To welcome Indonesian National Nature Conservation Day (HKAN) 2022, the Sebangau National Park Center (TN) and their partners planted trees to support ongoing ecosystem restoration efforts in the national park. This activity was performed in collaboration with the Borneo Nature Foundation (BNF) Indonesia and PT. Pembangkit Jawa Bali Operation and Maintenance Services Business Unit (PJB UBJOM) Pulang Pisau, with further involvement from the Palangka Raya District Attorney and the Technical Implementation Unit of the Central Kalimantan Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), and the Palangka Raya City Environmental Service (DLH) and regional officials planted trees at the Habaring Hurung Resort, Section I National Park Management (SPTN).
Also taking part in the HKAN planting event on Monday 8th August were local community members and students from the State Elementary School (SDN) 1 Habaring Hurung.
“Today saw the ceremonial planting of 200 endemic tree seedlings, a collaboration between the Sebangau National Park Center, BNF Indonesia and PT. PJB UBJOM Pulang Pisau. In future, we will target our planting across 41 hectares of the Sebangau National Park,” explained Andi M Kadhafi, Head of the Sebangau National Park.
To meet this scaling up challenge, BNF Indonesia will provide enough seeds to cover 36 hectares, and PT. PJB UBJOM Pulang Pisau will supply the seeds for a further five hectares.
“Over this area [of 41 hectares], we estimate that around 30,000 seedlings will be planted. Afterwards, we hope that local communities will help care for the new trees as they grow, so the results can be enjoyed by everyone,” Andi said, planting a pulai (Alstonia scholaris) seedling.
The Chief Executive Officer of BNF Indonesia, Juliarta Bramansa Ottay, told us that the seedlings for this initial activity were procured through a collaboration between BNF Indonesia and the Kahayan Watershed Management Center and Protected Forest (BPDASHL), by involving community members in seedling nursery management.
“The seeds planted are endemic to Kalimantan, including belangeran, pulai and jelutung. These species are cared for in seedling nurseries by the community. Later, more seedlings will be planted as part of BNF’s 1 Million Trees program to help restore the Sebangau National Park ecosystem,” he said.
BNF’s commitment, continued Juliarta, is to carry out conservation activities and mitigate the effects of climate change, which is a global concern. The next planting event in the Sebangau National Park will take place at Km 53 Resort Habaring Hurung.
Meanwhile, the Manager of PT. PJB UBJOM Pulang Pisau, Fuad Arifin, expressed his organization’s readiness to support and be involved in environmental conservation efforts, especially those in the Sebangau National Park.
“We are committed to managing the environment in a sustainable manner and are currently preparing tree seedlings for planting across five more hectares of the Sebangau National Park. Looking to the future, this environmental management cooperation between the Sebangau National Park Center, BNF Indonesia and PT. PJB UBJOM Pulang Pisau will continue to be developed,” Fuad concluded.
Written By: Yohanes Prahara, Content Creator and Media Liaison BNF Indonesia
Photo by: Yohanes Prahara/BNF Indonesia
