We are excited to announce that the Kelusa Tiny Forest in Bali has started their first plantings!

In case you missed the previous stories, please have a look at our news section, where numerous articles were published on the development of the Tiny Forest happening in Bali.

In the story below, Chelsea shares the latest developments.

Transforming Waste into Beauty

A story by Chelsea Detari

Bali is a deeply cultural place rooted in community. At the beginning of the year, the entire community receives a calendar, the Pawukon or Saka, outlining the dates for all communal activities. There are specific days designated for weddings, ceremonies, and milestones; essentially, any significant undertaking requires an auspicious day, or Dewasa Ayu.

In Balinese culture, there are even special days specifically for construction and breaking ground, ensuring that any structure is built in harmony with the earth. Beyond building, there are sacred days to honor the plant kingdom, acknowledging that life flourishes best when we align our efforts with the rhythms of nature. We received a message on Thursday from Made, our local friend helping with this project, saying that today was the designated day we needed to plant. Of course, it was all hands on deck to make this possible, and we had to make arrangements to get seeds, saplings, etc., sooner than expected!

It’s funny, in Bali sometimes it feels like nothing is happening, then suddenly everything changes.

I’m reflecting on this picture from a few months back:

Before: A waste ground

It’s hard to believe these are the same grounds. This is the same spot:

After: Children planting their Tiny Forest

The entire energy of the school has shifted. The children were laughing and dancing, and the connection between the students, teachers, and the earth felt renewed. All of us felt that shift in the air. We have an herbal section with different herbs like ginger, turmeric, galangal, and aloe vera. We have fruits like mangosteen, jackfruit, mango, star fruit, papaya, and trees (seeds) selected by the community.

When we first started this journey, we had no idea where to put the Tiny Forest. We spent time searching for empty land elsewhere, but when we looked closer, we saw a possibility for transformation right on the school grounds.

It’s amazing how, if we look closely, we realize that the “fertile ground” we are seeking is often already beneath our feet, waiting for us to recognize its potential.

For us, this Tiny Forest represents what is possible in the community and the world when we work together and never give up. We are looking forward to hosting SEE Learning activities here as our local teachers work towards completing their L1 training at Emory University.

This tiny forest, and the entire process of creating it, has been the embodiment of resilience, systems thinking, compassion, and interdependence in action. Thank you so much to the GTI team for your generosity. You have brought more smiles, kindness, and hope into all of our lives.

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Chelsea, this is incredible! A very big congratulations to you and your team for making this possible. We are so happy to see this transformation, and we are grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with you and the SEE Learning Indonesia team. We are excited to see how this project develops.

Check out this heartfelt video below, and even more beautiful photos!