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Planting Seeds In A Garden
The Center for Ecozoic Living and Learning or more dearly known as CELL is a non-government organisation found in Silang, Cavite. It is a place that promotes ecozioc living, which is most commonly known sustainable lifestyle, and encourages others to engage in the said lifestyle by allowing them to experience this firsthand. We, the students of the Advanced Environmental Education class got to experience this as we went to site last October 1, 2016. Once we stepped down from our bus, we were immediately greeted by Kuya Renato and Kuya Benny who then began to give us an orientation. Part of this orientation is telling us that killing bugs such as mosquitoes are not allowed for that is their way of preserving biodiversity. They also informed us that for 18 years that CELL has been in existence, the wood that was used to create the structures, have all remained to be the original.
The first stop of the tour, was the Biodigester. The Bodigester is a contraption that promotes the use of renewable energy for it turns human feces into methane gas. This methane gas becomes their primary source of heat and fire to be able to do tasks such as cook. Our group’s tour guide, Kuya Renato, also gave us the chance to taste freshly picked herbs, such as the tarragon and eucalyptus, all of which were produced by the method of organic farming. After that, we were also shown the solar panel which was their source of electricity and their aquaponics system. We were then given the chance to view their waste management area. As part of their practice of zero waste management, all their wastes are categorised as reusable, recyclable and non recyclable and whatever waste they can reuse and recycled are reused and recycled while non recyclable items are sold for money that will eventually be donated to local schools. By the end of the end of our visit everyone was able to learn about ecozoic living and plant our very own herb.
What I find interesting is that when we talk about cell, we immediately think ‘science’ - biology to be exact. What we’re always taught, is that cells are the building blocks of life - that without it, we would be non existent. Now there are obvious differences between the cell we normally know, and the CELL we visited, but one thing for remains the same - life. See, the astounding fact about it is that whenever we talk about cell, whether we’re referring to the science definition or any other variant of it , the topic of life is eventually brought up. Now the way I see it, cell does not just refer to the smallest unit that makes up almost everything in existence but rather it refers to life.
As a person who is part of the age of technology, I am a witness on how easy it is to get too caught up in our lives - and sometimes even other people’s lives. Too caught up, that we tend to forget the world around us instead focusing on our own little bubble. With regards to the cell and the CELL, what I’ve learned is that in order to ensure life, its continuity and progression, we must be able to find within us the sense of relation. If we were to continue living in our own personal bubbles, we might just cause more destruction to the world. What must change is our mind set that if, it does not affect us, it should not matter to us. Well what we must also realise, is that everything is interconnected - and I mean everything. From the way we cook our food to the way the birds fly in the sky.
In school we learn about climate change, every aspect of is causation and effects, which is all good, if only it wasn’t too theoretical. What do we do with all these knowledge if not but use it? This is exactly what our visit in CELL showed me. It showed me that a sustainable life is as worth living as a normal life - if not more. Therefore, doing simple things such as reducing waste, recycling, planting and even spending a shorter amount of time in the bath will definitely make an impact on the current situation of the planet. For what is planting seeds in a garden we never get to see?
So, cells. When we hear the word cell we think of science - biology to be exact. And with thought, we end up thinking about life. Life, the single greatest thing in the universe that makes us all the same yet somehow different. Without life, we would be nothing. So let’s learn to value it, to protect it and let’s do this by protecting our home planet, because a life without a home, well what kind of life is there to live?
