UN World Tourism Day 2013.. Make a Difference Globally Celebrate Locally in Chiang Mai!






  
For 2012 UNWTO's challenge to the global tourism industry was to applaud renewable energy  solutions.

A locally based Chiang Mai tour operator www.trekkingcollective.com  [TC] met the challenge to self design and locally produce hydrogen fuel cells fitted to their company vehicles reducing energy bills and vehicle emmissions by a minimum 20%

....So for UNWTO 2013's WORLD TOURISM DAY  the challenge to the global tourism industry is to work towards sustainable initiatives to preserve 'at risk' global fresh water  resources. 

Long term advocates of Trekking Collective's
indigenous and urban initiatives, Gail and Roger Johnson were in town accompanying the annual University of Washington student study tour group that participate in TC designed 'special interest' community based [CBT]field treks for over 7 years.

Each year Roger Johnson and TC exchange ideas that support Trekking Collective's core values of sustainability of low tech 'doable' community initiatives that 1. Work 2. Affordable and beneficial for all 3. reduce, reuse and recycle locally 4. low maintainence 5. everyone can do! 7. Promote towards a low carbon global society.



 

Ajarn Sawat Chantalay a member of HEUSP with Students from the 'Connecting Classrooms'
initiative @ Yupparaj High School with Roger Johnson demonstrating his ideas.



2013 Roger gave his time to present his latest ideas to Faculty of Engineering, CMU and at a  lively 'Connecting Classrooms' session held at Yupparaj High School a ground breaking government school "think outside of the box" initiative created by Ajarn Sawat Chantalay an award winning local conservationist, Chiang Mai native and a member of HEUSP.


Parents and locals buying their weekend veggies!

  


Each Friday a local community group Holistic Environment Urban School Program - HEUSP co -supported by Trekking Collective puts together an ISAC Farmer's Organic Market at Puttisopon, a local Primary School in the Old City of Chiang Mai.

A great community meeting place to promote awareness and share local and global health and environmental issues... these cool Women Farmer's grow and prepare their own endemic vegetables and make local healthy snacks to sell direct to school parents, students, teachers. The local community and foreign visitors are all welcome!


This was a great spot for Roger Johnson to show how to put together his 'pee-dra-ponics' plant feeder or 'dry toilet'..... Read On!

Ajarn Roger putting together parts whilst the Women Farmer's juggle selling veggies and learning
how to make the 'Pee-dra-ponics' plant feeder



Simple Tools



Using local sourced and recycled products





Using 'Guesstimate' technology!



Science and English Dept. teachers from Puttisopon School
check the power point presentation
and help out with Thai-English translations

  

A couple of Student's Dads...obviously DIY experts joined the workshop!

Taking Notes!

The simplest ideas are always the best! with Ajarn Roger's hygenic system of converting liquid waste into organic plant food.
365 days access to FREE liquid fertilizer
2/3 Reduction in solid waste storage
up to 7 x production in vegetable plots compared to not using and fertilizers
100% chemical fertilizer free soil
improve soil quality organically
urban school projects can produce organic healthy vegetables in raised dry beds - no 'real' garden space necessary
Urban and rural local governments can upscale systems for efficient community clean sanitation management. 
So making savings in the amount of water resources used within communities.

Final peedraponic prototypes!

Success! An upscaled version of the system is now in place on an ISAC organic permaculture  farm. Next term the Science Department of Puttisopon School will have a working demonstration model and garden up and running in November 2013 with workshops planned for indigenous communities by Trekking Collective along with other parallel sustainable long term community initiatives since 1988.

Khun Aree from the ISAC Women's Organic Farmer's Group
with Roger Johnson who has a 'bedroom peedraponics system'
up and running in her permaculture garden.