Repeating the first cycle, a nursery bed was prepared for the seekd, using a tarp to prevent the seedlings’ roots from going too deep into the mud and damaging the roots when transplanted into the rice fields. In early August, the seedbed was ready to be sprayed with organic fertilizers containing various microorganisms to support the growth of seeds into seedlings. Preparing rice fields is equally important. We added a mixture of compost with sand and laid coco-peat over the seeds to keep them moist while protecting the microbes in the compost from direct sun exposure and reducing evaporation.
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New Cycle for The Mansur Rice!
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Regenerative Gardening at Begawan
Recognising these wonderful benefits and following Begawan’s focus to increase students’ awareness of the significance of being kind to nature, Begawan organised a gardening workshop for Begawan’s Eco Warrior and Teenage students on August 1st and 3rd. This workshop aimed to regenerate the soil in the garden as well as redesign and redecorate. It was guided by Sayu, a Balinese gardening practitioner and expert who has experience in designing, managing, and maintaining permaculture gardens.
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Eco-Warrior’s Organic Toothpaste
On July 20, as a part of our Teeth Theme, Begawan Learning Centre’s Eco-Warriors decided to make their own organic toothpaste after researching the toothpaste they normally use, which is full of chemicals. The students used coconut oil as the natural antibacterial, organic cocoa powder as the replacement for fluoride and also added flavor, baking powder as a whitening agent, and organic stevia to decrease the sour flavor which came from the coconut oil.
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Using Eggs as a Dental Hygiene Experiment
As part of the teeth theme, on July 13, Begawan’s students conducted a tooth decay experiment with eggshells. They chose eggs to represent teeth, as an egg shell is made of a similar substance to tooth enamel. They submerged eggs in different liquids, including coke, juice, vinegar, coffee, milk, alcohol, and water as the control liquid. For each liquid, they prepared an egg covered with fluoride toothpaste and an egg without toothpaste. They want to know the effect of fluoride toothpaste on their teeth.
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Begawan’s Bird Pair Release in 2022
On 11 July 2022, Begawan released another pair of Bali Starlings in Banjar Begawan, Melinggih Kelod Village. This release took place after two months of habituation to the environment. The foundation’s aim is to successfully release captive-bred birds at a safe release site
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The First Harvest of Balinese Heritage Mansur Rice
On 18 February 2022, Begawan established a regenerative farming program collaborating with local farmers in Bayad, Melinggih Kelod, Gianyar, Bali. This collaboration is conducted with the goals of assisting local farmers in the shift to regenerative agriculture practices, educating communities & the younger generation about the importance of agriculture and how it can serve them better, and producing the best quality rice products with higher values and benefits.
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Galungan Ceremony at Banjar Bayad
From cultural parades to festivals and religious holidays, Bali always has a reason for celebration. On Thursday, 8 June 2022, the local community of Banjar Bayad, Melinggih Kelod Village assembled at Pura Dalem Jemeng, one of the local temples, to hold a religious ceremony to commemorate Galungan Day which occurs once every 210 days in the Bainese calendar. The men wore an all-white top and layered sheath named Kamen, a Balinese traditional garment as the first layer and various colored Saput as the second layer while the women wore their Kebaya, the traditional women’s blouses.
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Eco Warriors’ Field Trip to See Bali Cattle
On 15 June 2022, Begawan’s students went on a field trip to a Balinese cattle farm. This visit was part of the Teeth theme, and was based on a lesson which discussed the growth of cattle teeth, the relationship between the shape of their teeth, the food they eat, and their habitat. The location for the field trip was not far from the students’ village, in the rice fields of Melinggih Kelod in Payangan.
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Health and Nutrition Screening by Puskesmas Payangan
As part of the Holiday Program and to support students’ well-being, Begawan Learning Centre collaborated with Puskesmas Payangan (Payangan Public Health Centre) to conduct health screening and monitor the students’ wellness and nutrition. Five health workers, representing the Health Centre, came to conduct the screening. This collaboration aims to be a part of Begawan and Puskesmas Payangan’s commitment to paying attention to student health.
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Healthy Internet Training
Internet activities are an inevitable part in children’s and teenagers’ lives nowadays. The Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information has found that the number of children and teenagers spending screen time surfing this worldwide system of computer networks has been significantly increasing over years. Through the internet, they access numerous sources of information, connect with people around the world, and enjoy items which provide entertainment. They also can develop skills and build good digital footprints.
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Begawan’s Mushroom Growing House
Several weeks ago, six Eco Warriors established “Pondok Jamur Begawan”, a project that focuses on farming and the sale of white oyster mushrooms: a type of edible fungi that has been widely consumed by people around the world, particularly in China, Korea, and Japan.
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Fostering An Entrepreneurial Mindset Through A Cricket Raising Program
On 1 April 2022, six students who are interested in cricket farming formed a small group. The decision to raise crickets was based on the students’ sensitivity to the surrounding environment and the demand for protein-rich crickets to feed the Bali Starlings bred by Begawan Breeding and Release Centre. The students concluded that there is an opportunity to sell crickets and turn it into a small business.
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Bee and Butterfly Festival
As the Bees and Butterflies theme came to an end, the Eco Warriors organised a festival to raise awareness of the conservation of bees and butterflies. The festival was held on Sunday, May 15, 2022 and located at Begawan’s Learning Centre in Melinggih Kelod, Payangan. Our Eco Warriors invited their family members, friends and other special guests to attend the festival. This festival was led by our beloved MC, Wayan, who is also one of our Eco Warriors.
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Begawan’s Further Releases of Bali Starlings
Under the supervision of the veterinarian, Begawan is now habituating another pair of Bali Starlings to be released in July. They are currently in a temporary enclosure in Banjar Begawan. The team has placed a further six young wild Bali Starlings in an enclosure to be released in the fourth week of August 2022.
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Biyukukung Ceremony in Banjar Bayad
On Tuesday 10 May 2022, just before sunrise, Leo, a local farmer, with his wife and other local farmers in Banjar Bayad travelled to the rice fields with newly prepared offerings. This was a special day because Leo and the farmers in Banjar Bayad would be carrying out one of the essential rice Balinese ceremonies, Biyukukung.
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Bali Starling Microchip Installation
The team then moved six more young Bali Starlings, aged 5 to 8 months, from Begawan Breeding and Release Centre to the newly emptied habituation enclosure in the Banjar Bayad field. Four months from now, these birds will be released as a flock after reaching approximately one year of age and having become used to the location.
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Begawan’s Bali Starling Foster Parent Project
In March 2022, Asosiasi Basebali became a new member and an extension of Begawan’s Foster Parent Project. Based in Jembrana Regency, the association plans that the captive breeding of the Bali Starlings will be carried out in the Learning Forest they manage with a team to monitor the birds. In April 2022, Begawan organised a breeders’ training session for Asosiasi Basebali. The team, consisting of nine members, attended the training at the Learning Centre. Conducted by our veterinarian, the training also included a field visit to Begawan’s current members of the Foster Parent Project in Melinggih Kelod and to the release sites where Begawan’s previously-released birds fly freely in the wild.
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Karate Belt Graduation
On Sunday 17 April, ten students joined Karate Belt Graduation which was held by Federasi Olahraga Karate-Do Indonesia (Forki) at Pusat Pemerintahan (PUSPEM) Payangan. These ten students included Gek Ami, Gek Sinta, and Kadek Agus who were yellow belt holders, and Wayan, Devi, Ayunda, Sangtu, Dhiky, Nindia, and Luh Sri who were white belt holders. They joined this event in order to achieve higher belt status. This event drew a large crowd and many participants since it was open for anyone who is passionate about learning karate.
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Balinese Literature Lessons at Begawan Learning Centre
Since 25 March 2022, as a part of proficiency classes, Begawan Learning Centre has scheduled twice-monthly Balinese Literature lessons. Begawan invited Wayan Armini, a facilitator of Balinese language from the Indonesian Ministry of Youth and Sport in Melinggih Kelod village, to teach the Balinese linguistic and cultural heritage to Eco Warriors. As the start of the first lesson, the Eco Warriors learned about the traditional Balinese script.
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Eco Warriors Preserve Bees and Butterflies Through Ogoh-Ogoh Miniatures
Mid-April 2022, the Eco Warriors made four ogoh-ogoh in groups at the Learning Centre. In line with Begawan’s principle of raising students’ awareness of the environment, the statues are made with environmentally friendly materials. The frame is made of bamboo, wrapped with waste paper, paper adhesive and clay, and the decoration is made from used cloth. These ogoh-ogoh will be exhibited at the end of the theme festival in May.
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Begawan Flock Release
Finally on 7 April 2022, Begawan released this flock of free-flying young wild Bali Starlings in Banjar Bayad in an area that is not part of the nesting area of the current wild pairs which are territorially protecting their own areas.
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Water Filter for Subak Irrigation
Before starting a new rice cycle early this year, Begawan installed a subsurface water filter for the Subak water that enters our rice fields using Akar Wangi.
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SMA Al-Falah Jakarta Visit to Begawan Breeding and Release Centre
On 28 March 2022, 19 students and 3 teachers from SMA Al-Falah Jakarta visited Begawan Breeding and Release Centre.
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Making Aromatherapy Beeswax Candles
On March 9, 2022, the students in Begawan’s Learning Centre made aromatherapy beeswax candles using the wax they extracted from the beehives.
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Eco Warriors Create Aesthetic Collages of Butterfly Shapes During Online Learning
In this activity, the Eco Warriors were given control and autonomy over their own learning to create collages of butterfly shapes using natural resources such as leaves, branches, stems, and flowers around their own homes.
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Eco Warriors Visit A Butterfly Park
As a part of the ‘Bees and Butterflies’ thematic program, on Sunday 3 April 2022, Eco Warriors visited the Bali Butterfly Park in Tabanan Regency to observe the life cycles of butterflies.
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Weeding Begawan’s Regenerative Rice Fields
Begawan has begun its farming program with a rice cultivation project implementing a locally adapted regenerative approach, focusing on improving the degraded soil and increasing the rice yield.
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A Snake-Proof Nest Box Pole for the Released Birds
Before releasing the birds back to their previous site, the staff are now installing a snake proof birdhouse pole recommended by Ron Lilley, a snake rescuer and snake-proofing advisor in Bali, who visited the foundation in 2021 to give advice for the birdhouse pole in the Breeding Centre.
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Preventing the Increase of Covid-19 Cases, the Eco Warrior are Learning at Home
Begawan realises that distance learning has its own challenges for students and facilitators. Students are vulnerable to feeling bored and constrained by limited learning support facilities. Begawan strives to continue to provide meaningful and relevant learning to students’ everyday life.
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Beekeeping Experience – A Day in the Apiary
On 23 February 2022, Eco Warriors visited an apiary located in West Selemadeg, Tabanan. This program aims to enrich the students’ insight and knowledge about beekeeping. The students were guided by the Learning Centre’s facilitators and two beekeepers.
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Knowledge and Experience Sharing Session with Talasi
On Monday, 7 March 2022, our guest speaker was from PT. Talasi Tru Origin: a company that seeks organic food of premium quality from their origins, which in return helps and empowers grassroot communities.
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Eco Warriors are Preserving Honey Bees at Begawan Learning Centre
January 31, 2022, the Thematic Class at the Begawan Learning Centre commenced a new theme, Bees and Butterflies. This theme encourages students to recognise the role of bees in pollinating plants, the life cycle of bees and butterflies, their habitat in the wild, and look at how to take concrete actions for the conservation of bees and butterflies.
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Sexual Health Education with KISARA
In late January, KISARA (Kita Sayang Remaja) came to Begawan Learning Centre to give the Eco-Warriors a role-playing workshop. The goal was to improve students’ self-confidence and influence their behaviour in sexual health education, even at a young age.
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Nurturing Hope through the Hope Tree
On 28th January 2022, Begawan Learning Centre involved the Eco-Warriors in a learning session entitled “Hope Tree”. In this session, the students learned about the significance of having hopes that they want to pursue for the future.
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Begawan Farming Program
In January 2022, Begawan launched its farming program with the goal to establish productive, regenerative agriculture in Bayad, a neighbourhood close to our office and to our breeding centre.
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Begawan’s First Release in 2022
Early in 2022, we released a further breeding pair at a community compound in Banjar Paneca, Melinggih Kelod, Payangan. Prior to their release, our veterinarian, dr. Sugiarta, accompanied by our bird keeper, Kadek, installed a microchip in each bird’s body, for future identification purposes.
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First Aid Training with the Indonesian Red Cross in Gianyar Regency
On 16 December, 2022, Begawan Learning Centre in collaboration with PMI (Red Cross) Gianyar Regency held first aid accident training at the Learning Centre.
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December: A Month Full of Gratitude
The Mother’s Day celebrations at Begawan Learning Centre lasted for two days. It began with students bringing eggs to take care of during the first day.
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Preparation for A Flock Release
Guided by our veterinarian, several staff and local residents installed an enclosure for pre-release habituation and adaptation for several weeks at the proposed flock release site in Banjar Bayad.
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New Year’s Resolution: Building Healthy Eating Habits Together
On 17 December, this team from Puskesmas Payangan consisting of a doctor, a nurse, and a nutritionist came to the Learning Centre to check the students’ eyes, ears, teeth and nutritional status.
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Happy Holidays, Happy Year End
On December 23, 2021, students at Begawan practiced yoga with an instructor named Segara. Thirty-seven students participated, and were taught simple yoga movements.
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A New Formula for Bali Starling Release
In 2021 we released three pairs of Bali Starlings and in 2022 after evaluating these releases, we will conduct our releases slightly differently.
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Eco Warriors Take Part in A Balinese Dance Competition
Bali is famous for its beautiful culture and arts. One of the most interesting of Balinese arts is dance.
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Eco Warriors Take Part in A Balinese Dance Competition
After practicing for seven classes, five Eco Warriors confidently took part in the Condong Bali and Baris Tunggal dance competitions organised by Sekaa Teruna Yowana Dharma Pratiwi, Sukawati.
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Healthy Environment for Birds at Begawan Breeding and Release Centre
We implement protocols for an enclosure location. It should be sited away from kitchen fumes, garages, and roads, as the fumes are toxic. Birds are very susceptible to smoke and toxins in the air.
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The Use of Ancient Coinage in Balinese Traditional Ceremonies
In November 2021, Eco Warriors were invited to get to know more about various types of uang kepeng and practice its use in cultural traditions in Bali.
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Fostering Creativity to Tackle Real World Challenges
In the Commercial Maths / Money theme, apart from learning about money itself, the students were also invited to care about and be sensitive to social issues that are relevant to the theme of money, one of them being poverty.
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Microchip Installation
In 2021, Begawan released three microchipped breeding pairs of Bali Starlings in Melinggih Kelod Village area.
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Developing Altruistic Thinking Through the Theme of ‘Commercial Math’
The Eco Warriors are learning about money in the ‘Commercial Math’ theme during October and November 2021. They work on activities ranging from researching the history of money to examining currencies and conversion to other countries’ currencies.
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The Wild Bird Pairs and Young Wild Birds for A Flock Release
The Foundation will release a flock of free-flying young wild birds in Banjar Bayad, Melinggih Kelod Village, in an area that is not part of the nesting area of the current pairs which are territorially protecting their own areas.
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Technology Integration in Everyday Learning
Begawan Learning Centre integrates learning technology beyond typing and assignments. In our specialised computer room, we have four iMacs, and a total of 18 tablets are also available for the students to use.
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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.
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Monitoring Bird Health
Begawan is committed to preserve the Bali Starling.
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Letter from an Eco Warrior: Surprise Gift on Saturday
Hello! My name is Nia. I’ve been studying at Begawan Foundation Learning Centre since 2020 before the pandemic.
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Raising Bali Starlings
Every day, Kadek prepares a variety of food items for our Bali Starlings, such as bean sprouts, carrots, papaya, crickets, mealworms to meet their nutritional needs and ensure the health of our birds.
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Letter from an Eco Warrior: Experience of Participating in a National Child Singer Talent Search
Hi, my name is Ni Luh Sri Apriliani. I am now in 4th grade at SD Negeri 2 Melinggih Kelod. I have been studying at Begawan Foundation Learning Centre since the 2nd grade of elementary school.
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The Unyielding Spirit of the Eco Warriors
Batakita, Buildings on our Land, is the final project of the theme, Dwellings. During the two months that the Eco Warriors studied this theme, they carried out a variety of activities relating to buildings, including making dioramas.
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Two Eco Warriors Join the National Child Singer Talent Search
Every child is born special and unique, every child is intelligent in his or her own field.
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The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival
The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF) is an annual literary festival held by the Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati in Ubud.
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Begawan Foundation’s Third Release in 2021
Begawan is actively breeding and releasing the Bali Starling since 1999.
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Illegal Hunting Stop Signs Installation for Melinggih Kelod Village
The Bali Starling is a white bird with the iconic blue “eye mask”. The gentle and docile nature of these birds makes them a valuable and easy catch for poachers.
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A New Family Member
Every morning, Leo checks this pair on his property. He performs a ritual to call her and her partner by knocking on a bamboo wind bell while shouting her name. These two birds understand the sound of the bamboo wind bell and the calls made by Leo and they always fly and perch near him.
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Education Knows No Boundaries
Begawan Foundation Learning Centre is in Melinggih Kelod, a typical community village with rural customs, far enough from the hustle and bustle of the city, and where nature is still beautiful. Even though they live in a village, the children are enthusiastic to get an education.
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Letter from an Eco Warrior: Experience of Participating in a National Biology Competition
Hello my name is A. A. Istri Laksmi Pradnya Yanti, you can call me Gek Ami. I’m 11 now, but I’ll be 12 soon. I’m in 6th grade at SD Negeri 1 Melinggih. I live in Banjar Badung, Desa Melinggih. I don’t live in Desa Melinggih Kelod where the Learning Center is located, but I have been studying there for almost 4 years.
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Eco Warriors Preserve Balinese Art and Cultural Heritage
In the theme ‘Dwellings’, Eco Warriors were invited to recognize and preserve the cultural heritage that exists in the immediate environment where they live. One of the activities was to visit the local ‘Puri’ and ‘Pura’.
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Eco Warriors Design a Second Home
Every month, Eco Warriors learn a new theme. Throughout August and September 2021, they learned about ‘Dwellings’. Using the four pillars, with introspective, active, emotive and cognitive activities, students travelled to various parts of the world to identify different places to live.
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Translating The Senses of Taste and Hearing into Colour and Visuals
Eco Warriors at Begawan Foundation Learning Centre used taste and hearing as ‘color translator tools’, then they painted. They started by tasting a candy and then translated it into a color which they thought could represent the taste of the candy, putting what they imagined onto paper.
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The Enforcement of Restrictions on Community Activities is Not a Limitation on Quality Education
In early July 2021, the government announced the enforcement of restrictions on community activities. This situation made the staff of Begawan Foundation think on how to continue to provide quality education for Eco Warriors, and an idea was born to use the online space to bring together professionals from various regions with Eco Warriors.
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Letter from an Eco Warrior: A 4-Year Journey with Begawan Foundation
Hi, my name is Ni Putu Sri Cantika Maha Dewi. You can call me Cantika. I have been studying at Begawan Foundation since the time when the Learning Centre was still called Klub Lingkungan, approximately 4 years ago, in 2017.
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What to do prior to a Bali Starling Release
Begawan Foundation also ensures three identification tags are attached to the Bali Starlings that will be released into the wild.
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The Miracle of Rice Fields
From behind their face masks, we can see joy and happiness radiating from the eyes and faces of our Eco Warriors while learning in the rice fields. The full story of their activities can be read in the previous article.
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Eco Warriors’ Field Trip to a Rice Field
On July 22, 2021, the Eco Warriors, the name for students at Begawan Foundation Learning Centre, had the opportunity to enjoy a field trip to the rice fields in Banjar Bayad, about 1.3 kilometres from the centre.
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Eco-Warriors Food Festival :Eco Warriors ‘Showcase’ Their Learning
On June 29 – 30, 2021, the Eco Warriors organized a Food Festival as their final project in the Cooking Science theme. This activity was attended by a variety of guests, such as school teachers, parents, previous Begawan Foundation education staff, a team from Amandari Hotel & Resort, an international senior teacher, and several people who have supported the students’ education.
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Reaching for the Stars in the Sky – Begawan Foundation’s Students
On June 5, Eco Warriors – the name of Begawan Foundation Learning Centre students – attended an interior design workshop with Melati Danes Interior at Amandari Hotel & Resort.
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Letter from an Eco Warrior: Surprise Gift on Saturday
Hello! My name is Nia. I’ve been studying at Begawan Foundation Learning Centre since 2020 before the pandemic. During the pandemic, I diligently participated in ‘study at home’ with Begawan Foundation. I enjoy studying with the foundation.
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Eco Warriors Create a Variety of Rice Dishes
In a corner of Begawan Foundation Learning Centre, a small group of Eco Warriors worked together to make various Indonesian spices and herbs. They made nasi liwet (savory rice served with choko) and nasi uduk (steamed rice with coconut milk), a famous Javanese rice dish, creating appetizing dishes.
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Food Is Not Just About Eating
What do you think of when you first read the word ‘food’? Maybe you imagine a variety of delicious dishes. Maybe you imagine eating a meal with someone in a place with good food. Maybe you also remember the taste of food that you cannot forget.
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Utilization of Technology as Learning Media at Begawan Foundation
Begawan Foundation Learning Centre provides facilities for learning technology in its computer laboratory to improve the learning abilities of our Eco Warriors.
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Begawan Foundation’s Second Release in 2021
In order to realize our goal to see Bali Starlings flying freely in the wild, on June 22, 2021, we released a further two Bali Starlings at a community compound in Banjar Begawan, Melinggih Kelod, Payangan. This is the second release for 2021.
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Education for Eco-Warriors
Orientation activities, which began on May 2nd, coincided with National Education Day. We saw this as a good time to get to know the Eco-Warriors better. The education staff invited Eco-Warriors to let them know what education means for each of them. The results of their reflection are amazing.
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From Poacher to Keeper
One of our staff members, Kadek Sanjaya Winangun, who works at the foundation’s Breeding and Release Centre as the bird keeper, comes from the local community of Banjar Pengaji, Melinggih Kelod.
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Sharing Space with Bali Starlings
When you visit the Breeding and Release Centre, you can see a couple of wild Bali Starlings flying around freely. The sound of their singing will be like music to your ears, especially knowing that this species has struggled to live in the wild for many years now.
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Boosting Self-Confidence, Eco-Warrior Practice Their Interviews
To summarize their learning as well as to close the theme of “Growing in Bali”, on April 28-30 2021, the Eco-Warriors at the Begawan Foundation Learning Centre made a video coverage of interviews with each other. Their goal is to share the knowledge they have acquired with others.
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How We Take Good Care of Bali Starlings
Until now, Bali Starlings are still threatened with extinction. In conserving and maintaining the health of the birds at Begawan Foundation’s Breeding and Release Centre, we apply strict standards, from clean enclosures to intake of nutritious foods.
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The Spirit of Kartini Today at Begawan Foundation Learning Centre
Begawan Learning Centre also has the same spirit as Kartini, which is to provide equal rights for males and females, especially in the field of education. This is realised by the participation of girls in the Learning Centre. As many as 70% of our registered Eco-Warriors are female.
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Welcome to our Conservation and Education Centres in Melinggih Kelod!
Our Breeding and Release Centre is located at Banjar Begawan. Here, the Bali Starlings are taken care of by our bird keeping staff. The health of all birds is regularly checked, with vitamins given by our veterinarian, Made Sugiarta.
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Building Local Community is Key in Education and Conservation Work
By developing the local community in general, education and conservation work becomes easier. There is a synergy between the two and the connecting point is building the spirit within the local community so that they themselves want to educate and conserve the endangered animals in the future.
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Encouraging Curiosity, Eco-Warriors Learned How to Use A Microscope!
On March 21, 2021, under the theme ‘Growing in Bali’, the Eco-Warriors studied one of the topics, namely plant cells. The education staff invited the Eco-Warriors to observe the shape of carrot plant cells.
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Post-Release Monitoring Activities of the Bali Starlings
On Monday, 5 April 2021, the Begawan Foundation again released birds in Melinggih Kelod village, from one of the residents’ houses in Banjar Begawan. After evaluating this first release, two other pairs of Bali Starlings will be set free this year.
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A Letter from an Eco-Warrior
Hi, my name is I Gede Agus Eka Adi Putra. I have been studying at Begawan Foundation for about two years. I learned many things at Begawan Foundation, one of which is studying for the Science Olympics. I learned a lot of things with the Olympics lessons during this pandemic.
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Studying in the Forest to Recognise the Plants Growing in Bali
To get hands-on experience in their natural habitat, the Learning Centre invited Eco-Warriors to study at the Gianyar Botanical Garden. This place is a local forest located about 30 minutes from our centre. Parents of the Eco-Warriors escorted their children individually for safety due to the pandemic.
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The Meaning of Our Work, The Joy in Sharing Updates on Wild Bali Starlings
In early February, a wild Bali Starling laid four eggs. Even though only two of them hatched, both of the Bali Starling chicks grew healthily until they were able to fly out of the nest box on their own. It was such a joy to see them grow from hatchlings to flying and free Bali Starlings. Through CCTV and our conservation staff’s phone camera, we were able to see the progression of their growth.
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Begawan Foundation Community-Based Conservation Program in 2021
Struggling with COVID-19 in 2020 was unexpected for all of us. Even though it is now 2021, the challenges of living during a pandemic are still ongoing. However, this did not get in the way of Begawan Foundation and the Madhusuara Breeders Association. On March 10, we held a meeting with the Bali Starling breeders association in Melinggih Kelod Village, ensuring that we implemented health protocols.
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Introspective Activities in Learning
Begawan Foundation Learning Centre recommenced ‘face-to-face’ learning in the third week of November 2020, having been closed due to the pandemic, since March. At the same time, the education team implemented a special curriculum that has been designed by Begawan Foundation and the International Education Consultant Institute, Zaprendo.
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Begawan Foundation, A 20 Year Journey
Begawan Foundation celebrated its 20-year journey on 28 February 2021. On our 20 year anniversary, we cherish our work giving back to the local community in Bali and protecting one of Bali’s treasures, the critically endangered Bali Starling. The Bali Starling (Leucopsar Rothschildi) is an iconic and precious species as it is the only endemic vertebrate on the Island since the Bali Tiger (Panthera Tigris Sondaica) became extinct. We realize that the failure of the numerous breeding and release programs has been due to the relentless poaching and the lack of involvement and engagement from the community. Therefore, we believe that engaging the local community is an effective and important approach.
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Eco-Warriors’ Initiative Cleaned A Water Channel From Plastic Waste
On the way back to the Learning Centre, they found a lot of plastic waste stuck in a water channel near the rice fields. Most of the waste was in the form of plastic bottles and plastic wrappers. The Eco-Warriors know that these items are difficult to decompose and will endanger the environment. One Eco-Warrior took the initiative to invite the others to clean up the waste before returning to the Learning Centre.
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Exploring Begawan Foundation’s Garden and Learning Centre
As the newest member of the Begawan Foundation team, the most enjoyable thing I did in the first week was exploring Begawan Foundation’s garden and Learning Centre. I also had time to chat with the children who were painting the recycle bin lids while waiting for their cooking class to start. The Eco-Warriors took the initiatives themselves to do that. They also enthusiastically welcomed me and introduced themselves.
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Increase curiosity through studying in the wild
On 20-21 January 2021, one of the topics studied by students at the Learning Centre is monitoring the preservation of endangered animals and their habitats. The Begawan Foundation Learning Centre, which applies the principle of learning by doing, invites students to learn to actively monitor the Bali Starling birds that have been released in the wild through field trips to rice fields located not far from the Learning Centre.
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Fostering Children’s Confidence Through Drama
Since the end of January 2021, our Eco-Warriors have been excited to do a Drama Performance. They’ve prepared with great enthusiasm. Unlike the previous performances which adopted drama from stories from existing books, this time, Eco-Warriors compiled or composed their own story.
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