Chiang Mai's 3rd Annual Low Carbon Children's Day 2012!

Hui a member of LCLN from Yunnan and living in Chiang Mai chats with Chinese
visitors to the city during the 2012 event

The heavens opened this Saturday 14th January, 2012, during the 3rd Low Carbon Children's Day event, but the rains didn't dampen the fun and the early morning soak brought relief to trees and plants and the communities health after an unusually arid dry spell for this season.  



Two brothers pledged to care for their new Jackfruit tree, the leaves will trap unclean air from dirty car exhast smoke and dust produce clean oxygen and delicious fruit when mature....a win win situation for all!


Holistic Environment Urban School Program [HEUSP] and LCLN [Lanna Community Life Network] joined Acharn Duongchan Charoenmuang and the UDIF team held at the centre for urban sustainable development, a landmark in the old city, located in the lovely listed teak building and the old city's first earth built house planted with local varieties of trees and plants from northern Thailand.

Quick change after the rains...Tomoko and Caroline helping out at the event

HEUSP and LCLN members representing The UK, Thailand, Japan, China and the US were handing out giveaways of local economic plants and trees to children and their parents.

3rd time lucky...this lovely family have visited our booth and faithfully plant trees every year...keeping their pledge to a Healthy Low Carbon Chiang Mai

 The plants chosen for their usefulness, easy to grow and size if you consider growing plants in an urban setting, with many people not having gardens, so they can be grown in an old bucket or pot. There were 7 varities such as the edible JackFruit and a sustainable timber source, Black Soap plant which has an attractive red flower, but not to be eaten and the nuts can produce an oil. also'bai plue' which is an edible easy to grow plant an eaten with a number of local healthy 'raw food 'Lanna dishes.




Caroline a member of  HEUSP and LCLN presenting a 'Fartalaijoan' plant in  reused bags to the director of YMCA
during the event.....we are all someone's child and grown up children can celebrate too!

 
'Fartalaijoan' was a very popular givaway and is one of the most important Thai medicinal herbs for many illnesses which the leaves can be eaten fresh or as a herbal tea, dried and in capsule form, but this plant is not for the faint hearted or sweet toothed as it is also famous for being the most bitter of the medicinal plants. From preventing or bring down high fevers and from personal experience getting over hepatitus A its an amazing cure all.

Mayor Tassanai 1st person to pledge to a healthy Low carbon Chiang Mai!



Parents and Children sign up to the LCLN  peoples pledge for a Healthy Low Carbon Chiang Mai for All!



The LCLN peoples pledge which promotes Chiang Mai as a healthy clean low carbon city, with more than 10,000 signatures to date was the main focus for the parents, grown ups and children receiving the trees and plants as it is one of the 30 effortless actions that everyone can signup to to make our beautiful city more healthier for our children to live in. Next step is to access the hundreds of businesses and organisations to strenghten the pledge and positive role models for generations to come.




Thank-you to GM and staff of Bodhi Serene Boutique Hotel



Many Thanks to all in the Chiang Mai community for coming to the event to Ricky of Our Chiang Mai. Sopha and Peung, long time supporters of HEUSP for helping to transport the 500 plants to the event...not as easy as you think! and Thank-you again to the Management and staff of Bodhi Serene Boutique Hotel for caring for all the plants at the Hotel nursery. Also to the family from France who made a generous donation to HEUSP and LCLN, community 'grassroots' groups. These projects have zero official funding and rely solely on the positive energy generated within our Chiang Mai Community .....time for us all to give back to secure the future for your children and economic sustainability for our city! Please call these numbers to join our growing membership. Like us on facebook and for more information call  Lanna Community Life Network

 English 0831-523 621 ไทย 0892-634-422 Japanese 0812-884-216 Mandarin 0846146702

Written by Caroline Marsh.

Caroline Marsh is co-founder of Chiang Mai based independent ethical tour operator http://www.trekkingcollective.com .."Expertise, Ethical travel and Authentic Experiences contribute to making a difference to local communities and the environment." passionate about new experiences and travel; preaches and teaches community well being; Caroline writes for travel sites, regional travel magazines and her own blog Authentic Chiang Mai promoting her adopted city of more than 20years!; coordinates local 'grassroots' community peoples actions through Holistic Environment Urban Schools Program (HEUSP)and a member of the umbrella network group Lanna Community Life Network (LCLN) formerly NCCN. Visit channel www.youtube.com/holisticearth1