Vetiver grass in Papua
I have to use a crowbar to separate the shoots from the mother plant, that's how well they are stuck together and how strong the roots are. When I have a whole bundle of shoots, I prune the leaves very short so that the whole bundle fits into a plastic bag. This is the only way to harvest Vetiver and to plant it somewhere else.
The Vetiver plants from which I harvest shoots are growing on the SPH complex, a Christian school. The SPH complex is situated on a slope and from the time that the first buildings were constructed, Vetiver grass was planted to prevent erosion. I have the school's permission to harvest Vetiver shoots and to distribute them to others who are interested in planting Vetiver.
About ten years ago, my colleague David Price introduced Vetiver to Papua. At that time, Wycliffe's missionary air service was building a new hangar. David arranged for Vetiver shoots to be shipped from Bali to clean their wastewater in an environmentally friendly way. That cleaning system is still in operation to this day. Some of the Vetiver shoots that were shipped at that time ended up on the SPH property.
I collect the Vetiver shoots for the Advent Aviation airport who want to see how they can apply it on their property or at their mission stations, for a doctor friend who had a new house constructed on a steep slope, for a local NGO who wants to plant them to support reforestation, for a Christian high school who wants to plant them to prevent erosion and nutrient leaching in their vegetable garden, and for STKIP, a Christian teacher training college who wants to clear up the water in their fish ponds.
MAF Papua is also showing interest in Vetiver. Not only for the discharge of their wastewater but also for the airfields in the mountains. Many of these airfields are built by hand and erosion is a major risk. This can lead to landslides and undermining of the airfield. Vetiver grass seems to be an ideal solution for this.
It is great to be able to put something into practice that I have only just learned about and help this to be a blessing to the people in Papua.
