Lebak Muncang Village in Ciwidey District is predominantly characterized by agricultural areas, tea and coffee plantations, forests, and rice fields. Given that agriculture plays a vital role in supporting the livelihoods of the local community, the village has been selected by the Bandung Regency government as one of the ten pilot villages for nature-based tourism, particularly agro-tourism activities.
The majority of Lebak Muncang villagers are engaged in vegetable and fruit farming. Among them is Elis (55), who has been involved in farming for the past 30 years. Her land is cultivated with a variety of crops, including coffee, cassava, seasonal vegetables, and chilies. Previously, Elis used to farm alongside her husband. Unfortunately, two years ago, her husband passed away, leaving her to face the challenges of life as a single parent. Despite the hardships, Elis persevered and continued farming to provide for her two children.
“I am grateful for this tree planting program as it greatly benefits me as a farmer. The program team regularly visits to monitor the trees I planted, ensuring they are in good condition and growing healthily. I am also grateful because we are given ownership of the trees and their yields. This allows us to manage our crops to meet our daily needs and support our future,” expressed Elis.
Planting Trees to Restore Water Availability
However, Elis’s motivation for tree planting extends beyond the economic benefits for her family. She is deeply concerned about the environment surrounding her village. She mentioned that there used to be a substantial forest in the area, which has unfortunately been converted into residential areas. Consequently, accessing clean water has become a challenge.
“To access clean water, we have to install a hose from a spring located approximately 10 kilometers away from our village. In the past, when the forests were intact, clean water was readily available here, and we didn’t have to rely on distant springs,” she revealed.
Elis hopes that by planting more trees, the forest’s original function of providing clean water can be restored. She also looks forward to participating in the tree planting program next year, enabling her to plant more trees on her remaining 1,600-meter square of her land.
The world celebrates International Women’s Day every March 8th. The day is an opportunity to recognize the contributions of women to society and call for greater gender equality in all areas of life. As a woman who wants to celebrate this momentous day by contributing to the earth through eco-friendly ways in daily life, you can try these tips to become an eco-friendlier woman.
You can also celebrate the day with woman you love most in your life by considering these things as gifts.
Get rid of single-use makeup wipes and switch with reusable wipes
Using single-use makeup cotton wipes or facial cleansing wipes can be wasteful. Instead, switching to reusable cloth wipes can be a simple way to be more eco-friendly in your beauty routine. These cloth wipes can be washed and reused multiple times, resulting in less waste.
Reusable cloth wipes can be a way to be more eco-friendly in a beauty routine. Photo: Pexels/Karolina Grabowska
Upcycle, secondhand, and eco-friendly material clothes
The trend of fashion is very dynamic making the clothing models, variation, and types change vastly. It is easy to buy up-to-date clothes from shops which do not consider the environment of clothing production, but we should consider it because the process involves a huge amount of energy consumption, water, and natural resources.
Secondhand clothes, slow fashion, clothes swap, or upcycle clothes are ways to do more sustainable in fashion. Photo: Pexels/cottonbro studio
Instead of buying new clothes every time the fashion trend is changing, we can do a more sustainable way to get clothes and keep fashionable, such as:
Upcycle items we already own
Buy secondhand clothing
Organize a clothes swap or attend it to swap your clothes with others
Choose slow fashion (with a good quality, durable, and long-lasting model) so you can wear it for a long time
Buy clothes with eco-friendly materials like natural dyed clothes or made from degradable material like cotton or silk.
Earth-friendly bath and skin care products
There are so many varieties of bath and skin care products made from natural these days. They are free preservatives and free chemicals so safer for the body and for the earth. It usually comes with wonderful-smelling soap, shampoo, and conditioner bars or nature-based skin care from various plants and fruit ingredients, like aloe vera, calendula, rose, and many more. Natural and earth-friendly bath and skin care products sure can pamper your skin and body after a tiring day.
Recycle and reduce packaging of beauty products
Another thing to consider before buying beauty products is whether they come with minimal or no packaging. Reducing packaging waste, especially from products that are a part of a woman’s daily routine, can be a significant contribution towards reducing our overall waste. Choosing beauty product brands that offer refillable packages or have programs in place to recycle their packaging is the best way to reduce waste. Alternatively, you can recycle the packaging into useful items or send it to recycling centers.
There are lots of eco-friendly kitchenware, cutlery, and other tableware offered nowadays. Usually, they are made from organic materials that are safe for environments like bamboo for cutlery or spatula, coconut fiber or loofah for dishwasher, responsible wood for glass or plates, or pot from pottery or durable material, so it can be used for a long time. Using eco-friendly kitchenware that is harmless to the environment is a great option to live more sustainably starting from the kitchen.
Reusable shopping bags and produce bags
Plastic waste is a serious problem we face these days. Going to the grocery store often means using a bunch of plastic bags and plastic produce sacks and then throwing them away shortly after. Bringing reusable shopping bags and produce bags every time going shopping is a great action to make a green contribution for the earth.
Plant trees, support women
Planting trees is a sustainable way to protect the earth. Moreover, it indirectly contributes to cleaning the air and water, which is beneficial for our skin and body. You can celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day by planting trees with Trees4Trees. By doing so, you will also be helping to empower women in our community. Let’s support women for a better and greener future! Plant tree with us through this LINK
Celebrate the International Women’s Day by planting with Trees4Trees. Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis.
Euis Maryati: Widowed and Planting Trees to Support Her Family
For a woman with four children, it is never easy being a single parent. This is how Euis Maryati (57) feels. She is one of the farmers in Patrolsari Village, Arjasari District. Since a few years ago, she had to be a mother and also head of the family.
As a widower, her life is struggling. Even though, she keeps herself motivated to be a strong woman for the sake of her family. Unlike common life of most women in her village, her daily life is not only about taking care of the household things, but also making income to fulfill her family’s needs. Otherwise, she has to work harder than anyone else.
Farming Crops is not Enough to Fulfill Her Family’s Daily Needs
Fortunately, Euis Maryati has a field that she can plant many kinds of plants. Most of them are seasonal food crops. Through her field, she can depend her life to the crops’ yield. “Here, I planted various kind of food crops. I planted chilies, cassava, ground nuts, and red bean. There is also corn. Usually, I harvest my seasonal crops once in every two to three months,” said Euis Maryati.
Afterwards, she sells her crops in a traditional market around her village. Some of the crops are also self-consumed by her family. According to Euis Maryati, by planting crops, at least she does not have to worry if some days she does not have enough money to buy food. Still, she can pick some food crops from her field for her own family consumption.
Euis Maryati has harvested crops from her field. Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis
Even though, to meet her family’s daily needs, she cannot avoid doing double jobs at one time. Besides farming, she also sells snacks. “If I do not farm, I cannot support my family’s needs. However, farming crops is not enough. So, I have also opened a small business selling snacks. It is to increase my income to meet my family’s daily needs,” she conveyed.
Planting Trees: Cultivating a Better Future for Her Family
In 2021, when she was offered a partnership program of tree planting funded by Astra Zeneca collaborated with Trees4Trees and One Tree Planted, Euis Maryati planted burflower-tree, avocado, mango, and orange. She planted those trees among her seasonal crops in her field. She admitted that she was lucky to get plants from the tree planting program. She hopes a lot from trees she planted for the future of her family.
She has been persevering in taking care of her trees. She cleans the grass every day so that all the plants grow well. She also applies her plants with organic fertilizer that she made herself from animal dung.
Euis Maryati is checking her jabon trees planted in her field along with various crops.
She expects, by taking good care of those trees, she will be able to harvest the good results. Moreover, now plants in her field are more varied. With more types of trees planted, she hopes she can sell more yields in the future, then she can fulfil her family’s needs much better than today.
“My life has been difficult for years. So I am hoping that it does not get any harder. If not myself, who else will support my family? I realize that I am both the mother and the head of the family. It is not easy. But for my children and their future, I will continue to work harder,” she stated.
She thanks to the tree planting program and she hopes it can bring more prosperity and a better future for women farmers and single parents like her.
From beaches lining the southern shores of Java to the verdant hills inland, Kebumen is home to extraordinary natural beauty. For travelers, the landscape offers many treasures to be explored. During Trees4Trees’ recent planting excursions, we encountered one of the region’s hidden gems, tucked away in the forest.
People in the nearby village of Gunungsari call it ‘Curug Kedondong’(kedondong is a type of fruit tree that grows locally, and this name is also given to the nearest sub-village). Surrounded by natural woodland, this breathtaking waterfall in Kebumen regency is a great example of why our mission to re-green Java is so important; a process of rehabilitating degraded areas, but also preserving the natural wonders we already have.
How to Get There
The waterfall is located around 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of downtown Kebumen. Traveling by car or motorbike, the road winds through idyllic pine forests and farmland along the way.
At the end of the road, the entrance gate is less than 1500 feet (450 meters) from the nearest houses. Entrance costs just IDR 5,000 (US$ 0.33) per person.
What Makes it Worth the Trip
The waterfall itself stands around 82 feet (25m) tall. The water cascades into an ancient canyon of andesite rocks, framed by verdant jungle ferns. At the base of the falls there is a natural freshwater pool – the perfect spot for a refreshing dip after the long trek.
And speaking of trekking, those with an adventurous streak can hike to the top of the falls. From up here, you can sit and enjoy panoramic views of the hills surrounding Gunungsari Village.
(above) Kedondong Waterfall cascades over giant andesite rocks
Making a Splash: The Growing Popularity of Kedondong Waterfall
For many years, this spot had been a well-kept secret, known only to the people of Gunungsari. But in 2018, a group of local youngsters decided it was time to put this place on the map – so they began promoting the falls as a unique tourist destination.
In 2019, and with support from the village government, they officially unveiled the falls and began welcoming visitors from far and wide. Since then, the site has been made more accessible to the public, with new facilities like gazebos, bridges, toilets, a parking area, and food stalls.
Jasmun is one of several young people in Gunungsari to have been actively involved in – and subsequently benefitted from – development of the falls. He lives nearby with his wife, and together they have converted their home into a food shop for tourists.
“Previously, it was like our own private waterfall because the location was just behind our house,” says Jasmun. “Now, we’re grateful that many visitors come to this place, because we can make income from this shop.”
(Above) “Our own private waterfall.” Young people in Gunungsari offer tours for visitors and help keep the falls clean. Photo: Trees4Trees/V. Arnila Wulandani. (Below) Stairs to pine forest. Photo: Trees4Trees/Yulianisa Dessenita.Travels in Java: Journey to Curug Kedondong Waterfall in Kebumen
Putting Down Roots: Reforestation the Key to Future of the Falls
“This waterfall originated from a source spring above,” explains Jasmun, who is part of a group that is working together to preserve the surrounding forests and keep the river system healthy. Recent years have given them cause for concern.
“In the dry season, the rivers never fully dried up,” he says. “But lately, the water coming from the spring is dwindling. It’s a major worry for us.,” The natural spring feeds the waterfall, but also represents the main source of clean water for villagers in the area.
Crystal-clear spring water in the river above the falls. Photo: Trees4Trees/V. Arnila Wulandani
In an effort to protect the spring and preserve the waterfall, local people have planted trees in the area. This offers a range of ecosystem benefits: trees help intercept rainfall, thereby reducing soil erosion; they also support infiltration, which means rainfall reaches the water table; they store water in their roots and branches, which keeps wellsprings flowing; and they also help to improve the quality and cleanliness of drinking water.
Trees4Trees has been supporting these efforts with a combination of resources and expertise.“In 2021, we helped the people plant 500 trees for spring conservation purposes,” explains Lailatul Khasanah, Field Coordinator of the Trees4Trees unit in Kebumen. “We planted sugar palm (aren), pangi(picung), and Tahitian chestnut (Gayam) trees, because they have a great ability to store water.”
In the most recent planting season, Lailatul and her team planted 500 more trees in the area – both on nearby farmland and in public areas around the waterfall. By working together with local people and giving nature a helping hand, Trees4Trees hopes to preserve the wonders of the waterfall for generations to come.
“By planting trees,” says Lailatul, “we hope the beauty of Kedondong waterfall will last forever.”
Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Editor: Christopher Alexander
Eco-friendly activities are becoming increasingly popular as people become more aware of environmental preservation and protecting the earth from damage. There are many activities we can do to make a positive impact on our environment. For example, experiencing various outdoor activities, preparing food in a more sustainable way, to involving in to environmental action.
These activities can be fun and enjoyable to do with family, friends, or partners on weekends or holidays. They don’t have to be difficult or expensive to implement. It also guarantees a good time for everyone while also helping the earth.
Go Biking
Adventuring outdoors can be a great eco-friendly activity to do. It allows us to appreciate the natural beauty around us and can be also a great bonding experience with our favorite person.
Biking is one of outdoor activities which is a great way to reduce carbon emissions, spend quality time with loved ones, and enjoy nature. Unlike driving or flying, biking does not require fossil fuel and leaves no trace of carbon emission. Biking also offers a chance to get some fresh air and exercise. To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, remember to wear a helmet, bring a water bottle, and activate GPS to make sure you don’t get lost.
Biking offers a chance to get some fresh air and exercise while also enjoy nature and have a quality time with favorite person. Photo: Pexel/Solare Flares
Hiking
Hiking can be a perfect activity to do with loved ones to connect with nature while also getting some exercise together. Before going on a hike, don’t forget to warm up, put away your gadgets, pack some snacks and drink water for the trip. Wear hiking boots and quick-dry outfits and be prepared to hit the trails for an environmentally friendly adventure. You may also consider bringing a trekking pole to help you navigate difficult terrain.
Hiking in a mountain. Photo: V.Arnila Wulandani
Camping
Leave your routine behind for a while and enjoy a green camping trip. It provides a wonderful experience to enjoy sitting around a campfire and have a meaningful conversation with loved ones by your side. Remember to minimize waste and leave no trace of trash. Don’t miss out on stargazing on clear nights. Playing guitar or games can also be perfect entertainment to enjoy together.
Public Transportation Road Trip
A road trip makes an amazing adventure, and we can try a different road trip experience by using public transportation. By taking a road trip using public transportation, we can explore new routes without increasing carbon emissions of our personal vehicle. This road trip will not only save your pocket but also the planet, while providing a fun and new experience with our loved ones.
Preparing Healthy Food with Low Waste Packaging
While outdoors activities provide opportunities to have an adventure and enjoy nature, we also can do activities in the way we prepare and enjoy food in an eco-friendlier way.
Cooking can be a fun activity to do together. You can prepare ingredients by choosing to shop directly from local farmers and buy some organic seasonal produce, like vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Set a garden indoors or in the yard of your home to grow vegetables, fruits, and herbs by yourself is also a great option. These ways ensure the food we consume has a much smaller carbon footprint and lower waste packaging.
Vegetables from a local farmer. Photo: Pexels/Uriel Mont.
Zero-waste Picnic
Enjoying food in an eco-friendlier way also can be done by having a picnic in a park, while enjoying the natural surrounding at the same time. It is not only saving money on restaurant bills but can also be an enjoyable activity to spend with family, friends, or a partner. Make sure the picnic leaves no waste and use reusable plates, glass, and cutlery. Store the food and drinks in reusable containers and save leftover food.
Upcycling and DIY Project
Thinking about what you can do with old and unused items in your home? One of the best eco-friendly ways to do it is upcycling. You can recycle broken, unused, or old items at home by upcycling them into something new and unique. It’s fun to do DIY project at home with your family to turn old T-shirts into tote bags, or plastic bottles into planters, or bottles into LED-light holders.
Establishing a Garage Sale
You may have many old and unused items in your home that are still in good condition. Instead of disposing of them away, you can collaborate with your family or a partner to gather and prepare those items for a garage sale. As the trend of secondhand items continues to grow as a solution to minimize waste, this activity is worth trying. Itcan be a way to educate people about the importance of reducing waste and preserving the environment.
Environmental Volunteering
Being involved in environmental actions is another great eco-friendly activity to do with family, best friend, or a partner. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved as volunteers in activities that benefit the environment. Beach clean-up events, tree-planting events, or mangrove planting can be good activities to try. You can even volunteer with Trees4Trees during planting season as a tree planter to help the reforestation efforts.
Gifting Trees
Gifting gifts can be a wonderful way to express our love and affection to the people we love most. There are many eco-friendly gift options to choose from. One unique and memorable gift idea is to gift a planted tree. This shows our love not only for our loved ones but also for the planet. By gifting a tree, we also do a reliable environmental action that contributes to help improve the environment. You can gift a tree to your loved ones by planting trees with Trees4Trees.
Gift trees with Trees4Trees can be an action to show love for your loved one and also for the planet. Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis.
Rasito were proud of the sengon trees he grows. They reach more than 10-meters in height now.
In 2019, Rasito (53) joined the tree planting program initiated by Trees4Trees and Tree Ltd. At that time, he proposed various types of tree seedlings such as sengon, indigofera, and coffee to be planted in his field. He cannot help but feel grateful for the free seedlings he received. His decision to register and join the tree planting program three years ago was actually because of his strong will to optimize the yield of the field he owned.
Fortunately, Rasito has a more fertile field compared to the fields in other villages. His field is located not far from his home in Kalirejo Village, Kebumen Regency.
“I can say my field is fertile and easy to plant with any kind of crops and timbers. I think it is because the location is near the spring and river. So, when the dry season comes, it does not ever experience a drought,” Rasito said.
Manage Pests is the Biggest Challenge
While strolling around his field, he seemed to trim the yellow leaves occasionally. According to Rasito, the biggest challenge to manage plants in his field is because of pests. “These yellow pests are very troublesome. They make leaves turn yellow, wilt, then die. Many sengon trees from Trees4Trees that I planted here were attacked by this kind of pest and could not survive. Auspiciously, there are still around 20 sengon trees that survive and grow well,” Rasito continued. He was pointing us to the sengon trees which now have reached 10 meters in height.
Rasito thanks Trees4Trees and Tree HK for providing him various kinds of tree seedling, including coffee.
Since returning to his village twenty years ago, Rasito has chosen to focus on agriculture. He used to work in the coffee plantation in Lampung, Sumatera. However, he decided to return to his village because his heart felt heavy to leave his 7-years old son at that time.
From the coffee plantation he used to work at previously, he has learnt a lot about agriculture and how to grow coffee. From his parents, he inherited traditional agriculture knowledge. He used them to manage his field area of more than 1.000 square meters until now.
Unsatisfied with The Result of His Field
Before joining the tree planting program, most of his field was planted with cassava and taro. There were also turmeric and Kaempferia galanga or aromatic ginger. He also planted stinky beans, papaya, and kelor trees. All the yields to be sold as his income to support his family’s daily needs. He also raised goats as his saving.
Regrettably, the price of cassava as his main yield is less competitive in the market. “One kilogram of cassava that has been cleaned costs around 1.700 rupiahs. If I don’t clean the skin, the price is only 1.500 rupiahs per kilogram. Taro’s price is much better. It is more stable, around 2.000 rupiahs per kilogram,” Rasito revealed. When the price drops or does not sell well in the market, then Rasito must give up the cassava he grew to be used as his cattle’s feed.
For that reason, when he heard that there was a tree planting program and free seedlings distribution, he was enthusiastic. “At that time, I heard that coffee seedlings would be distributed to farmers. I was interested. I always want to apply the knowledge I have learned from the coffee plantation where once I worked in my own field,” told Rasito.
Rasito with Robusta coffee trees that he has grown since 2019.
Growing Coffee Trees, Increasing His Field’s Productivity
He was thrilled to know that of the 180 Robusta coffee seedlings he received in 2019, he managed to grow well 150 coffee trees. Over the last three years, he has already harvested twice. “In one harvesting time, there may be about 5 kilograms. But it has not been sold yet. I am still testing my coffee trees, grinding the beans, and consuming them by myself. I have compared the taste with the Robusta coffee sold in the market and even with coffee sold in a cafe. I am sure that this coffee can compete with them,” he said confidently.
Compared with cassava, Rasito believes coffee is more prospective. He also said it is not difficult to grow coffee trees. According to his survey, ground Robusta coffee’s price in the market can reach 30.000 rupiahs per kilogram. That interested him. Therefore, Rasito intends to replace cassava and taro with coffee in the future. “These cassavas are temporary. When I can grow more coffee trees, I will replace all of cassava and taro with coffee in order to make my field more productive as well as my income,” he was hoping.
In addition to coffee, Rasito also grows pepper which is planted as vines on other trees. He is quite satisfied with the result of pepper. He can sell them for 80,000 rupiahs per kilogram.
Rasito expects he we will be allowed to join the next tree planting program with Trees4Trees. He hopes he can receive durian and avocado seedlings. “I have tried planting durian and it is growing well in my field. If there will be another program, I intend to apply durian seedlings as well as avocado,” said Rasito.
