Each tropical country should create at least one coconut ecomuseum, aiming to stimulate the various uses of coconut products and to increase the knowledge and enthusiasm of locals and tourists for this emblematic and cultural plant. This project is led internationally by Dr R. Bourdeix, Diversiflora Expertise. It proposes to create several eco-museums of the coconut tree in various countries. The museums are designed as cost-effective structures, with indoor and outdoor galleries showcasing world coconut craftsmanship, past and present; a restaurant entirely dedicated to coconut dishes; a shop selling all coconut products; a mini-varietal collection producing nuts for drinking and seednuts, craft production activities, and training activities for local actors and tourists in these productions. This site brings together useful information for this project.
There is an absolutely extraordinary diversity of food, handicrafts and other products related to the coconut tree. This dazzling diversity is a reflection of human inventiveness. We propose to structure this diversity in sections, so that museum visitors can appreciate it at its true value. See also our documentation by country
Organization of the sections of the museum.
For each of the sections of the museum, a three-pronged approach can be taken. It consists of organizing and bringing together real objects, graphic illustrations, and practical and educational demonstrations. Each of the sections can thus be illustrated in four ways:
- By real items, old or contemporary, from the personal collection of R. Bourdeix or purchased locally
- By large educational posters illustrating each type of items. These high definition posters will be made on durable supports, resistant to UV and outdoor conditions, and of a size of approximately 100x180 cm.
- By short videos (30 s to 3 min) that can be displayed in the museum.
- Possibly, by practical demonstrations integrated into discovery courses offered to museum visitors.
For example, the coconut scrapers bring together all the objects used to grate the kernel of the coconut. They bring together extraordinary objects of inventiveness and beauty, with many pieces of old wood carved in a magnificent way. For this section, four posters will be proposed on the following themes:
- A general poster showing all the techniques used to grate the coconut kernel, from the oldest to modern machines
- A poster on coconut scrapers in the Pacific region
- A poster on coconut scrapers from India and Sri Lanka and Africa
- A poster on coconut scrapers from Indonesia and Southeast Asia
In addition, it will be possible to organize one-day or half-day courses to teach locals and interested tourists how to make coconut products, such as oil, yogurts, condiments , sweets and cakes. Trainees will be asked to use coconut scrapers, from the oldest wooden ones to the most modern, to grate the coconuts needed to manufacture the products.
The Coconut restaurant
A menu will be offered which will include around thirty coconut-based dishes and drinks from five continents. Detailed recipes will be provided for each of these dishes. The card will include at least:
- Six different starters, including 2 vegetarian, 2 meat and 2 fish.
- Six main courses, including 2 vegetarian, 2 meat and 2 fish.
- Six desserts including ice cream, sweets and cakes.
- Six drinks, alcoholic or not.
Some of the dishes and some drinks will be served in containers made of coconut shells.
The Coconut shop
The shop will include all kinds of coconut products grouped into three sections, food, cosmetics or decoration. A list of a hundred products will be provided to start the traffic of the store.
Online communication and sales
A website will present the museum, and will allow the purchase of entrance tickets, reservations for courses and the restaurant, and online purchases in the store. It is advisable to charge the entrance to the museum at a very low price, around one dollar for adults and 0.5 dollars for children. This policy is based on the expectation that once in the museum, visitors will spend their money in the store, in the restaurant or on educational courses.
1000 stories about the coconut tree,
choose randomly!
choose randomly!
During the 35 years that I devoted to work on the coconut tree, I produced approximately 1000 scientific papers or films. They are gathered in this drawing! Click randomly to see one or more. I ask for your indulgence, some are not finished yet (many in French), but I'm working on it!
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Mots clefs/références - m