Development of a Learning Center through the Process of Community Participation in Utilizing Local Herbs in Mae Sot District, Tak Province

Abstract

The purposes of this research were 1) to study the diversity and utilization characteristics of local herbs in Mae Sot District, Tak Province 2) to develop a learning center through community participation in the utilization of local medicinal plants; and 3) to assess the service users’ satisfaction of the local medicinal plants learning center. This research used a qualitative research method.

          The findings of the study were as follows.

1. 1. The elderly group, village sage, and community enterprises have utilized 12 local medicinal plants: 1) Plumbago indica L. 2) Plumbago zeylanica Linn. 3) Vernonia cinerea (L) Less. 4) Elephantopus scaber var. scaber L. 5) Pluchea indica (L.) Less. 6) Vitex trifolia L. 7) Zingiber cassumunar Roxb. 8) Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M.King&H.Rob. 9) Paederia pilifera Hook.f. 10) Piper betle Linn. 11) Cryptolepis buchanani Roem. & Schult  and 12) Plantago major L. Leaves, roots, stems, and fruits were mainly utilized. Most of them were boiled for drinking and squeezed to get drinking water. Propagation can be divided into 3 types: natural method, cutting, and using rhizomes or tubers.
2. 2. The development of a learning center using community participation in the utilization of local herbs required establishing a herb garden using the area of the Sufficiency Economy Learning Center and New Theory Agriculture of Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University Mae Sot.
3. 3. The service users’ satisfaction of the local medicinal plants learning center and learning materials were found at the highest level (mean = 4.55).