On September 20, 2025, Good to Nature, together with the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Professor Zhao Shijian from the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University, officially launched the “Exploring Hani Culture and Protecting Rainforest Ecology” pilot study program in Huilong Village, Mengla County. This collaboration integrates Hani cultural heritage with rainforest ecological resources, creating an age-inclusive experiential learning system that combines nature exploration, cultural immersion, and ecological practice, while pioneering new models for integrating eco-tourism and conservation.

On the same day, a training session was held to accompany the project’s official launch. Five villagers from Huilong Villagebecame the first cohort of “Future Guides and Assistants.” Under the mentorship of experts from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Professor Zhao Shijian of Tongji University’s College of Design and Innovation, participants received comprehensive training in study-tour program design and field operation — from nighttime biodiversity observation and Hani village storytelling to eco-craft instruction and Dipterocarpus tree planting. Following the training, core local coordinators will be selected to ensure the project’s long-term, locally led management.

The Huilong Village Study Program features an innovative “three-track integration” curriculum:

• Rainforest Exploration – experiencing the vertical climate zones and the beauty of tropical ecosystems up close;
• Cultural Immersion – visiting the village museum and Hani homes, engaging in traditional wedding customs, and wild vegetable foraging to revive the Hani people’s ancient wisdom of living in harmony with nature;
• Ecological Practice – creating terrariums and planting Dipterocarpus trees to translate ecological awareness into tangible conservation action.