The Laem Phak Bia Environmental Research and Development Project (LERD), a Royal initiative of the Chaipattana Foundation in Rayong Province, aims to provide communities and organizations in Thailand with the environmental knowledge necessary to implement natural waste and wastewater treatment techniques. The organization researches and develops natural wastewater and waste treatment methods. While continuing to research environmental waste treatment techniques, LERD has also raised awareness and provided communities, where Avicennia marina is dominant, and businesses with the environmental knowledge necessary to implement LERD’s methods throughout Thailand. Wastewater treatment models developed by LERD include: oxidation pond treatment systems, grass filtration systems, artificially constructed wetland systems, and mangrove ecosystems. Solid waste treatment includes “concrete box” composting. These treatments are purely natural means that involve aerobic organic matter decomposition, and can be effective from 90 days to 15 years, depending on the technique.

The researched environmental methods have been adapted for wide implementation throughout Thai communities and industries. To increase the implementation of the environmental methods in Thailand, the outreach efforts of LERD need to be optimized to more widely disseminate these commendable activities to a wider audience. In order to achieve an effective outreach program, it is essential to assess the strategy of outreach programs, to provide a firm basis for growth. Our team researched on useful outreach strategies including effective learning centers, evaluation models, and educational media that have been successfully used in previous outreach programs from different organizations around the world.