By: Nefa D. Firman

Three Earth Hour Indonesia City Champions took part in the "Sustainability & Conservation Weekend" at Green School, Bali, on June 14 and 15, 2014. The event consisted of workshops, panel discussions, movie nights, and closed with a special lecture by Dr. Jane Goodall. The first of its kind at the Green School, the event was held to welcome the second batch of Green School graduates and to raise funds for the "Bye Bye Plastic Bags" and "Roots and Shoot" movements. Ika Juliana (20) from Denpasar, Felix Krisnugraha (29) from Jogjakarta, and Sarah Shabrina (20) from Bandung, had the opportunity to share their experiences and programs in front of the extended family of the international school with a unique approach to nature.

On the first day, the City Champions invited elementary to junior high school students to process waste in a upcycling workshop. The theme of the day was "Festival Plastik Tidak Fantastik" which was carried out by two Green School students, Isabel (11) and Melati (13) in the "Bye Bye Plastic Bag" movement. The upcycling session mentored by Dwik, Yudha, and Burju from Earth Hour Denpasar was flooded with students who wanted to make bags from used t-shirts and artwork from used tissue rolls. Taking place at the Green School's open-air gym, no less than 40 children worked diligently with the used items for about 3 hours. "It's great to see the enthusiasm of the visitors, especially the children who have been concerned about the environment since a young age," said Ika.

Felix admitted that he was discouraged before the sharing session because he knew the other panelists had various programs that he considered extraordinary. "But after thinking about it, there is no point in feeling discouraged. We both run programs according to the needs and conditions of the community where we live," said the man who works as a radio announcer. Each sharing session was attended by 4-5 panelists who are experts in the field of conservation and mostly foreign nationals. The panels were relaxed and attended by 30-40 people and delivered in English. The responses from the audience and panelists in the discussion sessions were very dynamic. "Some even asked to be taught how to make biofuel. But due to lack of equipment and time, we continued the discussion after the panel ended," Sarah said excitedly.

"It's really cool and unique! The classrooms are open and face nature directly," says Sarah. Gallons of drinking water are easily found and almost everyone brings their own water containers. "Although most of the students are foreigners, they still address their teachers as 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.'. I also rarely see people busy with their gadgets. Everyone communicates directly."

"This is the first time I've entered a toilet with 2 toilets. It turns out that they have different functions, one for urination and the other for defecation. All waste is then processed into compost," said Ika. "In addition, the school also uses solar heat for electricity and utilizes the existing land for farming for students."

The most memorable session for the three City Champions and other visitors was the public lecture by Dr. Jane Goodall, a legendary ethologist and UN peace envoy. Although the sky began to turn red when the public lecture was about to begin, it did not dampen the interest of hundreds of visitors to sit on mats under a giant 18-meter bamboo tent with a gonjong roof similar to Rumah Gadang Minangkabau, ready to listen to the material entitled "Where the Hope Lies". With a distinctive voice, Dr. Goodall began the session with an inspiring story about her childhood full of questions about nature and animals. She received support from her mother to start her adventure in researching animal behavior, especially chimpanzees in Africa since 1960. The results of his research became the basis for primate research until now. In her lecture, Dr. Goodall motivated the audience, especially students, to become environmentally conscious future messengers by taking the initiative to create a harmonious relationship between nature and humans.

The experience of sharing at the Green School and listening to Dr. Goodall's public lecture left invaluable memories and motivation for the three City Champions. "It was amazing! The material he presented was very inspiring and touching," Felix recalled. "It turns out that many of our friends care about the environment. This is what makes me believe that we can still create a greener future," he concluded.