The Living Library: Learning to See to Nature with the Kui

The camp taught me that the forest is a living library, and the Kui elders are the keepers of its language.

The trip to the Kui community was a powerful, eye-opening adventure. From October 2nd to 5th, 2025, it wasn’t just a walk through the forest; it was a learning to see it with different lens. The camp taught me that the forest is a living library, and the Kui elders are the keepers of its language. I got the opportunity to pause my city life for the deep forest and learned one huge, amazing secret: The forest isn't just a place; it's a giant, loving family, and the Kui people are its best protectors.

Youth and Kui elder at the Choam Pen Community Protected Area, Romtum Commune, Rovieng District, Preah Vihear Province.

The forest speaks in whispers of biodiversity and survival, and the Kui people are its translators. I found out that for them, nature isn't separate from life; it is life. I learned that to take from the forest, we must promise to give back. This sacred idea of reciprocity was seen in every interaction. I realized that simply "taking" is stealing, but caring and giving is a way of life. This relationship ensures the forest will always be there for them. It is reciprocity!

Through our Traditional Ecological Knowledge Walk, the forest became a "living pharmacy and pantry." The elders showed us plants we could use for medicine, food, and even daily usage tools/ materials. I saw how the Kui people possess incredible flexibility and clever adaptation, knowing how to use everything nature offers without wasting or destroying it. This constant interaction from the walking, the collecting, the using taught me to focus on the environment around more than before. I didn't just see trees; I saw resources, stories, and the foundation of their culture.

"We protect the remaining forest not just for myself but for everyone and the earth." Ta Chhum

The most humbling lesson came from the Kui elders. Their love for the land isn't just a feeling; it's a sacrifice they make every day, not for their own comfort, but for ours. Ta Chhum, an old grandpa, shared the ultimate truth: "We protect the remaining forest not just for myself but for everyone and the earth." This unwavering love and care of the elders for resources, not for themselves but for all generations to come, was deeply inspiring. They patrol and fight for the forest so that you and I, decades from now, will still have it. Following the elders on those long treks, like the 12 km hike, required intense patience and responsibility. “I learned that true self-overcoming comes when you accept a challenge and are daring to try something new, mirroring the elders' lifelong commitment to preservation” said one participant in the camp. 

The best way to save our planet is to respect and support the original stewards of the land, the Indigenous communities, because their wisdom is the key to a healthier world.

This incredible experience was a reminder that the best lessons aren't found in books, but in the footsteps of those who have lived in harmony with the Mother Earth for generations. The best way to save our planet is to respect and support the original stewards of the land, the Indigenous communities, because their wisdom is the key to a healthier world.