Indonesia: Environmental group aims to plant two million trees on Mount Rinjani

Panca Nugraha The Jakarta Post 11 Dec 17;

Saving the environment: More than 500 people prepare on Dec. 10, 2016, to clean up and plant trees on Mt. Rinjani, a tourist destination famous for its beauty but notorious for its litter. (JP/Panca Nugraha)

Lombok-based environmental activist group Pawang Rinjani plans to plant some two million tree seedlings across five districts in North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, that serve as a buffer zone to Mount Rinjani. The trees are all endemic to the region.

The event, called Gawe Gawah, is a reforestation program that follows a local wisdom tradition as a tribute to the forest.

“Gawe Gawah is not only an event to plant trees but also an opportunity to raise people’s awareness of the importance of taking care of the natural environment that surrounds them,” said Pawang Rinjani public relations officer Abdullah Apink Al Kaff on Monday.

“We plan to plant about two million trees that are endemic to Lombok, such as sengon (silk trees), gatep (Tahitian chestnut) and flamboyan (Royal poinciana).”

The event, which will be held on Dec. 24, will see tree seedlings distributed to thousands of people who reside in the five buffer-zone districts in North Lombok.

“Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya will attend the event,” Abdullah said.

Representatives of the North Lombok regional council (DPD) and environmental activists will also be invited to attend.

Pawang Rinjani is focused on environmental conservation. In 2016, the group planted more than 40,000 flamboyan trees in several conservation areas within the regency through a program called Daulat Pohon.

This year, the organizations has continued its efforts to promote the spirit of environmental conservation, starting from the smallest steps, such as encouraging people to plant trees in their surrounding areas. (nmn/ebf)