FREELAND’s community outreach team encourages villagers to give up illegal poaching and logging activities through a combination of environmental awareness and the development of small-scale income generating projects.

Farming activities, such as organic mushroom cultivation, improve villagers’ standard of living and consequently reduce poaching and habitat destruction. This, in turn, helps maintain a healthy ecosystem for both people and wildlife.

FREELAND's community outreach projects are focused on several villages around the the World Heritage listed Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, which extends from Central Thailand to the Cambodian border. The projects have made a huge difference in the lives of the villagers. Participating families are now earning an average of 7,000-10,000 Thai baht (US $215-305) per month. This means they no longer need to supplement their incomes by poaching.

Key impacts include:
• Long term forest protection for biodiversity, watersheds, carbon storage & other environmental services
• Poverty alleviation and crime reduction
• Enhanced (healthy) food security

Just USD500 can help an ex-poacher family establish their organic mushroom growing business.
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Part of FREELAND's broader Surviving Together program to stop poaching and illegal logging in protected areas, these community outreach projects are a model for rural community engagement and promoting sustainable alternative livelihoods across the region.

FREELAND's Alternative Livelihoods program has received support from the blue moon fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

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