later bring hardship to local inhabitants. Hence, she has developed an idea to enable local villagers to live in harmony with forests. Her thorough understanding of nature and of the relationship between people and forests has given rise along this line to a vast array of royal initiatives in many areas across the country. Some examples include “ Forests Love Water”, “Little House in the Big Forest”, “Sirikit Reforestation” and “The Model Farm” projects. Her Majesty the Queen is a leading force not only in reforestation and sustainable forest management, but also in the conservation of native plants and other biological resources. She has promoted the conservation and breeding programs of some rare and threatened wild orchids, namely ‘Inthanon Lady Slipper Orchid’ ( Paphiopedilum villosum Lindl. Stein) and ‘Ueang Sae’ ( Dendrobium scabrilingue Lindl.), native to Mae Hong Son, for reintroduction into their natural habitats. Her