Implementing Sustainable Environmental Initiatives

The project

This NGO works to design and implement various environmental strategies to reduce man's impact upon the Balinese landscape. They have initiated a Permaculture centre and wormery run by farmers to produce compost for their fields, with excess being sold to nearby farms. Mobile rice mills and organic rice intensification training are creating new awareness whilst doubling yields in a sustainable manner. New initiatives to trap mosquitoes have been founded, biogas plants built, and a new micro-hydro electric generator is being built in a nearby village with plans for more in the near future.

This is a proactive organisation with plenty of new ideas still in the pipeline and your contribution to these on-going activities and your new ideas will be more than welcomed.

The location

The beautiful Indonesian island of Bali provides an ideal setting to gain experience in innovative environmental work and help ensure that local farmers steer a course of sustainable development.

Volunteer Work

As a participant on the Environmental Internship programme, you will be working with a local NGO and Balinese farming communities to improve environmental practices and standards. Many of the farmers you'll meet have already been working to counter the negative environmental impact of the so-called 'Green Revolution,' a set of initiatives sponsored by the Indonesian government in the 1950's and 60's to increase crop yields using harmful pesticides. Yet many farmers continue to use unsustainable amounts of fertilisers, and despite living in one of the most beautiful regions of the world, there is little awareness of the impact of non-biodegradable waste upon the environment.

You will be working closely with experienced staff creating and implementing sustainable initiatives in Bali such as a Permaculture Centre, a Mobile Rice Mill or a micro-infrastructure construction and maintenance. These are great opportunities for environmental scientists, innovators and enthusiasts.

This is a very flexible placement and your daily life will depend on which project or projects you choose to get involved with.

Permaculture Centre

In the Permaculture centre daily work will involve compost making, tending to the wormery, weeding and helping with other chores. You will get to take part in Permaculture training workshops every Friday to learn new methods and strategies. If you have any expertise in the subject, you will be very welcome to add to the discussion.

You may also be asked to create documentation for all the different methodologies, strategies and activities, help create instructional videos and other administrative tasks.

Mobile Rice Mill

The main activity in this project is, as the name suggests, milling rice! You will assist local staff in visiting the different villages in the area and meeting local farmers, helping them to operate the machinery, record outputs, or resolve technical issues. This is a great way to visit the local areas and get to know the locals in depth.

Micro-Infrastructure Construction and Maintenance

Get involved in the construction of various micro-infrastructure projects, including; Biogas, hydro-electric plants, wormeries, Permaculture centres etc. You will learn first-hand how to plan, design, and then build these modern, sustainable marvels.

Hike Campuan Hill Ridge

The walk starts at Ubud’s large bridge spanning the deep Wos River gorge, on the east river bank. The trail soon climbs up onto grassy ‘Bukit Campuan’ (Champuan Hill) and offers stunning views of the ridge lines running parallel to the hill. You’ll also see tropical forests, charming houses and villas perched on the steep embankments of the gorges. 

Visit Ubud’s gorgeous Water Palace

This is one of the most beautiful temples in Bali. It’s approached by a long stone walkway ‘floating’ through a large deep-green pond full of water lilies. Ubud’s water palace is designed in typical Balinese temple style with red brick, white stone, and elaborately carved wood. Two stone temple guardians shaded by Balinese umbrellas ward off bad spirits. The entry is embellished with elaborately carved and gilded wood doors.

The Water Palace is located in the middle of Ubud on Jalan Raya Uud.

Watch a gamelan music or dance rehearsals

Among Balinese, Ubud is famous for its sophisticated dance and gamelan troupes, considered the very best on the island. Several long-standing schools regularly compete for first place, which keeps standards very high. Students start training at very early ages to learn the complicated dances or gamelan songs, which are passed down by imitation. Nothing is written down.