With so many eco friendly initiatives undertaken by man in the last decade, it is encouraging to realize that at last he has understood the importance of maintaining equilibrium with nature to ensure his own sustenance. The latest in the offing is Eco-Lantern, a result of marriage between technology and natural germination process in plants.
The hand-held lamp, designed by Franklin Gaw, serves the dual purpose of providing a source of light and serving as terrarium for saplings. Interestingly, the battery powered light source, besides lighting the surroundings, also simulates as growth light for the sapling. Even during the night, the plants seem to draw the growth energy from the source light that maintains adequate temperature inside the terrarium.
The terrarium is just like any flower pot, which needs a little preparation before it is ready for planting the sapling. The vessel’s bottom is filled with pebbles to sieve out excess water. This is followed by a layer of charcoal that helps in odor control. Above that, moist soft soil is placed. It is this uppermost layer where sapling is placed. The light source is fitted in the removable handle that also has a sliding switch for lighting and switching off the lamp.
For unhindered growth of the sapling, it is always advisable to place the lantern near the window and water it gently once daily. The portable growth medium of the plant will allow the sapling to grow and once it reaches the top of the terrarium, it’s the time to place it back in the natural environment where it can grow into a huge tree one day. However, there is a level of commitment required to ensure that sapling completes its growth journey in the vessel before it is planted in a conducive natural soil. Like other plants, it needs proper care and supervision.
Eco-Lantern is the best way to create awareness about the need to respect nature especially among children. Seeing their saplings grow within the confines of their personalized lamp will inculcate love for green environment. Thus, Eco-Lantern can contribute a lot to the worldwide effort to plant more and more trees.
Source: Yankodesign
