"I think humans used to be friends with nature. A wounded tree, a growing sprout, we can feel them all. It must have been so natural to talk to nature. Until we no longer want to listen. Until we only know how to cut trees down or destroy forests for other resources. Until we care about internet access more than oxygen.

That's when the children start asking for their moms' ipads rather than for a handful of fruits.” (Nhuoc Lac)

Aware of nature’s significance, for our second group activites, Big Chums have focused on teaching Small Chums how to recycle plastic bottles by planting in them. The event also involved various games, like ‘Trees go find soils and sun' or ‘Trees in a storm', through which the children could come to understand the life of a tree and its tribulations.

Not only does planting a tree better the environment, freshen the air, and protect forests, it also boosts our moods on bad days. Why? For at least, we're still breathing out carbon dioxide which nurtures trees

‘Hanging Garden' is therefore an meaningful event in a series of CHUM's STEM activities — one of two campaigns at CHUM in 2017. If you would like to know more about STEM, please click here. Below are the steps for creating an in-house Hanging Garden:

- Prepare hanging pots (empty plastic bottles).

- Mark cutting lines with using markers. (This step will create holes in the bottles in which we can plant.)

- Cut along those lines using craft knives or scissors.

- Cover tapes along the cuts.

- Use a burning incense stick to poke holes through the plastic pots. (These are for attaching hanging strings and for water to exit).

- Use metal (zinc) wires, bend one end of each wire into a S-shaped hook and attach pots to wires with these hooks.

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- Put plants with their soiled base into water. Gently remove plants from soiled base.

- Put soil into the plastic pots and plant the plants.

- Hang the pots and clean up.

Happy experimenting!