Recently, our on-campus parent collective, The Bridge, organized a trip to visit The Biosphere Foundation center in West Bali. Parents and their families were invited to spend the weekend partaking in activities involving environmental restoration programs both on land and in the sea. Like Green School, The Biosphere Foundation takes very seriously its mission to educate individuals about the interconnections at play in a healthy biosphere – where reforestation can have direct, positive impacts on coral reefs, and unsustainable farming practices can have detrimental, downstream impacts.

Over the weekend, families had an amazing opportunity to snorkel around Menjangan Island, one of the most beautiful spots for snorkeling in Bali, and learn about how the Biosphere Foundation is restoring and helping to restore this fragile ecosystem. They also hiked up Bukit Indah hill and learned about how they are replanting of trees, the importance of swales, and the creation of ponds to restore soil health and support water catchment in this dry ecosystem.

Each family returned home enriched, inspired and with a stronger sense of being part of our Green School community! Here is what some of our parents had to say:

“It was a priceless experience to hear firsthand from the Biosphere founders and it was much fun for both the adults and children!”

“The weekend inspired us to do better. I started monitoring our daily electric consumption as a first step, and will look at ways to measure water usage as that was a nice wrap up to the weekend having a look at how much water we consumed.”

“A most inspiring weekend with lovely, brilliant hosts. I especially enjoyed the lively discussions on a wide variety of eco-related topics that all ultimately join with one another. I think it was valuable to have the group Q&A’s but also the one-on-one time with the staff to dive deeper into specific topics.”

“We think [The Bridge] did a really great job! It was well organised without putting on too much pressure. If people didn’t want to snorkel they didn’t have to. Food was excellent and abundant!” 

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A Parent’s Experience

It’s official. l’m a rice farmer (even though I’ve never had much of a garden let alone a green thumb). And it’s all thanks to a quiet revolution started by Kul Kul Connection (KKC), Green School’s Community Integration Program.

The call to arms came from KKC’s Tim Fijal, last September.

After an impassioned talk at the newly-opened Bridge (Green School’s co-working/co-learning space) about how Green School’s international community needs to connect more with local culture, he had a group of about 12 (mostly new) parents totally intrigued.

I knew little about KKC and assumed it was somehow linked to Kul Kul Farm. It isn’t.  

KKC provides after-school English lessons for 400 kids from surrounding schools, not to mention a number of rich cultural experiences both kids and parents can get involved in.

Tim pitched his idea for us to build a kubu (a small shelter) for one of the elderly local rice farmers.

But when KKC’s liaison officer, Giyan Adnya Antari, sat down with farmers from Uma Lambing Subak (located about 25 minutes over the bamboo bridge from school), they expressed an interest in teaching us how to farm organic rice instead.

And so the KKC Semester 1 Rice Farming Course was born.

Every Thursday morning following a short trek through rice fields, we’d meet at the Subak’s bale, near its temple, with the mighty Mount Agung visible in the distance.

Shoes off, we’d plunge our feet into the cool, squishy mud.

Under the gentle guidance of five farmers we learned how to germinate the seeds for our rice using a red heritage variety sourced from the magnificent Jatiluwih rice terraces.

We turned the soil and tilled the field (using cows, who FYI don’t work Thursdays, so a few schedule changes had to be made).  

And we planted our rice babies, in somewhat meandering rows, across the 5 are/500 sqm plot, using natural fertilisers (cow poo).

Fish were released into the muddy waters (excellent pest control) and there was always plenty of weeding to keep our paddy tidy.

After each session in the hot hot sun, we’d gather to chat under the bale, building a dialogue and relationships with the farmers.

We drank fresh coconut water together, the sweet juice dribbling down our chins, and munched on delicious jaje (snacks) prepared by farmer Pak Wayan Suwendi’s wife.  

Some of us had experience in permaculture. Others (like me, used to apartment living) didn’t.

The magic, we all realised, was not so much that we were learning how to farm rice – but that we were doing it with the Balinese, on the land their ancestors had farmed for generations.

“I felt like I was stepping out of the bamboo bubble of Green School and making a real connection with Balinese life,” says Mariet van Linschoten, who was inspired to help elderly farmers after seeing the photo exhibit The Rice Warrior of Bali at the beginning of the school year.

Another course participant, Melanie Clifford, relished the journey into the unknown.

“It was a real organic experience, pottering around the land, watching it all unfold. I felt very privileged to be there and to be allowed to learn from the farmers.”

And it was all captured by stunning photographer and course participant, Adrian Chitty.

As the rice grew, so did our understanding of the challenges the farmers face: the degradation of their soil (after decades of Government policy that resulted in farmers using hybrid seeds and chemical fertilisers); their struggle securing a decent income; and the lack of interest from the next generation to step up and take over.

The farmers, always so humble, were blown away by the interest.

“Having parents come to our land who are concerned about the health of the environment and also the farmers motivates us to continue preserving out tradition,” says Subak chief, Pak Made ‘Deny’ Widana, translated through KKC’s Giyan.

“It makes us proud to be farmers.”

Pak Deny hopes more farmers from the Subak see the benefits and return to traditional (chemical-free) farming techniques.

Our two handmade scarecrows (Ivana and Trump) successfully kept the birds at bay, because come harvest day, our rice babies were as tall as I am. Ok, so I’m not that tall.

With family and friends in toe, we cut each individual stork by hand, delivering our golden produce to the Paks to dry out in the sun, and eventually mill at the koperasi nearby.  

Since then we’ve been involved in launching the rice with the farmers, liaising on everything from a website, to a logo and a brand name: Uma Lambing Beras Sehat (Healthy Rice).

And finally, with 1kg bags distributed to course participants, I served a meal of our Beras Sehat to my family, which was pretty special. An authentic ‘seed to plate’ journey I can’t imagine replicating anywhere else.  

Meanwhile, this green revolution is growing. Semester 2 Rice Farming Course is up and running with 26 participants and 4 times the amount of land!

There’s talk Green School might become a regular customer and students are heading out to spend time in the fields, which for Tim (KKC), is a dream come true.

“I always had an intuition that being out in the rice paddies, interacting with the Balinese rice farmers can instill Green School values in our hearts,” he says.

“It’s learning by doing, with Bali as the teacher, in a truly wall-less environment.”

As for that original idea to build farmers a kubu? It’s branched off into another KKC driven project. So watch out for that too.

Written by Sandra Radice, Green School Bali Parent.

Want to farm your own Beras Sehat or to get involved in KKC’s many cultural programs visit: www.kulkulconnection.www.greenschool.org or www.subakumalambing.com

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A learning and co-working space, The Bridge, is dedicated to sustainability, change-making, and personal growth. Sitting neatly within the School’s mission of being A Community of Learners, Making Our World Sustainable, the vision for The Bridge, was to add another element to the School’s ecosystem of learning and learners. Students, local neighbours, visiting educators, tour guests, staff, teachers and parents make-up a vibrant community of learners. With programs, projects and places to connect, evolving for all.

Green School parents attend the talk at the Bridge

“Parents send their kids to Green School and then say, ‘I wish I could have gone a to a school like this,’” says Carol Da Riva, Manager of The Bridge.

Green School Bali, by design, is a place that stimulates the senses. Immersed in nature, with intentional architecture that supports ‘out of the box’ thinking, the campus and the culture of the School is fresh and entrepreneurial. The Bridge allows parents to tap into the energy of the School and the intentional design of the campus to activate their own personal passion projects, professional and personal learning and enterprise initiatives.

In typical Green School fashion, Carol and her team recycled a trash recycling center to build The Bridge. They sourced bamboo and other materials for sustainable furniture. Now, parents hold meetings while sitting on couches upholstered with upcycled jeans. They type away on chairs and tables made from used tires; and they read under mason jar light fixtures.

Carol Da Riva, Manager of the Bridge, with her team.

“There’s a professional atmosphere in a beautiful space that is insulated from the other activities around the school campus,” says Chris Thompson, a parent to two Green School students, former Director and, General Manager of Green School, and former director of Hubud, co-working space in Ubud.

“This is a safe space to explore new ideas,” says Chris. “It’s a place where parents can look for ways to help the world, or they can pivot in their careers to something that appeals to the heart and the head and they’ll have a network to support them, to coach them, and to challenge them.

Chris Thompson, a Green School parent, former Director and, General Manager of Green School, and former director of Hubud, co-working space in Ubud.

With a community that represents 35 different nationalities and a vast array of professional, artistic and entrepreneurial talent residing in the School’s parent body, the opportunity to workshop ideas and projects to peers is rich and rewarding.  

“We facilitate synchronicity,” says Ibu Carol, which echoes the magic behind MIT’s infamous Building 20, where informal chats between engineers, economists, and linguists incubated some of the 20th centuries most notable ideas. “Listening to different thoughts and solutions from somebody who thinks in a different way from you and then adding those into your own life is true learning.”   

The Bridge’s network of accomplished professionals working side-by-side, encouraging new endeavors, and helping each other is only one way The Bridge differs from other co-working spaces in Bali. Yes, it satisfies the paradoxical desire to work independently while also enjoying the company of colleagues, but it provides much more than just a fast Internet connection and guidance on setting up a business.

Talks and workshops at the Bridge explore a various topic of interests

Learning is what’s paramount at The Bridge.  Daily talks, workshops, and projects are open to the entire community.  People can explore new interests, learn new skills, and challenge themselves to become changemakers. Offerings align with Green School’s compass model, where each value corresponds to a cardinal direction—Nature, Economics, Society, and Wellness. Talks may focus on techniques to bring the principles of permaculture into your life, how to promote joy through cooking and eating, or how to bridge the cultural divide between the International and Balinese communities.

In the one month since The Bridge has opened, it’s near capacity, at 90 memberships. , but looking to keep growing. “The place is abuzz with energy and the sense of possibility,” says Chris Thompson. “That’s what happens when you start to look for meaning in how you spend your time and energy.”

Learn more about the Bridge here: http://thebridge.www.greenschool.org/

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