ACIAR continues to work with Trees4Trees to explore about community forests especially community-based commercial forestry (CBCF) related farmers business networks in forestry.

Last year, it was MTG (Master Tree Grower) evaluation where farmers joined the MTG program in 2015 were evaluated to know if they really practice technical guides and theory to get maximum value. The MTG evaluation is to refine the MTG courses in the future.

On February 2017, next ACIAR program was Social Dimension Analysis Survey (SDA Survey), one of colecting data on this survey, trough Focus Group Discussion (FGD), a method to explore and collect complete information from community-based forests farmers. FGD is aimed to know specifically about farmers’ perception on the importance of forests in their forests business and problems that farmers often meet in maintaining their trees. This activity was held on 16-18 February 2017 in three villages in Pati District, Giling, Payak and Gunung Sari. There were 30 farmers gathered for FGD, total 90 farmers from 3 villages. To conduct this FGD in Pati,  ACIAR  appointed Trees4Trees team and Foerdia Team from Bogor.

Community-based commercial forestry (CBCF) in Pati is dominated by small-scale farmers with integrated agricultural and forestry enterprises, mainly supplying local and provincial markets. Sengon, which farmers mostly grow, has been in high demand over the past decades. They are fast-growing trees (maturing 5-6 years), more economically valued for farmers than teak.

Carbon has been our epic issue due to global warming. Carbon levels increased since Industrial Revolution (1800s) where natural sources, especially the combustion of fossil fuels, were used massively for human activites and the process of the industry. These caused ‘greenhouse effect’ where atmosphere traps the outgoing heat from inside and makes heat goes back. This trapped heat then makes temperatures higher and changes the climate.

Today, we still contribute in producing carbon emission by doing some habits we are accustomed with.
This production of carbon directly of indirectly as effects to support human activites is called carbon footprint. Here are the lists we have collected a few habits that rise carbon footprint.

1. Transportations
Transportations like bus, car, truck, train or motocycle use fuels generated from fossil to run. This usage  releases carbon to the atmosphere. Airplane alone releases more carbon footprint and has higher impact. The reason why airplane has higher impact is that the emission is produced at cruising altitudes high in the atmosphere. This makes even more harmful impact that cause a series of chemical reactions in the atmosphere.

Contrails or condensate trails also produced by airplane, white trails that can be seen in the sky when CO and CO2produced condense with air and oxygen at high altitudes. Contrails stay in the air for hours and trap more heat from escaping the earth.

To reduce carbon footprint from transportations, try to use public transportations for your activity such as going for work, school or even for travelling and backpackers. Use personal car for 2 or more persons . Becycle can be useful too for short journeys. Try to do your weekly or monthly shopping in a single trip.

2. Electricity
The more electricity the more carbon will be produced. Electricity still uses both renewable and unrenewable sources such as fossil fuels, coals, water, wind and solar energy. Air conditioner, washing machine, computers, TV and other electronics uses electricity.

There are many things to do to save energy from simple ones to big ones. Turn off electronics when are not in use: lights, TV, air conditioner. Open you windows to get more natural lights for your house.
Use LEDs for lights, LED can save energy more than 70% than neon lights. Replace your PC with laptops, laptops can save around 40% of electricity.

3. Water
It takes a lot of energy needed to collect water and purifiy it again to be ready to use.Use water wisely for less water waste. Don’t let the water tap open while brushing teeth or washing the dishes. Don’t buy bottled water and bring your water bottle, this will save the plastic waste and money too. Wait for your washing machine in a full load and will save you the water and washing powder. Put the water as you need for cooking.

Now we know, that everyone has a carbon footprint. It can’t be avoided 100% but surely we can minimalize it and be friendly to environment.

A city surrounded by another cities: Semarang, Grobogan in the north, Sragen and Solo in the east, Klaten and Yogyakarta in the south, Semarang and Magelang in the west. Being surrounded by big and modern cities, doesn’t make Boyolali lose its identity. Boyolali stays as the country district that depends on agriculture sector, strong culture and tradition, coupled with mountainous areas, vegetation and the cool air. This makes Boyolali to be one interesting place to visit for those who seeks peace, and explore the nature.

There are, of course, many iconic places that Boyolali offers but we list these 3 must-go places when you visit Boyolali.

1. City of Milk, New Zealand van Java

Boyolali is famously called “The city of milk” or “New Zealand van Java”. Boyolali is one of the largest producer of fresh milk in Java.

The reason of Boyolali becoming the city of milk is the topography, it is high and has mountainous area. The cold climate fits for cow dairy productio 53,43% of the needs of milk every month nationally is supplied from Boyolali, it is 120.000 liters per day or 3.600.000 liters per month.

With such high of milk production, Boyolali has numerous kind of foods and drinks generated from milk and cow meat such as hot milk with ginger and honey, yoghurt, cheese, abon or grated dried meat, milk crackers, dodol susu and stik susu.

Boyolali also has Cepogo and Selo, two sub-districts in Boyolali,  assigned as agrotourisms of dairy cows.

Around 12,5% or 12.000 of total population in Boyolali works as cow farmers. There are several sub-districts as fresh milk producers located in Boyolali: Mojosono, Musuk, Ampel, Selo, Cepogo and Boyolali, which mostly located in southern side and plateau area with cold air. Parent cattle stocks originally from sub-tropic region Australia and New Zealand.

2. Cultural Iconic Sites of Boyolali

Boyolali is a city with many historical stories that can be found. One is “Lembu Suro Statue”. Boyolali has numerous cow statues found almost every sub-district, but Lembu Suro statue is designed as a symbol and an icon for Boyolali as the city of milk. That is why Lembu Suro built in giant size with width 160 m2 and height 11 m, placed in the center of Boyolali central park and government building.

With the specification of building, Lembu Suro not only a statue, but also a building for governments or guests meeting. The interior inside Lembu Suro ia alike a theatre, with 48 seats and screen backdrop for presentations or short movies.

The unique thing about Lembu Suro is that this statue is built in sitting posture not a stand up posture, in Javanesse “ndhekem”, this is why local people call it Patung Sapi Ndhekem.

Another is Arjuna Wijaya statue.

The statue located in Siaga park, simpang lima of Boyolali. The statue describes the classic story of Arjuna and Khresna fight against Kurawa from Mahabharata, complete with 13 horses. Arjuna Wijaya means Arjuna’s victory. Boyolali is close to Hindu civilization, shown with Hindunesse sites that can be found. Beside Arjuna Wijaya statue, there are several Hindunesse temples such as Lawang, Candi Sari and Candi temple.

3. Eco/Natural Trip

As a rural city, with greeny views everywhere and friendly local people, Boyolali offers many natural trips to visit. Some of them are Merbabu and Merapi.

Merbabu is one of the best place to hike in Java, with height 3.124 mdpl and has 7 tops, syarif,  kenteng songo, watugubuk, watutulis, gegersapi and ondorante. Kenteng songo summit is the highest top and syarif top is hikers’ favorit to stop.

Merbabu mountain is a favorite place to hike for beginners for its friendly long tracks with satisfying panoramas. From the begining until the end of the journey, Merbabu gives her beautiful panoramas with homogen forests, sabana and wild hills. At the top of Merbabu, it will show the view of another famous mountains like Merapi, Sumbing, Sindoro, Telomoyo, Ungaran and Lawu.

Hiking Merbabu can be started from Selo, a village in Boyolali and needs around 8-9 hours to get to the top and 6-7 hours to get back down.

Merapi is an active mountain in Indonesia in the ring of fire line. Merapi once known erupted once per 4 years, but its cycle stopped in 2010 and no eruption since then. Merapi with heigth 2.930 mdpl, also offers beautiful view from the top of the mountain. There are some reasons hiking Merapi is as exciting as Merbabu, its hiking trails is quite challenging. It takes 1-2 hours to get to the top, the trails will be rocky and uphill along the way and. But the view is paid off at the top. The starting point to hike Merapi can be from Selo, Boyolali too.

When rain comes starting from November, it is planting time for Trees4Trees with the farmers. All seedlings has been distributed, the lands are clean from wild grass, and farmers are ready to plant. Planting time has started in several locations of T4T’s planting area: Pati, Semarang, Magelang, Klaten, Purbalingga, Banyumas, Kebumen, Tegal and Ambarawa.

100.000 total of Albizia seedlings set to plant in Trees4Trees’s 2016 planting year with 70.000 of Albizia seedlings and 30.000 of teak seedlings. Planting time for Albizia is estimated to be done in the end for December 2016, and planting for teak is scheduled in the early of January 2017.

Look at the photos of our farmers planting the trees we collected from November to early December.

ACIAR (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research) evaluated Master Tree Grower (MTG) Program, a program that gives some trainings to local farmers forestry technique skill to maximize tree growth as the result. MTG program was held in Pati, 2014 with 17 farmers joined this program.

This evaluation aims to know the influence of MTG program to local farmers in Pati. This activity was held November 2-6th 2016 by Mr. Muktasam from Mataram University as MTG evaluator, represents ACIAR.

The evaluation was mostly about meeting the farmers, and visiting the lands, seeing the trees. The meeting was going naturally between Mr. Muktasam and the farmers, a lot of discussions and ideas were explored. This continued when lands visiting, farmers were excited to tell about their trees, what they do everyday, what kind of trees that they have. And of course, they also mentioned their struggle especially about diseases that often attack Albizia: gall rust (karafuru in local) and caterpillars bag.

Those diseases, according to farmers, are the most difficult to kill and still no potent solution found. Even when they cut all the trees, the diseases will appear when new trees are planted. Karafuru, or trees tumor, attacks tree stems, inhibits its growth, to death at some conditions. While caterpillars bags attack leaves part of the tree.

This evaluation will also help ACIAR and Trees4Trees to find out what things that farmers really need for their skill and trees planting activity, from beginning to end of trees planting business.