One night in the midst of a family vacation and a desperate grab into the depths of the universe I went on a deep-sea dive on the internet to find some kind of program I could resonate with. When I found Global Nomadic it was like hitting the lottery, I went with some of my first picks then finally, I decided I need to try one that I knew would be a challenge for me. I’ve never been interested in teaching, at least not to adolescents. However, I recently encountered some friends that had a few questions about the environment, for instance, “Why does it hail in the summer?”; instead of answering simply “because of the intense winds”, I answered in a way that was nearly incoherent and not targeted towards the group who asked me. Ultimately I wanted to train myself to be able to explain environmental concepts in a way that others could more simply understand. Getting lost in translation is not an excuse for environmentalism to take a backseat, and I won’t let it. 

Planning for this trip proved to be difficult; there was little resources provided to Global Nomadic from the Green Lion to fully prepare me for what to expect: I could not reach out to the Green Lion in order to inquire due to the coordinator’s and the organization’s predetermined relationship, I knew absolutely no one who knew anything about the Green Lion, and on top of everything with the information I was given through Global Nomadic I ended up over preparing for the trip by purchasing things that I never actually needed or used. When I arrived at the facility, I was fully prepared to leave at the first sign of dysfunction (which never happened, and I will forever be grateful for staying). 

This trip was fully planned, funded, and organized by me, which was why I was so offended when I could not coordinate with the Green Lion prior to my arrival. This was to hopefully ensure that I did not waste money, and I had all my expenses covered before my arrival. 

My first day was overwhelming: prior to my arrival I had been doing some independent traveling, so when it came time for my departure and the next step of my journey I contacted the Green Lion for information and was met with indignant resistance to any assistance. I was persistent with the information that I was supposed to start that day, and evidently they were not aware of that fact. When I finally was able to refer to a communication we had several months prior about my arrival dates, they were finally willing to give me the address for the facility. When I arrived at the Green Lion it was clear that they were caught off guard and confused about my being there, took a COVID-19 test, took my luggage to my room with little to no acknowledgement from anyone in the facility, and experienced the rest of the day alone and reading my book. It wasn’t until late in the day that I received any kind of friendly faces. 

After the first day, the energy completely changed at the Green Lion. I always felt well looked after and like I had a great support system; the staff always listened and provided anything and everything in their power to be helpful. The accommodations were great, with the exception of pre-installed screens and mosquito nets, everything about the dormitory was impeccable. I think the mattresses were the best in Bali. The food was fantastic, lots of variety and all very local, which I very much appreciated. The area and culture was sublime, the people were very welcoming and friendly. The seclusion from the inner city made the area peaceful and welcoming.

It was not until after I arrived that I was told that there was an option for an orientation week, or other independent accommodations. So, while everyone was going through their intro week, I was thrown directly into the Education program with absolutely no time to prepare, anyone to work with, or idea of what I should be doing. 

With all that being said, this project has opened a door for meeting some of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Beautiful souls with the desire to do good for the world and their communities. These connections and memories are some that I will cherish for the rest of my life. However, these are not the key moments I was hoping to take away, even though teaching the students was gratifying, I feel with the proper preparation I could have walked away with a better experience, the one I paid for. 

I Made Chakra grew up here; for the past 50 years he has been apart of this community and watched it evolved. With the Green Revolution sparking a mere four years before his birth, he slowly witnessed its transformation. From fireflies, herons, eels and snails in the rice fields (or ‘subaks’) to chemicals and poisoned farmers. A place where you could once drink almost directly from the subaks to an area where you bring water with you everywhere. With only 3km between his home and the city center of Ubud (one of the busiest/most visited places in Bali) he has watched this area go from rice fields as far as the eye could see to villas and cafes taking their place. Chakra is working tirelessly to bring a semblance of his childhood back to life, in ways that his community does not always understand.

A little about me, I am an Environmental Geoscientist with specialties in Anthropology, Biosphere, and Geology. I have a history in hazardous waste management with a Heritage Environmental Services, at a company (who shall remain nameless) that is largely responsible for the modern techniques used in agriculture around the world (i.e. seed modification and pesticides and herbicides). I needed out; I have always dreamed to be apart of the bigger picture of environmentalism. To create a world that analyzes human activity and alters it in order to work in harmony with the world around us; plate tectonics, geology, flora, fauna, economics, healthcare, transportation, culture and the arts.

All this to say I have been training my entire life for an experience such as this.

When I came across Global Nomadic and saw that they offered a plethora of Environmental volunteer opportunities, I knew I had to jump at it. I filled out the application at about 1:30am on a whim, and by the next morning I had gotten a response from Chakra accepting me into his program. Aghast, I got to work. I already had two jobs, one as an Environmental Chemist, and the other as a server at a local pizza place. For the next four months I would work seven days a week, 70 hours a week. While I did reach out to others for financial support through this journey, my call remained unanswered. I began the planning about three months before my start date, although I knew I was a little out of my depth, I did it. I booked flights with four different airlines, reached out to a Visa agency in Bali to get my B211a visa prior to arrival, got half a dozen vaccines, did deep dive internet searches on both Global Nomadic and Tri Hita Karana, got an international drivers license, and even printed off all essential paperwork in triplicate to make sure I had everything I needed. I brought a mosquito net, water proof socks, three different kinds of bug repellent, and even a multi-tool with a hatchet. When coming here I was fully aware that what I was signing up for was not a simple opportunity to travel across Bali with a boost to my resume; this was going to be real work, as well as a life changing experience, involving materials and practices that were going to be absolutely foreign to me.

My time with Chakra and Tri Hita Karana started on a Sunday morning after 25 hours of flight time across the globe, leaving me with a 13 hour time difference between me and everything I have ever known. We left the airport and swiftly made our way through the hoards of traffic in Denpasar and after I acquired a SIM card (cause my mama taught me never to get in the car with strangers) I was able to fully absorb the drive through Bali in awe: the culture, the way people drove, the architecture, and even seeing how some of the restaurants I was familiar with have adapted. Once I arrived to the Permaculture house, I saw just how dedicated Chakra was: a natural swimming pool with crystal clear water, a composting toilet, sustainable construction, dozens of bee boxes, multiple composing bins that are taller than me (5ft 4in or 1.6m for reference), and hot water powered by passive solar powered heating.

After sleeping for 13 hours I woke up early on Monday morning, took a shower, and emerged from my new cave to find Chakra, bright eyed and bushy-tailed, inviting me for my first walk around the village I will be calling home for the next six weeks.

Now I would also like to preface this by saying that the rumors are true: pollution is everywhere, and water is very clearly a problem in Bali. However, one of the first things that stood out to me was just how many different kinds of fruits were sprinkled along our path: mangos, noni, coconut, dragon-fruit, New Zealand cherries, and so many more.  There was also magnificent trees, such as the Banyun tree, and the White Milk tree. [The Banyun tree holds great cultural significance because it typically signifies a local market, due to its extreme height and width (roots grow down from the branches and overtime create separate supporting trunks). The White Milk tree is a great biological indicator for fresh ground water, and often if you dig near one or chop one down, you are able to find an underwater spring.] You can also find fish in the local waterways, located along roads, that help purify the local water as well as provide a biological indicator for contaminated water (dead fish = bad water).  The most noteworthy however, is the people, whom are so accommodating and friendly; not once have I felt unwelcome.

These are not always attributes that you can find in the United States.

Our first venture took us to a local hotel/restaurant established being developed by a company called ‘Locavore’ who hired Chakra to establish a sustainable water filtration system. The waste water produced would include kitchen waste, human waste, sink, and gardening runoff. The most prominent feature was a wetland system, consisting of a bed of lava rock (which would filter out some basic contaminants) and succulent plants (whose root systems would help break down bacteria and utilize unwanted nutrients) fed by a pump system, moving the grey/black water into the the wetland system and eventually into a pond home to a community of fish, whom continue to break down the unwanted water contaminants. In the middle of this pond is a vortex fountain that would oxygenate the water. Behind the scenes, there would also be a worm (‘vermi’) system, black soldier flies, and bacterial system that would all aid in the purification of the water produced by this establishment. While this system may seem complex, all aspects are easily replicable, adaptable, and replaceable. Making this a prime example for sustainable and appropriate technology.

Not every project was this straight-forward however;Chakra has taken on a new venture that veers into the cultural realm: a community garden. In order to kickstart this project he needs to acquire approval from the head of the village to use this community land and transform it into a sustainable, accessible, and prosperous market for fresh foods in his community. While this seems like an easy feat, it faces its own challenges. Like many people and enterprises, money is in demand, and with the location of this property in high demand to those who build the Pinterest worthy villas and cafes. Aside from that this land has been used as an unofficial dump site for local trash to those in its vicinity. Will the needs of the communities nutrition and agriculture practices outweigh those in need of money and disposal conveniences? Only time will tell.

Chakra faces a lot of challenges similar to these. For example, the rice farmers that are common in this area, who have been using primarily artificial fertilizers and pesticides have some fairly simple and cost efficient solutions, but impede on the cultural constructs that have been put in place. The top terrace would be a prime location for livestock (known as the penalopin), whom would provide a natural supply of fertilizer for the field bellow it. Unfortunately, this terrace has been marked as ‘sacred’ and the locals refuse to contaminate this land with the filth of livestock. The origin of this plot being classified as sacred comes from the seeds; the best seeds would be found in the top terrace due to the highest amount of nutrients in it’s soil – this knowledge has been lost. Chakras goal is to one day teach the community why this field was considered sacred, or rather teach the origins of these beliefs.

Cultural impediments was the topic of a lecture I had the pleasure of attending (The 5th International Conference on Biosciences and Engineering/ The 2nd International Conference on Innovative Agricultural Technology). This is where we discussed amongst a committee whom were all focused in advancing technology to become more accessible and accommodating to cultural and communal needs. This is where he spoke with Sharon Dixon from ACU who both focused on how food has changed with the current standards. Heritage crops have adapted to their environment, and with them, the nutritional needs of the people, whom are currently at a deficit.

There has been a surplus of brith complications with women in this region due to insufficient nutrition in their common diet (rice). There is also a surplus of diabetes and heart disease in the Balinese people in recent years; with the rise of Westernization/Globalization a cheaper and more accessible food supply of processed foods in the region, this is no surprise. Chakra likes to joke that those who eat Red Rice (a heritage strain) tend to be healthier and have a higher resistance to disease, but this absolutely has some truth to it. Referring back to the fight for the community garden, the head of the village happened to be sick for a few days in which Chakra had hoped to get in contact with him. Would he be healthier if the food was less modified/processed? Only progress would help us find out. Or lets talk about my transition between the States and Bali; when i first arrived I had to adapt to the food here, because it is cleaner and their are less additives, my stomach had to detox from all the foul contents that the states have been feeding me for years. Since being here I have not felt more clear of mind or more physically capable. Will being here and eating the food here help me not develop my predisposed diagnosis of cancer? That might be too big of a question for the answers that are obtainable, but nonetheless, I have lost 15lbs in the three weeks I have been here, so far.

Working with Chakra has allowed me to see various aspects of the field I will do anything to be apart of one day. He has included me in several consulting opportunities; one included how we can make organic heritage rice farming more appealing to local Suback (rice paddies) owners,  another was how we could convert underdeveloped rice terraces into a flourishing agroforestry system, and most importantly, how we can adapt local customs to allow for more agricultural practices. Permaculture is a collaborative practice that requires perspectives from many different people, such as: appropriate technology experts, nutritionists, civil engineers, cultural leaders and environmentalists.

As such, it is not a singular study, but rather it is many different studies and practices that collaborate in order to achieve their ultimate goal: people working with nature in order to be productive as well as healthy.

 

 

Every single aspect of this project impacts its community directly. The minute that we provide them with payment, they send that money all over the community: to build schools, to provide supplies for volunteer lessons, to pay for taxis, food donations, and so much more. With the Green Lion in this village the local economy has gone up by 75 times.

I feel like I could have made a larger impact with this project had I had a larger community of people dedicated to the same goal/project. You see, I was the sole Environmental Educator in this organization for two weeks, as well as the only one with a scientific background. So, in witnessing pesticide spraying, trash burning, inappropriate segregation of waste, I had little say in how the foundations practices were conducted. I say this because when volunteers wanted to provide the students with treats, we could not, because with the implementation of the healthcare program at the Green Lion it would be hypocritical to hand out sweets to students. Do you see my point? The large Healthcare program has a bigger impact on the community than the minuscule Environmental program. This isn’t to put blame on the Green Lion however, this is more of a reflection on Bali’s environmental waste initiatives (minus the use of chemicals on landscaping). 

All of these things have been a challenge, however I did not come here to criticize the Green Lion or fix Bali, I came to challenge myself. I wanted to teach so that I could test that skill set and learn how to be more impactful in policy and the Environmental activist community. That I did, I learned that I do not have the independent brainstorming capability to design and develop teaching opportunities to young people. To be fair, I did not speak their language (even though I was able to learn a functional amount of Indonesian) and I do not know their history with Environmental knowledge; it became clear over time that most of the students in my classes had an understanding of most of the things I was trying to teach them, things such as: air pollution, water pollution, plant health, trash burning, and more. This provided challenges on their own because how could I then challenge them to expand their knowledge base? Now I know what you’re thinking: did the Green Lion not provide a curriculum to follow? Well you would be right in asking, because they did. They gave me a book that included dozens of lessons that I could teach them in order for them to get to know their environment better. However, the lessons largely included things like crude oil, and sustainable energy amperage. I struggled to develop workable lessons with those concepts when I did not have a translator with me the entire time. It was not until I finally had a partner on the project that I finally felt like I had some direction that did not feel completely overwhelming, this was after two weeks. Prior to that I had tried watering plants, making fly traps, picking up trash (that barely made an impact), and planting plants. Afterwards, we did environmental bingo, scavenger hunts, relay races, paper recycling, and poster making. I persevered, but it did not feel as effective as it could have been.

Through all of this, I genuinely just wanted to quit. Seeing all of the other programs that were offered, like construction, turtle conservation, English teaching, and even adventure weeks, I just wanted to move on. I am proud of my perseverance; with only missing two days due to travel plans and visa renewal, I got through four weeks of environmental education teaching in Bali, Indonesia to students that barely speak my language. This was my expectation, along with sleeping in a dorm. 

I would recommend this program to others, absolutely. The Green Lion is a phenomenal program in Bali, with its only downfall being not properly providing information to Global Nomadic for those that sign up through them. The Green Lion opens up opportunities to meet other solo travelers in Bali, which allows you to have more cost efficient adventures (being that these activities are not funded by the Green Lion, but ourselves) around the island. For instance, there were several instances where on the weekend 3-5 girls, including myself, would rent out villas around indonesia and experience something none of us would do on our own, such as: swimming with dolphins, snorkeling with sea turtles, jumping off of waterfalls, exploring rice fields, going to the beaches in Uluwatu, all of which have commutes upwards of three hours to get there. I’ve seen some unforgettable things with these people and wouldn’t trade them for the world. Ultimately, you just need to jump.