Planting One Hundred Trees with Students and Villagers in Kalibeji Village

Planting one hundred trees in kalibeji village kebumen

Planting one hundred trees in kalibeji village kebumen

Trees4Trees Kebumen area collaborated with Soedirman University students in a tree planting activity last July 30, 2022. This tree planting activity was conducted in Kalibeji Village. It is located in Sempor District, Kebumen Regency. This activity did not only involve Soedirman University students who were undergoing Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) program or Community Service Program, but also villagers of Kalibeji Village. 

One thousand trees in total were planted on an area of 5.000 m2 owned by villagers. The planting location was determined due to the area lack of trees cover. Villagers of Kalibeji hoped that by planting more trees, the environment around the area would be greener, lusher, and denser.  

Planting One Hundred Trees with Sudirman University in Kalibeji Village Kebumen

This activity itself was one of the real actions that aimed to educate communities about the importance of environmental restoration. It is also expected to contribute to improving the livelihoods of villagers in the future through the results from trees planted.

After planting, periodic monitoring will be carried out to ensure trees can survive and grow well. Meanwhile, the results from these trees later can be harvested by villagers and can be used to meet their needs.  

The types of trees planted in the activity included 500 suren trees (toona sureni), 90 teak trees, 100 durian trees, 190 kelengkeng trees (longan), 80 petai trees (bitter beans), and 40 duku trees.  

Planting One Hundred Trees with Sudirman University in Kalibeji Village Kebumen

“All trees planted came from the Trees4Trees Kebumen nursery and were given away free of charge. The trees are planted on villagers’ lands that lacked tree cover. We initiated this activity with Soedirman University students who were undergoing the KKN program (Community Service Program) because their program has the same vision and mission as what we do which aimed at reforestation and supporting villagers. That is why we agreed to collaborate with each other to conduct this tree planting activity,” said Faris Ardika, Unit Manager of Trees4Trees Kebumen area.  

It is also hoped that by conducting tree planting activity which involved various levels of society from students to villagers, it will emerge more awareness and initiative to wider communities to do tree replanting on critical lands.

Author: V. Arnila Wulandani

How Planting Trees Help Grandpa Dulah Overcome Loneliness

Dulah plants tree

dulah plants trees in kebumen

It is not new for parents living in villages to let their children migrate to big cities to try to improve their lives. Some of their children returned to the village and some are chosen to stay there. Grandpa Dulah (64 years old) from Gunungsari village, Kebumen – Central Java, was no exception, his children were chosen to live overseas.  

For years, his children and grandchildren have not been able to return to the village because of Covid-19 case, it is not easy to meet them on this situation. He explained that usually his grandchildren come home once a year, but now he doesn’t know for sure. He hopes Ramadhan this year the whole family can be together again.  

At first, Granpa Dulah and his wife couldn’t handle how much they missed their daughters and grandchildren and were desperate to visit with them but because of pandemic they had to cancel it (covid-19 restriction). At that time Covid-19 was increased and old people were asked to be more concerned.  

”We miss them”.  

“The house feels lonely without them so I’d rather work even though I’m old,” he added.   

In the past, Grandpa Dulah retired to be a farmer but that made him even more lonely and his longing for his children and grandchildren was unstoppable. He decided to be active again planting on his abandoned land – because there was no one to take care of it. 

Dulah plants trees in kebumen

”If I don’t work, my mind goes all over the place, but then they offered seedlings.” 

 ”I planted a few for the beginning then gradually it continued and now my land is full”, he offers. 

Currently he will continue to plant because by planting he can divert his longing and loneliness. He said he planted for his grandchildren, one day they will harvest it and every time they harvest it they will remember me who was planted the trees.   

Grandpa Dulah said that his grandchildren are very interested in agriculture because from a young age he often took them to the field.  

”I often took them (the grandchildren) to the field, to plant cassavas, corns, look for grasses”.  

”they were happy… and that moment will always be remembered”.  

Then we asked if he still wants seedlings next year knowing his land is already full? And grandpa Dulah hopes that he will be able to plant more trees in the future. He said that even though his land is full, he would plant trees on his neighbour’s arid lands. 

We learn that planting is something that helps Grandpa Dulah overcome with loneliness and build his memory of his loved ones as Grandpa Dulah is getting older and sometimes forgetful.   

Grandpa Dulah has a message for those who still have parents, he says ”don’t forget to ask how your parents are”.   

Sometimes the impact of our program is beyond our expectations and cannot be seen but felt. There’s a quote, who plants a tree, plants a hope, and we’re watching and listening to it right in front of us.  

Maybe if we hadn’t visited Grandpa Dulah and had a chat with him we wouldn’t have known what he’s been through. We were very lucky to have met him, we hope that Grandpa Dulah can be together with his whole family this year. 

 

Masimun is Not Just a Farmer. He’s a Puppet Craftsman!

masimun_kalirejo kebumen_trees4trees_jonas 3

masimun_kalirejo kebumen_trees4trees_jonas 3

Our farmers are extraordinary! Who would have thought that one of them is also a cultural artist. He is Masimun, a farmer from Kalireja village, Kebumen, Central Java. Besides farming, he crafts traditional Javanese puppet or well-known as Wayang.  Yes, he is a farmer and puppet craftsman. Before, he lived from one place to another because of his job. Masimun told us his previous job made his life uneasy. His income from the previous jobs also could not cover his family expenses. Then, he decided to come back to his village and began to learn farming and pursue his passion as a Wayang craftsman at the same time.  

Why Farming and Crafting Wayang?  

He said, he started farming simply because farming can make a living for his family, and he loves to dedicate himself to Javanese traditional culture. 

Becoming a traditional puppet craftsman is a rare profession in this modern day. Not many people are interested in doing this job. However, Masimun thinks that Wayang is an important part of Indonesia cultural heritage, and he is summoned to take part to preserve it.  Now, his main income is coming from farming, while crafting Wayang becomes his part time job.  

masimun_kalirejo kebumen_trees4trees_jonas

When Trees4Trees dan Jonas Philantrophies came to his village and started a tree planting program, he was incredibly happy because this program has not only given him trees to be planted, but also the knowledge and training that he needs to do good farming.   

Masimun has a wife and two children who are still in school. They are his main motivation to keep working harder.  By planting trees, he hopes to get enough money to achieve his dreams; provide his two kids with a good education up to university level. 

”I want them to have a better education than me”. It is my responsibility as a father. To make sure they get  a better education,” he added.  

He was very happy when Trees4Trees and Jonas Philantrophies made a tree planting program in this village. He knew that this tree planting program was also included educating and uniting the community.  

masimun_kalirejo kebumen_trees4trees_jonas

Through tree planting programs, he is also able to gather with the farming community. Here, he’s not only possibly getting support and motivation to start over again, but also has an opportunity to introduce his Wayang masterpiece to the larger community. Masimun admited that by joining this program he has been known by the community as a puppet craftsman and most of his orders come from local people. 

”Life gives me a second chance to live a better life, meet good people,” he said.  

”It used to be difficult to live here again as a farmer… but now I have several goats,” he’s grateful.   

Masimun is very supportive of the tree planting program and he is proud to be a part of it. By this program, he is able to plant various trees and be able to introduce his masterpiece to the community. And maybe later the world will notice his masterpiece too.  

Thank you for being part of our program, keep up your good work! We are very proud of you! 

 Author: Yulianisa Dessenita

One Tree Planted Visited Trees4Trees’ West Java Nursery

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees_1

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees_1

Trees4Trees and One Tree Planted have committed to be partnered in environmental renewal and local community support through tree planting programs. As part of the commitment, One Tree Planted visited Trees4Trees West Java area last 18 – 19 July 2022. The visit was represented by Beth Dalgleish, One Tree Planted Asia Pacific Director and Talia Liney, One Tree Planted Asia Pacific Project Manager.

During the visit, the two representatives visited Trees4Trees nursery in Arjasari, Bandung Regency to see the tree seedlings growth and nursery activities. They also visited several tree planting locations on the farmers’ lands in Nagrak Village, Patrolsari Village, Pasirmulya Village, Campakamulya Village, and Lamajang Village in Bandung Regency, West Jawa.  

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees

In these villages, the two met Trees4Trees’ best farmers. They talked about the progress of trees planted by farmers. Some of trees are burflower, eucalyptus, coffee, avocado, gmelina, dammar, bitter bean, cinnamon, iron redwood, and more. Those trees were not only contribute in absorbing carbon and preventing erosion, but also brings economic benefits for farmers from the trees ‘ yield. 

“We came here from Australia to visit the Trees4Trees nursery, where they grow trees for 10 million trees planting project funded by Astra Zeneca. These trees are going to be planted in the Citarum watershed. So it’s great to see these baby trees growing and being well cared in this nursery,” said Beth Dalgleish. 

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees 
The 10 million trees planting project itself has been addressed for the rehabilitation of the Citarum Watershed (DAS) in West Java. It has started since 2020 and funded by Astra Zeneca which collaborates with One Tree Planted and Trees4Trees. This project targets to plant 10 million trees by the end of 2025 in four sub areas of watershed, including Ciminyak, Ciwidey, Cirasea, and Cisangkuy watershed. At the same time, it also targets agroforestry development and planting erosion control plants on an area of 8,900 hectares. 

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees

During the tree planting program, it is estimated to be able to absorb 1.8 million billion kg of carbon dioxide (CO2). It will also raise the function of watershed and the stability of water flow. Therefore, this program is expected to give contribution in reducing negative impact of forest degradation around the Citarum watershed as well as increasing the local community’s awareness to protect the forest and provide alternative income sources for local people. Around 38,000 families who live near watershed are expected to get the benefit environmentally and economically from this program.  

One Tree Planted Visit to Bandung Trees4Trees

“With the collaboration of Astra Zeneca, One Tree Planted, and Trees4Trees in the reforestation effort, we hope to convey a wider message to more people around the world to understand that every environmental changes have consequences including environmental degradation that need our collective actions to deal with it. Everyone should take a role and contribute to improve and maintain environments to be healthier. Planting trees and growing them is an example of small actions that can bring immense benefits to human life in the future,” said Tomi Bustomi, Regional Forestry Manager of Trees4Trees. 

Author: V Arnila Wulandani

Photos: Kemas Duga Muis

Mangroves Planting Program with EcoMatcher Inspires Villagers to Plant More Mangroves Trees

planting mangrove inspire more locals to plant more mangrove trees

planting mangrove in pati central java 

Pati Regency, located in northern Central Java, is one of the many mangrove-growing areas in Indonesia. This regency has approximately 8,000 hectares of potential mangrove areas. Nearly 25% of Pati’s total coastline was forested with mangroves. Unfortunately, the mangrove cover in this area is degraded and in poor condition.  In 2017, a survey in Pati showed that around 60% of mangrove cover had been lost in some districts.

Mangrove Cover in Poor Condition

Coastal erosion and land over-use are the most common causes of mangrove destruction in this area, making many mangrove areas become critical lands, including in Dukuhseti Village. Mangrove ecosystems play an important role in climate stabilization, coastal protection, biodiversity richness, local community’s economy, and supporting fishery.

Read also: Incredible Benefits of Mangrove Ecosystem

“In the past, our village had mangrove forests, but they were exposed to tremendous coastal erosion. After that, there was an expansion of the fishponds that cut down mangroves excessively. Consequently, now our village has no wave barriers around the coast,” said Mustofa, leader of the Tani Makmur farmer group in Dukuhseti Village.

Most of the villagers of Dukuhseti make their living as fish farmers and fishermen. They have fishponds near the coast. Their main products are tilapia and milkfish.

Mustofa said the most significant impact after the mangrove forest was drastically reduced is that now the village does not have any wave barriers, thus endangering small fishponds near the coast owned by local farmers.

“When the big waves come, our fishponds are often hit and destroyed by the waves. Big waves sometimes also bring runti pests (barnacles) in large numbers. They not only can injure fish farmers because they are sharp but also can infect young mangrove tree trunks,” Mustofa added.

planting mangroves in Pati Central Java

Planting Mangroves Program with Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher

When Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher came to Dukuhseti Village and invited them to join the mangrove tree planting program, Mustofa and other members of the Tani Makmur group welcomed the project enthusiastically.

“The community was very supportive and excited when they knew the program was being implemented in our village. We hope that many mangrove trees can be planted so that erosion can be prevented, and our fishponds can be protected from waves,” said Mustofa. In addition, mangroves also benefit fishermen because they do not have to go to sea far to catch fish. The fish become more abundant around mangroves.

planting mangroves in Pati Central Java

Since November 2021, Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher have planted 30,000 mangrove seedlings on the coast of Dukuhseti village in partnership with the fish farmers from the Tani Makmur farmer group. The mangroves planted covered an area of ​​3.8 hectares. The fish farmers are employed in producing seedlings, planting, and installing breakwater walls to protect the young seedlings.

“Before planting mangroves, the land was considered by the government to be critically degraded land. There were only a few mangrove trees left. We planted Avicennia and Rhizophora mangrove species because these two types were the original natural forest. We hope to restore the mangrove cover in this area completely,” Fauzan, Unit Manager of Trees4Trees Pati, said.

Inspire Local People to Plant More Mangrove Trees

Interestingly, the Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher mangrove planting program also inspires and motivates locals to plant more mangrove trees around the village coast. Shortly after the planting project with Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher was completed, the villagers planted mangrove trees voluntarily around the planting area. They sow the Avicennia seedlings directly on the shore and around the fishponds while the waves are low.  

planting mangroves in Pati Central Java

“Actually, some villagers whose ponds are close to the coast had planted mangroves voluntarily a long time ago. However, this program motivates and inspires more people to plant more mangroves. We think it is because people are starting to realize the importance of mangroves’ existence in the village,” said Mustofa. The villagers thank Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher for the mangroves planting program. They also hope to plant more mangroves in the future.

This year, Trees4Trees has been partnering with EcoMatcher for five years, a moment to celebrate! Both are keen on their commitment to supporting local communities and environmental restoration by planting trees. Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher use technology to monitor the locations of the planted trees. Anyone can visit the trees they have planted through the EcoMatcher website.  Each tree planted by Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher is recorded with the TreeCorder application developed by EcoMatcher. With this technology, anyone can track and plant trees via a smartphone and get information about the trees and the farmers who care for them.

Author: V. Arnila Wulandani

The Incredible Benefits of Mangroves Ecosystem

world mangrove day

world mangrove day

When you walk along the beach, have you ever seen trees which grow in the seawater? Those are mangrove trees. They are a type of tree that can tolerate saltwater. Mangroves can be found along the shores, rivers, and coastlines in tropical and subtropical countries around the world.  

Indonesia itself is a home for one of the largest mangrove populations in the world. The mangrove cover in Indonesia is estimated to be 3,2 million hectares or 22,4 percent of the total mangroves’ population in the world. So, when you travel to Indonesia, mangroves can be found on almost every one of the 17,000 islands.  

The mangrove ecosystem is commemorated internationally on 26 July every year as the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem or World Mangrove Day. This day marks the importance of mangrove ecosystems for the wellbeing, food security, protection of coastal communities, and mitigating climate crisis.  

The ecosystem affords significant contributions for nature and human beings. It is not only incredibly effective in sequestering carbon, stabilizing climate, and combating climate crisis, but also supporting coastal communities’ livelihood and biodiversity.  

Here are some remarkable benefits of mangroves we need to know and why we should protect and restore this species.  

Mangroves are A Very Important Carbon Sink 

Compared with other terrestrial forests, mangroves absorb vast amounts of carbon. Mangrove forests can store five times more carbon than a typical tropical forest. One-hectare mangroves can store up to 3.700 tons of carbon, which is equivalent to taking more than 2.650 cars off the road for a year.  

Mangroves are effectively absorbing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and mitigating the effects of climate change.  

Mitigate Coral Bleaching 

Coral bleaching is one of the devastating effects of climate change which causes coral to lose its color and turn white. When coral bleaching occurs, it disturbs the ocean ecosystem and can cause the death of entire coral reefs. Healthy mangrove forests can provide shelter for some coral species which are at risk. Mangrove forest also can reduce ocean acidification that can harm marine species such as mollusks, corals, and some varieties of plankton which are all important links in the worldwide food chain. 

Hotspot of Biodiversity and Nursery Ground 

Mangroves provide a home, nursery, and feeding ground for a wide range of animals, including fishes, birds, insects, reptiles, mammals, and various crustaceans like shrimps and crabs. Mangrove areas are also supplying organic and inorganic nutrients that are important for the species. In other words, mangroves are hotspots of biodiversity and form a healthy and rich ecosystem.  

Defense Against Floods, Waves, and Reduce Erosion 

Mangrove forests are effective in reducing strong wind and waves which pass through. They also act as a powerful coastal defense against storms, hurricanes, reducing the high waves and destructive tidal surge. The dense roots of mangroves are capable of binding and building soil which can slow down water flows and reduce erosion. 

Supporting Well-being and Livelihood for Coastal Communities 

Mangroves provide benefits for millions of people who live close to coastal areas with mangrove forests. Many of them rely on mangroves for food, wood, tourism, and enhance fishery productivity. 

Some mangroves’ species bear fruit which can be processed into flour, snacks, and other foods. Mangroves are also habitat for fishes and various crustaceans like shrimps and crabs which provide daily food and income for local communities.   

World mangrove day

Mangroves accommodate incredible benefits and impacts for nature and human beings. Sadly, mangroves have experienced loss and degradation worldwide, declining 30 to 50 percent in the past 50 years. In Indonesia mangrove forests are also in a significant level of degradation. About 52 thousand hectares of mangrove forests in Indonesia are lost every year.

Read also: Mangrove Planting Program with EcoMatcher Inspires Villagers to Plant More Mangrove Trees

In 2021, Trees4Trees planted 36.000 mangroves in 3.8-hectare mangrove as a pilot project in Pati, Central Java. In 2022 Trees4Trees will plant 100,000 more mangrove trees in this area. 

The loss of mangrove cover will bring serious negative impacts not only ecologically but also economically. Therefore, protecting and conserving mangrove ecosystems needs our collective efforts. You can also contribute to planting mangrove trees with us. Contact us to find out how to get involved! 

Happy International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem! 

Author: V. Arnila Wulandani