Feeding the hungry: Bangkok's First Community Fridge

Please click here for my sixth article (published by Coconuts). It is about the Community Fridge at theCOMMONS (a mall in the Thong Lor area of Bangkok), and the efforts of ThaiHarvest|SOS to cut food waste.

Food vendors at the mall deposit leftover food in the fridge and ThaiHarvest|SOS distribute it the those in need around the city.

The article follows a day's donations from the upscale mall to a church community of Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees outside of Bangkok.  

I'm very pleased to say that to date - the article has had over 14,000 Facebook shares! 

Below is a quick photo essay illustrating how the food is rescued:

Bangkokians love to eat out, but food often remains unsold at closing time.  Picture: theCOMMONS.

Gourmet bakery items cannot be sold the next day.  Picture: Ewen Mcleish.

The behind the scenes community fridge awaits donations from food vendors.  Picture: Ewen Mcleish. 

Fit to eat food, ready for collection. All donations are checked by a qualified food hygienist.  Picture: Ewen Mcleish. 

The donations were loaded onto a refrigerated truck and driven across town.  Picture: Ewen Mcleish. 

Bakery items waiting to be given out at the refugee church.  Picture: Ewen Mcleish. 

The food was handed out. Nobody took too much. Soon everything was gone. Picture: Ewen Mcleish. 

To read the article in full click here. 

Mission Impossible: A Zero Waste Journey in Bangkok?

Here is my FIFTH published article.  This time for Coconuts Bangkok. It is about Madeleine Recknagel who is attempting, with considerable success, to live a zero waste lifestyle in the over-consumptive, resource guzzling city of Bangkok. 

Madeleine at a community beach clean up modelling an upcycled plastic bag corset and styofoam sword by Soledad Designs Photo Silva Carneiro

Below are some photos from Madeleine, which didn't make the article.  All are great zero waste, plastic avoidance ideas easily achievable in Bangkok:

Say no to plastic straws! Photo Nitcharat Siraprapasiri

There are 'bulk-buy' shops in China-Town - reduce waste by bringing your own container or bag!  Photo: Madeleine Recknagel 

Look out for natural alternatives to plastic packaging Photo: Madeleine Recknagel

Swap out synthetic everyday items for natural alternatives. These loofahs can replace unnatural sponges, and be used in the bathroom or in the kitchen for the washing up. They need to be carefully cleaned to avoid the breeding of harmful bacteria.  Photo: Madeleine Recknagel 

Disposable plastics have become part of many Thai traditions and rituals.
Photo: Madeleine Recknagel 

Madeleine has a great blog: The Sustainable Self and Facebook Page of the same name. Worth checking out if you want to reduce your waste further.

Can Thailand's Rarest Bird Win a Reprieve?

The discovery of a lone female Gurney's pitta in Krabi has raised hopes that the colourful songbird could survive despite its ravaged habitat... 

Here's my article about the Gurney's pitta which appeared in The Bangkok Post on Sunday's Spectrum section on the 30th of October 2016. My first article actually in print! 

After rediscovery of this pretty little songbird in the South of Thailand in 1986, it took just four decades to render it functionally extinct. This was caused by expanding rubber and palm oil plantations, and a lack of will by authorities to adequately protect Gurney's pitta habitats. The recent discovery of a few individuals raises hopes for a new Thai breeding programme. 

There are also further hopes for protecting the bird across the border in Myanmar where a population of Gurney's Pitta were rediscovered in 2003. These populations are also threatened by relentless expansion of palm oil plantations, but if the government approves the opening of the Lenya National Park in Southern Myanmar, the Gurney's pitta may survive for future generations to enjoy. 

Please follow the link above to find out more. 

A male and female Gurney's Pitta. Photo: Kanit Khanikul.

Amazing adventure climbing Gunung Rinjani in Lombok but...

Here's the article I was inspired to write after making it to the summit of Rinjani Lombok, Indonesia's iconic volcano. The news website Coconuts Bali were kind enough to publish it.

Unfortunately, inspiration for the article was not only the awesome views, but also the shocking level of mindless littering encountered during the trek.

My hope is that the Coconuts Bali article will go someway to prompt the serious clean up and proper system of waste management needed to make Rinjani a truly world class destination.

In the meantime below are some snaps of my adventure. The litter problem should not put you off the experience, go, enjoy, and ask the Park Authority about their progress in clearing it up!

Me, at the crater rim, pleased with my day's achievements. 

A view of Rinjani's summit. 

Returning to camp after the summit. The soft, sandy ash makes the climb quite difficult. 

The ridge we crossed to reach the summit, with the crater in the background. 

One of the many monkeys that share Rinjani with the trekkers. 

This is the litter I found right outside the National Park office in Senaru, which I visited to interview the area's top ranger about the littering problem. 

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN INDONESIAN (I think). Click here.