Eco-Warrior Turning Organic Waste into Compost

Begawan Learning Centre collaborates with Adhi, who graduated in September 2021 from Udayana University specialising in Agriculture. He comes from our local village, Melinggih Kelod and focuses on developing organic plantations. Adhi comes once a week on Friday to assist nine Eco Warriors in managing the small garden at the Learning Centre.

This gardening program began with a soil management activity. To fertilise the soil, the Eco Warriors chose to use an environmentally friendly natural fertiliser, compost. In the initial stage, it was necessary for the students to sort and separate the organic and non-organic waste.

While sorting, Adhi explained to the Eco Warriors the importance of separating waste. In composting, the best waste to use is natural waste such as leaves and food scraps that are easily biodegradable. The students’ task was to separate the plastic, metal, rubber, and other non-biodegradable waste.

Using small hoes and bamboo clamps, the Eco Warriors’ little hands seemed eager to sort through the trash as if they were looking for treasure in a pile of rubbish. Every time they saw plastic waste, it was quickly removed.

The activity became even more interesting when the Eco Warriors found lots of worms, larvae, and small eggs in a pile of organic waste. Their curiosity grew. “What is this egg?” “What animal is this?” Adhi helped answer the Eco Warriors’ questions and explained the difference between fertile and non-fertile soil.

After sorting the waste, Eco Warriors were taught to add a source of bacteria and fungi  to the compost using probiotic drinks and yeast. They also made a solvent of brown sugar which serves as a source of glucose for microorganisms in the compost. The addition of all these ingredients is intended to speed up decomposition. These materials were also environmentally friendly so they are safe to use in organic farming.

This gardening activity closed with a discussion with Adhi about the plan for gardening activities that will be routinely carried out every Friday morning. Curious about the results of Eco Warriors’ compost and the development of the garden at the Learning Centre? See you again in the next newsletter! (Ketut Desy)