Hi everyone, it's Fabian from the Think-team. Despite having a job description of mostly being in front of the screen, I actually get several chances to go out and meet new people. A part of my job that I love most is connecting the two, three people that I just met.
On Wedneday, I brought Greenschool students to Jiwa garden community (a very beautiful organization that deserves its own blog) and afterward to Pak Rudi, a farmer that owns our biogas. I've also covered Pak Rudi in a separate blog, he is truly one of the nicest and most creative farmers I've ever met. I connected the students to the two for educational purposes. Later that day I thought I should also connect Pak Rudi with Juka, one of the founders of Jiwa, or I'd consider him as the modern-day DaVinci.
Unsurprisingly, they bonded very well. They kept on talking, ranging from farming techniques, biogas, and fisheries. Their beautiful exchange was very resourceful. Midway, Pak Rudi mentioned "crabs" as a big issue nowadays. Juka agreed and looked at me straight saying, "you know this is a crazy story Fabian".
Now I didn't think crabs were such a big issue in Bali, but I was amused to hear the tale. Long story short, ever since the coast was filled with beach clubs, houses, and villas, a lot of the crabs migrated. What happens is more and more farmers are struggling because of the abundance of crabs spawning left and right. Anytime someone is digging to create a pond or a pool, you bet a Krusty Krab will open. It is expected that in the future when more and more houses are built, the crabs will move further and further up and start dominating the forest. Oh in case you're wondering, these crabs aren't edible, that was my first question when I heard this.
I think a very good and simple example of how nature fixes itself. In line with any law in physics about conservation, matter/energy cannot be created or destroyed it can just be transferred. In this is the case, we underestimated how far crabs can transfer.
I don't really have a solution to this, but now I'm really wondering what else is out there that people don't recognize, but is actually happening under our feet (literally). The biggest lesson here is that any nature-related intervention, as small as building a house, requires a full understanding of the possible impacts. Crabs won't lose, just like the Emus. Nature will find its way out.
Happen to know something similar? Drop them in the comments!
These crabs aren't edible, why? I think I wrote at another blog when I mentioned that I saw 'biawak' when I went to school. Their habitat was destroyed by land-use change activities
Like snake found at a house because of the land use changed from ricefield into settlements
Wind gets stronger beside the high wall. it's called building wind. I don't know if there's any correlation with a rice paddy destroyed by wind with a villa with high walls.
I've also heard about it! They call it "Yuyu" outbreak in Bali. In my hometown, the same thing happens. Deforestation is used to expand palm oil plantations, which has a negative impact on elephant habitats. We destroy their home, they come to us.. and people start attacking them.