Palangka Raya – October 11th, 2021
BPDAS HL Kahayan is collaborating with the Sebangau National Park Agency (BTNS) and the Indonesian Borneo Nature Foundation (BNF) to plant native trees in the Sebangau National Park (TN) area. 52,520 seeds were provided by BPDASHL, consisting of pulai, belangeran and jelutung tree seedlings.
The seeds were customarily handed over by the Head of BPDAS HL Kahayan, Supriyanto Sukmo Sejati, to representatives of the Fire Care Society (MPA) Habaring Hurung at the Tumbang Nusa Permanent Nursery, Pulang Pisau Regency.
“We hope these seeds will grow well in the planting area, and that the cooperation between us, BTNS and BNF Indonesia continues in future,” said Supriyanto, as seeds were loaded into trucks outside the nursery on Monday (11/10/2021).
Head of SPTN I Sebangau National Park, Lisna Yulianty, adds that subsequent seed planting efforts could form a new activity and source of income for MPA Habaring Hurung members.
“Developing this collaboration will allow targets for ecosystem restoration to be summarily met. Moreover, the resulting activities can further empower communities around the National Park,” he said.
BNF Indonesia Habitat Restoration Officer, Daniel Katopo, expressed his gratitude to the BPDAS HL Kahayan for their assistance, providing locally appropriate seeds for plantation to restore ecosystems in several areas across the Sebangau National Park.
“These seeds will be divided into two groups: one for Community Nursery (CN) Habaring Hurung, and one for the CN in Daops I Kasongan. We hope that this will prove useful for restoring areas of Sebangau National Park that were burned in the 2015 wildfires,” Katopo explained.
He also emphasises that the seeds are from local plants, enabling regrowth of pulai, belangeran and jelutong trees that were lost in previous years’ fires.
One Habaring Hurung MPA member, Deni Dwi Purwanto, stated that the subsequent planting activities are a positive form of community participation in ecosystem restoration, especially in Habaring Hurung Village.
“We from MPA Habaring Hurung hope that this will give rise to additional reforestation activities for the community and, in turn, improve the economy,” he concludes.
Writer: Yohanes Prahara/BNF Indonesia
Photos by Yohanes Prahara/BNF Indonesia
