These past few weeks, Alanah has been adventuring throughout South East Asia. During her trip she spent time at an elephant park learning about the ways a community can work together to create something valuable for the environment, the animals and the individuals within it. Not only do the animals living at the park thrive off much of the food grown on the property, but the food prepared for the volunteers and park workers are also made from these resources. But of course, humans--and most definitely elephants--can eat a lot, so food is also purchased from local farms to subsidize the amount needed for each week. Any seeds or potential growing materials that can be collected from the produce, are collected during food preparation and then given back to the community. Together, the park and the community work symbiotically to generate a mutually beneficial economy. The result: - More than 40 elephants provided and properly cared for daily - A successful and self-reliant nature park; one that doesn’t rely on big corporations for food resources - Women and respected grandmothers within the surrounding community given the chance to earn an income; a future that otherwise wouldn’t exist - A reduced need for transportation of produce; therefore less of a carbon footprint - A stable market for the farmers to cultivate their crops To further the park’s sustainable initiatives, all waste (including elephant poop) is used to create compost and bedding materials. Let’s just say very little actually goes to waste. Inorganics, such as pop cans and bottles, are recycled by community members to be turned into something useful. All in all the experience was an enlightening one. This sort of relationship between the park and community is something that we are very excited to create with communities of our own. If you’d like to learn more, please feel free to post a comment or send us an email at, info@communityforasustainableworld.com

#Travel #elephant #Alanah