Asia Pacific – Surprised by nature
Immersing in nature allows us to discover and learn many new things. This Season of Creation, Emmaus Farm, a Jesuit ecological centre situated in Chiang Mai, hosted around 20 students from the Catholic Student Network in the North of Thailand for a two-day learning programme centred on Laudato sí.
Fr Jub, a Thai Jesuit serving in Cambodia, explained the meaning of Laudato sí (Praise be to you, my Lord) at the start of our programme before we proceeded with three main activities.
First, we learned how to compost using bamboo leaves and cowpats. We gathered all the bamboo leaves from the garden and placed them in a designated enclosure. The process involved alternating between a layer of bamboo leaves and a layer of cowpats, then watering with a mixture of marinade and water. This sequence of layering was repeated until the enclosure was full. It will take three months for the compost to be ready for use.
The second activity opened our eyes to the wonders of nature. Most of us were previously unaware that bamboo contains potable water. Pi Somluk and Pi Ken, the coordinators at Emmaus Farm, taught us how to extract water from bamboo. Everyone became so excited to try it out. We drilled a small hole in the bamboo culm and attached a small pipe to channel the water into an empty bottle that was fastened at the bottom of the culm. Immediately, we saw water dripping from the bamboo. We left it overnight, eager to collect the water in the morning. When we took our first sip, we were amazed by the unique flavour, which was distinct from regular mineral water or water from other bamboo plants. The water must be consumed during the day, as it can ferment if kept for too long.
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