My passion for agriculture started in a classroom discussing a food system I had grown up in: the industrial food system of the U.S. I was familiar with the pitfalls of this system, from animal welfare to longterm food supply sustainability.
Upon completing my undergrad thesis on alternative and sustainable learning environments, my conclusion deciphered how the presence of change within our society could be most effectively achieved amongst children.
As a person who can’t say that they have ever taken a legitimate cooking class, I wasn’t really sure on what to expect when I headed into my first one at “Cooking at Home” in Chiang Mai. However I can confidently say that I was very pleasantly surprised at not only the quality, but also the format in which it was provided.
It’s my first night in Cambodia and I find myself on the rooftop patio at a hostel in Battambang eating dinner with a few other travelers. We are sharing stories about our latest adventures, describing our favorite meals, and talking about our future destinations — the typical backpacker stuff.
One day my feathered nest was set ablaze
All the ways
In which it changed me
are tragically amazing.
In just a few hours during our agro-tour in the Nakhon Pathom province, we caught a glimpse of not only the agricultural sector that powers this province, but also less visible cultural practices and social trends.
Community living is a concept as old as the human race. Our modern lifestyle with singles, couples, and single-families living in isolated housing units is relatively modern, and uncommon in much of the world.
In June 2011, Conservation International and the monks of the 100 Pillar Pagoda opened the Mekong Turtle Conservation Center (MTCC) as part of the Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle conservation project.
In March 2017, Operation Groundswell spent a day working with Ockenden Cambodia on the farm of Mr. Phle Song in the rural district of Mongkol Borey, Cambodia. We learned how to make raw sugar from both sugarcane and palm oil, but the highlight of the day was listening to Mr. Song’s story.
You are confronted by so many emotions and experiences over the course of your journey with Operation Groundswell. For starters, you learn to leave your comfort zone; you meet Backpacktivists, each friendlier than the last, and you reach another level in the search for self-discovery.
Over the past few decades, travel in Southeast Asia has become almost synonymous with elephant rides, posing some serious ethical concerns around the care for these endangered species. At OG, finding an ethical way to interact with these gentle giants was and continues to be of utmost importance to us.
Last year I had the opportunity to hear the brilliant lawyer, writer, and activist, Bryan Stevenson, speak at the NAFSA conference for International Educators. Bryan is an extremely gifted speaker and a thoughtful, humble human. He took to the podium and his message was clear: the only way to stay inspired in the work, the only way to ensure that the work you are doing is truly good, is to be proximate.
OG redefines friendship by selecting some of the most amazing people you will ever meet. We’re a family. Not that Jim and Becca are our mum and dad, but that they, too, are two of my newest 14 siblings.
My first steps onto the premises of the S-21 Prison were some of the most impactful. It once was a school; at first I didn’t even believe we were at the prison. How could something that seemed so helpless and fragile be used for a purpose so cruel, so gruesome?
Last week, the Animal Conservation program had the pleasure of volunteering with the Elephant Valley Project. This, of course, involves learning about and watching elephants.
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