Activities Archives

Activity Highlights: Engaging Local Communities to Promote Tree Planting Initiative

Field Facilitator Induction Gunungsari (02)_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Pati

In line with our commitment to empowering the local community, we have hired members of the community as Field Facilitators. Their crucial role involves connecting the tree planting program with local farmers, who become tree grower partners, as well as engaging with other local communities.

Currently, we have successfully completed the induction sessions for Field Facilitators in all working units throughout Central and West Java. During these sessions, our team provided environmental knowledge and equipped the facilitators with the necessary skills to engage with local communities and promote the tree-planting program.

Let us look at our induction activities in various working areas through the images below!

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Cirasea 1 Bandung_Citarum — Trees4Trees Cirasea 1 unit, West Java

Starting the field facilitators’ induction session in Cihanyir village, Trees4Trees team of Cirasea 1 unit presented the overview of tree-planting program and achievements as well as organization vision and mission to participants from nine villages in Bandung regency, West Java.

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Cirasea 3 Bandung_Citarum — Trees4Trees Cirasea 3 Unit, West Java

During the Cirasea 3 unit’s field facilitators’ induction session in Mandalahaji villages, Bandung regency, Trees4Trees emphasized fairness, equality, and commitment against child labor and coercion in the tree-planting program operation. The session was attended by 60 facilitators from 15 villages.

The Trees4Trees team in the Pati site shared knowledge about tree planting programs during the field facilitators’ induction session held in Kedungsari Village, Pati Regency. The Pati unit successfully completed the field facilitators’ induction sessions in all 14 villages within the area.

Field Facilitator Induction TA Barat_Balaidesa Sukomulyo_20230703 (3)_trees4trees_tree planting_kebumen_reforestation — Trees4Trees Kebumen Unit, Central Java

(Above) During the field facilitator session in Sukomulyo village, Kebumen regency, participants discussed field facilitators’ tasks and responsibilities in Q and A session. (Below) Similarly, in Ciwidey, West Java, the induction session covered the same topics. The Kebumen unit completed sessions for 37 villages, while Ciwidey covered 24 villages.

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Ciwidey Bandung_Citarum — Trees4Trees Ciwidey Unit, West Java

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Cisangkuy Bandung_Citarum — Trees4Trees Cisangkuy Unit, West Java

(Above) The Cisangkuy unit of Trees4Trees was discussing incentives during the field facilitators’ induction in Cipongkor village. (Below) In Ciminyak 2, the team was discussing a similar topic. Essentially, the field facilitators’ incentives are based on productivity and work results. Cisangkuy has completed the induction sessions covering three districts: Banjaran, Cangkuang, and Cimaung, while Ciminyak 2 covers Sindangkerta and Cipongkor district.

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Ciminyak 2 Bandung_Citarum — Trees4Trees Ciminyak 2 Unit, West Java

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Ciminyak 3 Bandung_Citarum.jpg — Trees4Trees Ciminyak 3 Unit, West Java

Field facilitators play a crucial role in establishing connections with local communities, helping prepare farmer training, distributing tree seedlings to farmers, collecting farmer data, monitoring tree planting preparations, and reporting and documenting activities. During the induction session, field facilitators from the Ciminyak 3 unit (above) and Ciminyak 1 unit (below) were focused on learning their respective responsibilities.

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Ciminyak 1 Bandung_Citarum — Trees4Trees Ciminyak 1 Unit, West Java

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Cirasea 2 Bandung_Citarum — Trees4Trees Cirasea 2 Unit, West Java

Field facilitators are responsible for collecting lands and farmers data. In the induction sessions of both Cirasea 2 unit (above) and Citarik unit (below), they discussed the criteria that local farmers must meet to become partners in the tree planting initiatives.

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Citarik Bandung_Citarum — Trees4Trees Citarik Unit, West Java

Nursery Highlights: Seedlings Preparation at West Java Nurseries

(Activity highlights) In preparation for the upcoming planting season, our nurseries in West Java are dedicatedly preparing high-quality seedlings for the ongoing Citarum watershed restoration project. At present, Trees4Trees operates three nurseries in the West Java region: Ciminyak Nursery, Cirasea Nursery, and Soreang Nursery. Notably, both Cirasea and Soreang Nursery are newly established facilities. We are eager to showcase some captivating photos that showcase the vibrant activities taking place within our nurseries.

In our newest nursery, Soreang Nursery, we have constructed a spacious greenhouse with a diameter of 12 meters and a height of 4 meters within the nursery area. This greenhouse plays a crucial role in safeguarding the tree seedlings and facilitating their optimal growth. It helps maintain a consistent temperature, shields the seedlings from rainwater runoff, and protects them against potentially damaging winds.

Soreang nursery team sets up seed beds, one of the crucial elements in the nursery to put and categorize tree seedlings.

The workers at Ciminyak Nursery are weighing sacks of planting media. Once weighed, the media will be transferred to the seed beds area and filled into polybags.

A nursery worker in Soreang is filling polybags with planting media, carefully ensuring that each polybag is filled with an equal volume of the planting material.

The team at Ciminyak Nursery measures the height and diameter of each polybag filled with planting media, which consists of a mixture of soil, organic fertilizer, and rice husk in a ratio of 6:1:1. This meticulous process ensures that the seedlings are prepared to grow uniformly in terms of height and size.

All polybags are successfully filled with planting media. Afterwards, they are arranged in the seed beds in Cirasea Nursery. They are ready for the sowing and germination process.

A nursery worker in Ciminyak nursery is cleaning and sun-drying Suren tree seedlings to eliminate excess moisture before proceeding with the sowing process.

Soreang Nursery workers are sowing seedlings of the Arabica Coffee Yellow Catura variety in the seed beds.

Petai (stinky beans) seedlings are being sown in each polybag at Cirasea Nursery. Petai seed pods are a popular culinary ingredient in Indonesia and can also be enjoyed fresh. As a result, petai trees are high demand among our tree grower partners.

In our nurseries, we actively involve women in our operations. They rediligently sowing avocado seedlings in Ciminyak Nursery.

(Above) A team of nursery workers at Cirasea Nursery is cleaning the avocado seeds before cultivation. (Below) Following this step, the avocado seedlings progress to the next stage, where they are cultivated using the direct sowing method in the polybags.

activity from the field bandung activity bandung nursery highlight activity nursery nursery activiy

Nurturing the Next Generation: Trees4Trees School Visits

As the global human population continues to grow, the natural world is under increasing pressure. Efforts are needed now to protect and preserve our planet’s ecosystems for future generations. And this begins with education.

Through a series of school visits in June, Trees4Trees engaged with kids in Java, building their understanding of environmental issues and getting them excited about conservation. The activities were timed to coincide with Trees4Trees’ 15th anniversary, on June 11.

“Comprehensive environmental education plays a vital role in preparing kids to address the challenges posed by climate change in the future,” explains Novita, Trees4Trees Planning Assistant. “Schools serve as excellent starting points for such education,” she added.

Making Learning Fun

During a visit to Bukit Aksara Elementary School in Semarang, the Trees4Trees team used an animated video on global warming and tree planting to capture the children’s attention.

“I loved the video,” said Rino, a fourth-grade student at the school. “I learned a lot about global warming and what I can do to prevent it.”

“I’ve seen other animated movies at school too, where the Earth had no trees left, and people had to buy oxygen to breathe. I don’t want that future, so I am excited with this session,” added Rino.

In West Java, Trees4Trees visited Cieuri 1 Elementary School Ibun, Hidayatussa’adah Al Husni School Cipongkor, and Firdaus School Pengalengan in Bandung. In each location, activities focused on waste management, the importance of tree planting, and basic knowledge of conservation.

Learning by Doing: Hands-on Environmental Action

To provide students with hands-on experience, educational sessions included practical activities. At Bukit Aksara, students planted Ketapang trees in their schoolyard, and learned how to care for them properly.

Nurturing the Next Generation: Trees4Trees School Visits

Students at Hidayatussa’adah Al Husni School also rolled up their sleeves and got planting. “During the session, we taught students to plant trees around the school,” remembers Irfan, the Unit Manager of the Ciminyak 2 site. “Together with them, we also planted 80 trees to green the school’s surroundings.”

At Cieuri 1 Elementary School, students went on a litter-picking walk to better understand the impact of their actions. The activity helped them develop more responsible habits.

Trees4Trees School Visits — (Above) Senior high school students at Hidayatussa’adah Al Husni Islamic Boarding School

Through all these efforts, Trees4Trees aims to empower children to become stewards of the Earth and help create a sustainable future for all.

Want to get involved? Trees4Trees is available to visit your school to share conservation skills and knowledge. For more information, please get in touch.

The Importance of Environmental Education

School Visits by Trees4Trees team — Cieuri 1 Elementary School, students went on a litter-picking walk to better understand the impact of their actions. Photo: Kemas Duga Muis/Trees4Trees

According to the State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) 2022, our planet has lost approximately 10% (420 million hectares) of forest cover in the last 30 years.

As highlighted by UNICEF, children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of environmental problems, which impact their health, education, and overall well-being.

Children are the future stewards of our planet. To ensure the long-term survival of the natural world, we must equip the next generation with the environmental knowledge they need to care for our planet.

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Editor: Christopher Alexander

bandung climate change education global warming hands on education planting tree school visit semarang

Empowering Women Farmers: Trees4Trees and Tree HK Join Forces

Trees4Trees and Tree HK Strengthen the Empowerment of Women Farmers

In Central Java province, particularly in Kebumen regency, not only men work as farmers, but also women. Some women in the regency work in the field to support their husbands who are farmers. Some of them also work as farmers because of their role as the backbone of the family. They fulfill their main responsibility to meet the family’s needs through farming activity, then sell the results.

As part of Tree HK’s support to women farmers involved in the tree planting program, recently, Tree HK and Trees4Trees held training in Kebumen regency, Central Java. The training was conducted in two villages, Gunungsari and Kalirejo, where both locations are the tree-planting areas with the support of Tree HK.

Related to the workshop, Trees4Trees and Tree HK delivered two different topics in two days. Despite the training being more focused on women’s empowerment in the household economy enhancement, men were also welcome to join.

Household Economic Management Training

A woman is a pillar of a family’s financial management. However, it is important for women to know how to establish a good family economy. Considering the importance of this, Tree HK and Trees4Trees conveyed household economics management as one of the training topics.

Muhamad Haris Maknun, a Lecturer of the Faculty of Industrial Technology, Nahdlatul Ulama University, Cilacap lead the training. A group of women farmers and representatives of the Family Welfare Movement with a total of 35 people participated in the event. In this workshop, the speaker shared knowledge on how to manage the household economy with good family financial management for achieving the family goals. The workshop session also allowed the participants to share their experiences on how they manage their daily household expenses and income in a forum. They shared with each other and discussed finding solutions for the household challenges they encountered.

Bio-briquette Making from Corn Wastes Training

The second training topic was to utilize corn waste and corn post-harvest processing. The corncob is the part where the kernels attach. This part is often considered to be of no use and most farmers throw it away. This is commonly found in many corn–producing areas, including Kalirejo Village. For this reason, Trees4Trees and Tree HK conducted training on how to utilize corn waste and change it into bio-briquettes. This training topic was determined as it is easy to be applied as well as easy to find the raw material.

Arif Prashadi Santosa, a Lecturer of the Faculty of Agrotechnology, Muhammadiyah Purwokerto University lead the training which participated with about 25 participants. The training encouraged farmer participants to use the technology of bio-briquette making as an alternative source of their income.

Household Economic Management Training — articipated with about 25 participants. The training encouraged farmer participants to use the technology of bio-briquette making as an alternative source of their income.

The training discussed the raw materials, procedures, and advantages of charcoal briquetting, and the marketability of bio-briquettes. The process of charcoaling was also demonstrated using corncobs.

“Corncob is a potent raw material for briquette production as it has high heating value. The bio-briquette-making technology is an alternative source of energy for cooking and heating,” Arif Prashadi Santosa, the Training Coordinator said.

The participants said the skill of bio-briquette making they have obtained from the training would be useful in their community as it could be a new source of income and meet the existing needs for fuel.

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Photo: Trees4Trees Kebumen Team

economic empowerment kebumen women empowerment women training

Turning Over a New Leaf: Farmers Going Green in Java

“We only know how to use the normal farming materials – we can’t develop them by ourselves,” laments Idin Tauhidin, a farmer from Banjaran Wetan village in West Bandung. Like many farmers in the region, he gets his fertilizers and chemicals from a supplier.

Nuryanto lives in the neighboring village of Pinggirsari. He says most farmers here rely on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which are easy to get hold of and practical to use. However, they have noticed these chemicals harm the soil, leaving dangerous residues in the plants and trees they cultivate.

Now, with the help of Trees4Trees and sponsors, Idin, Nuryanto and many more like them are learning to make their own materials, using organic ingredients and sustainable methods that can improve their crop without damaging the soil or the surrounding ecosystem.

Trees4Trees Training Raises Awareness of Organic Farming

Held from November 4, 2022, through January 21, 2023, the training sessions were part of the Trees4Trees tree-planting program, designed to help farmers go green. “I consider this training as my opportunity to increase my knowledge and skills, especially in organic farming,” explains Nuryanto. “I hope I can use the knowledge to improve the agricultural process in my land, from planting to post-harvesting,” he added.

Most farmers in Nuryanto’s village are unfamiliar with organic farming. “They use instant chemical materials in farming, so they were surprised because the methods presented in the Trees4Trees training are quite different,” explains Agus, the Agricultural Extension Service officer for Pinggirsari village.

Trees4Trees Training Raises Awareness of Organic Farming — (Above) Nuryanto, from Pinggirsari village, who learned how to make organic decomposer microbes during the training provided by Trees4Trees. Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis.

The organic farming method takes longer and is more complicated. For example, the fertilizer mixture must be ripened for a week, then stored for another 15 days. “This is something new for them (the farmers),” explains Agus, “but I think it will be useful for them.”

Agus believes the training is a golden opportunity to raise awareness among farmers about the many benefits of organic farming methods. “For example, chemical fertilizers often disrupt the soil structure, while organic fertilizers will restore the soil fertility and nutrients,” he added.

Cheaper, Greener, Better: Finding More Sustainable Solutions

One of the topics we covered at the training was how to make organic decomposer microbes. This process is an essential way to maintain soil nutrients. “Not many farmers could make [the microbes] on their own before,” observed Nuryanto, “but now we know it can be done using ingredients around us.”

The training showed farmers how to make decomposers, fertilizers and pesticides by themselves, utilizing organic waste such as leaves, rotten fruit, expired milk, and eggs. Solutions like this allow them to reduce their expenses, while also lowering their impact on the environment.

(Above) Idin Tauhidin learns grafting techniques from Rahmat, the Trees4Trees trainer; while villagers in Mangunweni village, Kebumen also develop their knowledge (below) . Photo: Doc. Trees4Trees.

Working in Harmony with Nature, Going to the Next Level

During our recent planting season, Trees4Trees held training sessions in a total of 193 villages around West and Central Java. Idin Tauhidin is one of around 4,000 farmers who benefited. He believes it offers a way to reduce farmer’s dependence on suppliers and reduce the cost of buying seedlings and farming materials. When we spoke to him during the grafting technique training, he shared his thoughts:

“If farmers always expect seedlings from outside agencies or institutions, or always buy ready-made agricultural materials, it means they will remain dependent,” he said.

“By mastering the techniques, farmers can be more self-sufficient; from my experience, if farmers don’t update and accelerate their knowledge and skills, never attend training sessions, and rely only on self-taught knowledge, they will never go to the next level,” he added.

Idin, Nuryanto, and the many farmers in their communities hope to apply the knowledge they have gained from the Trees4Trees training to their own land. They aspire to become more independent, building their well-being without harming their environment where they live. Together with Trees4Trees, they are beginning to bring this dream to fruition.

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Interview: Kemas Duga Muis. Editor: Christopher Alexander

farmer training local community empowerment organic farming

Growing Together: Training Helps Farmers Go Green

(Above) Trees4Trees shows farmers in West Bandung how to make organic fertilizers. Photo: Trees4Trees

Trees4Tress is working to green the world and grow a better future. In these reforestation efforts, farmers have a crucial role to play. Through a series of training activities, we have been working to build farmers’ capacity, empowering them to plant seeds of positive development in their communities.

From November 4 to the end of January 2022, season, Trees4trees has held farmer training in 193 planting locations throughout West and Central Java. These sessions were attended by a total of more than 4,000 participants. We also employed local people as field facilitators, so they could take the lead in tree planting activities in their home village.

Trees4Trees Training in Numbers:

193 villages
40 sub-districts
More than 4,000 participants

664 field facilitators
91 field coordinators
85 government instructors

Raising Awareness, Developing Skills

Our aim is to encourage the use of more organic, environmentally friendly methods. Training sessions focused on how to make organic fertilizers, and pesticides, while also showing farmers some handy propagation techniques for seedlings.

“It’s a win-win situation.” – Tedi, Trees4Trees Training Officer

Tedi Purnama is one of Trees4Trees’ training officers. He has noticed most farmers still use chemicals in agriculture. “We want to encourage them to switch to organic techniques,” he explains. “This is not only better for the trees’ growth, but also better for the environment – it’s a win-win situation.”

Growing Together: Training Helps Farmers Go Green — (Above) mixing organic materials during a training session in Wargamekar village, West Java. Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis

For many farmers who attended the training, organic farming was something interesting but unfamiliar. Nuryanto, from Pinggirsari village in West Java, was one of many who was happy to find out more information.

“This training is interesting because the ingredients to make organic fertilizers or pesticides are easy to find and cheap,” said Nuryanto. “We know that chemical fertilizers and pesticides harm the soil – now we finally have a way to reduce our dependency on these materials,” he added.

Showing the Way: Field Coordinators and Facilitators

Leading these sessions were Trees4Trees’ team of field coordinators and field facilitators; local recruits, trained in organic farming techniques by one of our more experienced training officers.

“Field facilitators are closest to the farmers and local communities,” explains Tedi, who has been helping this team deliver the training in their communities. “They are also the first people farmers can go to and ask about how to implement organic farming properly. So it’s important for them to know everything,” he added.

(Above) mixing organic materials during a training session in Wargamekar village, West Java. Photo: Trees4Trees/V. Arnila Wulandani

Rizki Imanuddin is a field coordinator from Pinggirsari village in the Cirasea district of West Bandung. He found the training to be a really positive experience. “Seeing the farmers so enthusiastic about organic farming makes me excited too,” he revealed. In his village, fruit production optimization was the most popular topic, as many local people were looking for ways to sustainably increase their fruit yields.

In Cisangkuy District, farmers were eager to join the training session about propagation of seedlings and grafting techniques. As the field coordinator, Rahmat noted that “during the training, farmers practiced the techniques seriously – they are eager to begin applying this knowledge in their own fields.”

“Seeing the farmers so enthusiastic about organic farming makes me excited too.”– Rizki Imanuddin, a field coordinator from Pinggirsari Village

Collaboration is Key to Success Growing Together

In addition to the generous support received from AstraZeneca and One Tree Planted in the planting area around the Citarum watershed, Trees4Trees is also working together with government instructors from Indonesia’s Agricultural Extension Agency (Badan Penyuluh Pertanian/BPP).

So far, as part of our current planting season, more than 85 instructors from the government agency have gotten involved in farmer training in 32 sub-districts where our planting areas are located.

Roni Nur Rohman is one of the instructors who attended the recent training. He believes BPP and Trees4Trees share the same mission: to support reforestation efforts and empower farmers to develop more sustainable livelihoods.

“We hope this training can improve farmers’ knowledge about tree planting and organic farming,” says Roni. “With collaboration, and from cultivation to harvesting, the planting process will bring great benefits to farmers and the environment.”

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Interview: Kemas Duga Muis. Editor: Christopher Alexander

farmer training organic farming organic training

Newsletter

Category: Activities

Activity Highlights: Engaging Local Communities to Promote Tree Planting Initiative

Nursery Highlights: Seedlings Preparation at West Java Nurseries

Nurturing the Next Generation: Trees4Trees School Visits

Learning by Doing: Hands-on Environmental Action

The Importance of Environmental Education

Empowering Women Farmers: Trees4Trees and Tree HK Join Forces

Household Economic Management Training

Bio-briquette Making from Corn Wastes Training

Turning Over a New Leaf: Farmers Going Green in Java

Trees4Trees Training Raises Awareness of Organic Farming

Cheaper, Greener, Better: Finding More Sustainable Solutions

Working in Harmony with Nature, Going to the Next Level

Growing Together: Training Helps Farmers Go Green

Raising Awareness, Developing Skills

Showing the Way: Field Coordinators and Facilitators

Collaboration is Key to Success Growing Together

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Category: Activities

Learning by Doing: Hands-on Environmental Action

The Importance of Environmental Education

Household Economic Management Training

Bio-briquette Making from Corn Wastes Training

Trees4Trees Training Raises Awareness of Organic Farming

Cheaper, Greener, Better: Finding More Sustainable Solutions

Working in Harmony with Nature, Going to the Next Level

Raising Awareness, Developing Skills

Showing the Way: Field Coordinators and Facilitators

Collaboration is Key to Success Growing Together

Quick Links

Legal Stuff

Legal Stuff

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