In 2023 I saw this lovely box of note papers in a fair-trade shop in Boulder, CO. It caught my eye as I was looking for a gift for a friend and we share an affinity for hummingbirds.
Then I discovered the product was made using the dung of elephants in Sri Lanka! What a cool concept!
I adore elephants almost as much as hummingbirds (but not as much as I love Red Pandas, neither of which I can have in my backyard). Also, I happen to love Sri Lanka, as I was lucky enough to visit the island in December of 2018. So of course I bought the note paper for my friend, and one for myself.
While in Sri Lanka we experienced two very different elephant encounters.
The first was going to an elephant ‘rescue’ and we were very excited we would get to ride elephants. It was not quite the experience I had anticipated. It WAS awe inspiring and humbling to be able to get so close to, touch and even ride these beautiful, amazing creatures. Yet, it was also a bit sad because it didn’t seem like the elephants were very happy or treated well. They didn’t seem treated poorly, I didn’t get a sense of abuse or neglect, just a lack of reverence or kindness. Also, riding elephants is a little scary, and not super comfortable to be honest, so lacking any sense the animal enjoyed the interaction it was rather disheartening overall. We agreed we had no interest in doing that ever again.
A few days later we had a jeep ride through an elephant sanctuary. It was a large area of land allowing lots of space for many free elephants to roam and exist in a more natural way, other than jeeps driving through all the time carrying tourists. What a difference! Of course we couldn’t get close to them, our drivers always maintaining a certain distance, but this felt like a much deeper connection of engaging with the gentle giants. It is truly one of my favorite life experiences to date. My awe, joy and respect for elephants can barely be overstated. Seeing them in the environment where they belong, in the social groups they form, going about their own business was seriously breathtaking. One of our guides aptly reminded us that we humans were the visitors in the elephant’s home. 6 years later, I still get goose bumps thinking about their beauty and strength.
Today, while browsing the internet (and probably should have been doing something more productive) I happened across this story from Business Insider about paper being made from elephant poop in Thailand. Provided with the back story I just gave you, I am sure you know it was a must for me to watch! What a fascinating process, and delightful people making this awesome product!
Well, I it sure took me down a rabbit hole of memories. But it inspired me to write this post and share with you 2 of these companies making elephant poop paper, supporting sustainable practices, employing local workers and making elephants potentially valued in a whole new way! And a lovely fair trade company with loads of great products! I hope there are more out there to be discovered! So, I guess I will consider this a productive procrastination for today.
Tell me about any fascinating products like this you may know about!
Cassandra Complex 