Earth Day falls on Wednesday (Apr 22), but you probably haven't realised that since you're still busy trying to get the white clay from Songkran off your fingernails. Each year, Earth Day sees events organised around the world in support of environmental causes. Since we think you can do better than declining a plastic bag after shopping at 7-Eleven, this week Guru searches for ways us city-folk can go green.
Flex your green thumb
Get in touch with nature and learn how to nurture plants at these unique green spaces.
- You can do so much at a Bangkok shopping mall, but at Siam Square One's Siam Green Sky (7/F, Rama I Road, BTS Siam, 099-001-8514, http://fb.com/siamgreensky), you can even learn about urban agriculture. The rooftop garden is Chulalongkorn University's pilot project to utilise empty space within its buildings to create green zones. Besides providing a place to relax and reducing temperatures inside the shopping mall, the one-rai garden also serves as a space for workshops, allowing people to sign up to learn how to grow vegetables or rice and create a vertical garden (for those who count their abode in square metres). Visitors can educate themselves on solar cell systems for farming and how to produce fertiliser from organic waste. Photo-ops can be had at plots of herbs, decorative plants and rice, as well as artwork created by Thai street artists such as Alex Face, Mamacup and Bonus TMC. Siam Green Sky will have an official opening on May 22-24, but you'll have to book your visit in advance. A green market will also take place on the same dates. Free one-hour tours will be organised on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
- If you want to live out your FarmVille or Hay Day fantasies, consider the co-farming space Konsangfarm (089-499-0042, http://fb.com/konsangfarm). It's the brainchild of three MBA students - Rissara “Tum” Winitchaiyanan, Siriphat “Paeng” Thovara and Sakraan “Nik” Sitcharangsie - who want to encourage urbanites to grow their own food. They combined the concepts of a co-working space and allotment garden to create this unique venture. Aspiring farmers can rent a small space on their plot in Saraburi. You can also receive step-by-step guidance in everything from choosing the right plant to harvesting. You can visit your plot and tend to your plants every day or just hire a farmer to take care of it, starting at only B39 per day. No prior knowledge is required - all necessary tools and technology can be provided or taught. Harvest your plants for food or sell them, it's up to you. There are also half-day tours of the farm, where you can milk a cow, play with farm animals and learn to grow veggies. Tum, Paeng and Nik are currently trying to find another farm location in Bangkok.
- Various non-profit groups have joined forces to turn a vacant 1,120m² into Root Garden (Tue-Sun 8am-8pm, 10am-8pm for the cafe. Thong Lor Soi 3, near Pridi Banomyong Insitute, 081-638-5894,
http://goo.gl/cWCX49, IG: @rootgardenthonglor). The space aims to foster a sense of community through various green activities, such as watering plants, growing veggies, collecting mushrooms and feeding goats or chickens. Visitors can learn about organic farming at its facilities. Sip a cup of chemical-free coffee brewed from beans grown in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, or shop for organic products at Root Garden Cafe. The Root Market takes place on the second and fourth Sunday of each month, where you can buy fresh produce, plant rice and enjoy an inspiring talk or acoustic concert while sitting on haystacks. All activities are free.
Don't forget to eat (and drink) your greens
Surround yourself with nature and give your body and mind a break at these tree-filled cafes.
- Bankampu Tropical Gallery & Cafe (9am-6:30pm. 5/61 Yothin Pattana Soi 3,
02-946-6016, http://www.bankampu.com, http://fb.com/bankampu) has grown from a private collection of plants into one of the greeniest cafes in Bangkok. Surath Vanno, a former industrial art professor at Chulalongkorn University, has been an avid collector of plants since he was 15 years old. To him, plants are like artwork created by nature, therefore he calls his giant garden a gallery. The lush Bankampu is a place where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and simple dishes such as chicken spaghetti or fried wontons. Listen closely and you'll hear the sound of crickets - not to mention a waterfall. Visitors can also shop for garden decorations or plants. The venue can be rented as a location for weddings, too.
- The 66 Cottage (Tue-Sun 9:30am-7pm. 66 Sukhumvit Soi 66, BTS Udom Suk Exit 2, 02-744-9622, 086-895-0202, http://fb.com/The66Cottage) is a retail space/park consisting of an eponymous cafe, a Thlos skincare shop, a Nerb Handcrafted shop and a Munchbox healthy food store. The cafe offers sweet treats such as peppermint milk pudding, red velvet waffles and lychee jelly. Take a stroll down a plant-lined brick path that leads to a fountain or have an afternoon picnic on the grass in the shade of trees. Contort and stretch for a better mind and body with a yoga class in the garden. The PunFarmSook Flea Market will be held there every Sunday afternoon, beginning next week. You can buy fresh produce directly from the farmers themselves or shop for handmade or pre-loved products. The venue can be rented for private functions.
Green on the go
Going greener is at your fingertips with help from these mobile applications.
- We Grow allows Thais from across the country to participate in the Grow for Princess project, which aims to encourage people to plant six million trees to honour HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and help combat global warming. The application works somewhat like a social network. After you plant a tree, you can upload its picture, place it on a digital map and show off your effort via Facebook. Follow the progress of other growers on the feed page or learn how to grow different types of trees on the “knowledge” page. The Thai app is available on both the App Store and Google Play. Check out the project's website
(http://www.growforprincess.in.th) to find out where you can get free trees across the nation.
- ECO Life lets you reap rewards from your efforts in green commuting. The app will track your journey from start to finish, automatically calculating whether you're walking, riding a bicycle or driving. The stats will reveal calories burned, distance travelled, CO2 reduction and its equivalence in the number of trees grown. You'll also receive ecopoints, which are redeemable for discounts or privileges at participating shops and hotels. Most importantly, the number of trees you digitally grow via the app will actually be planted sometime in the future. ECO Life is available for free on the App Store.
- Download Eco Planet from Google Play and you'll receive practical tips for a greener daily life - how to save energy, separate garbage and choose more environmentally friendly products. A cute tree family will guide you through five mini-games (they aren't as easy as you think) in Thai. When you finish, Papa Tree will tell you how good you are at saving the planet, and reveal the number of years by which you've prolonged the Earth's life. We gave our blue buddy an extra 96,000 years (Papa Tree was probably just flattering us).
