Pesan Pelestarian Sumber Air dari Senjoyo

Tidak seperti biasanya, sumber mata air Senjoyo yang indah di Desa Tegalwaton, Tengaran, Salatiga, Jawa Tengah penuh dengan karya seni instalasi. Suara musik punk rock, metal, reggae, pop dan lainnya menggantikan suara kicauan aneka burung yang biasa hinggap di tajuk pepohonan raksasa di sana. Suasana menjadi begitu ramai karena ribuan orang datang ke lokasi ini mulai dari pagi hingga larut malam, menyaksikan berbagai pagelaran seni atau ikut workshop. Begitulah suasana Senjoyo ketika perhelatan Festival Mata Air 2009 yang bertema “Tanam Pohon=Tangkap Air” berlangsung dari tanggal 8 hingga 11 Oktober lalu.

“Seni adalah media yang paling efektif untuk menarik perhatian terhadap isu lingkungan dan dapat menginspirasi komunitas untuk beraksi,” ujar Vannesa Hyde, manajer kegiatan komunitas Tanam Untuk Kehidupan (TUK) Salatiga yang menyelenggarakan festival ini untuk keempat kalinya sejak 2006 lalu. Itulah sebabnya festival ini mengundang banyak seniman baik dari Indonesia dan luar negeri (Australia, Inggris, Jepang dan Timor Leste) untuk menyajikan karya seni mereka. Lebih dari 120 kelompok seniman berpartisipasi dalam festival ini.

Hampir semua karya seni yang dipamerkan dalam festival ini menggunakan bahan dari barang-barang bekas dan berpesan kepada masyarakat untuk menjaga kelestarian lingkungan dan kebersihan seperti membuang sampah pada tempatnya. “Barang bekas itu bukan sampah,” ujar Didik Jilling dari komunitas TUK. Dengan menggunakan barang-barang bekas, ia mengajarkan kepada anak-anak untuk membuat hiasan seni yang bagus.

Lihat pula art performance Imam Wahyudi, seorang seniman Yogyakarta. Ia berdiri selama beberapa jam dengan seluruh tubuh dibalut batang pohon padi kering. Aneka sampah menempel pada tubuhnya. Secarik kertas tertempel dengan tulisan,”Jangan kau Bunuh Alammu Lagi.” Muka Imam sendiri ‘menyeramkan’ karena dilukis menjadi tengkorak. Ia ingin berpesan jika manusia merusak alam seperti menebangi pohon yang terjadi hanyalah bencana yang dapat membunuh manusia sendiri.

Melalui tema “Tanam Pohon=Tangkap Air, komunitas TUK ingin mengingatkan kepada masyarakat Indonesia dan dunia tentang pentingnya menanam pohon agar sumber air tetap lestari sehingga kehidupan mahluk hidup di bumi dapat terjaga. Pohon ibarat ‘pipa’ yang menyalurkan air hujan agar masuk ke dalam tanah yang nantinya akan muncul kembali ke permukaan tanah lewat mata air.

Namun kenyataannya aksi penebangan pohon yang masif terjadi dimana-mana. Setiap tahun, Indonesia sendiri kehilangan hutan sekira1,8 juta hektar. Akibatnya, debit air pada sumber-sumber air mulai berkurang dan bahkan tidak sedikit yang mati. Ambil contoh di Kabupaten Kulonprogo, Yogyakarta, kini 119 mata air di sana dalam kondisi krisis karena berkurangnya tegakan pohon-pohon besar.

World Health Organization (WHO) memperingatkan saat ini sekira 1 milyar penduduk bumi kesulitan mendapatkan air bersih. Akibatnya hampir 3900 anak-anak meninggal setiap hari akibat sulitnya akses air bersih. Jika kelestarian mata air semakin terancam kondisi dunia tentu akan makin buruk.

Senjoyo yang menjadi sumber air bagi warga kota Salatiga dan Kabupaten Semarang juga mulai mengalami penurunan debit air. Data Ranting Pengairan Kecamatan Tengaran, Dinas Pekerjaan Umum Kabupaten Semarang mencatat jika di tahun 1995 debit air di Senjoyo 1.115 liter per detik maka pada tahun 2008 turun menjadi 838 liter per detik (Kompas, 12 September 2008).

Jasmin Wirosumarto (80) juru kunci Senjoyo mengakui berkurangnya debit air ini. “Itu karena banyak sampah plastik menutupi sumber-sumber air yang ada di sekitar sini,” ujarnya. Sebelum festival, komunitas TUK dan ratusan relawan membersihkan sampah plastik yang betebaran di Senjoyo. Sampah yang terkumpul dijadikan satu dan dibuat monumen untuk memperingatkan para pengunjung Senjoyo agar tidak membuang sampah sembarangan. Para seniman mural juga membuat karya dengan pesan agar masyarakat menjaga kebersihan Senjoyo.

Di Senjoyo, terdapat dua kolam besar yang mendapat pasokan air dari banyak mata air di sekitarnya. Di situlah masyarakat sekitar sering bertamasya, berenang dan mencuci pakaian. Airnya sangat jernih sehingga dasar kolam kelihatan. Ikan dan udang air tawar terlihat dengan jelas. Dari dua kolam itu, air selanjutnya mengalir ke sungai-sungai dan saluran irigasi yang mengairi ribuan hektar sawah di wilayah Salatiga dan Kabupaten Semarang.

Pengambilan air oleh perusahaan air minum milik pemerintah (PDAM), industri dan instansi militer juga disebutkan Jasmin sebagai penyebab penurunan debit air. Di Senjoyo, kita dapat melihat pipa-pipa besar menancap di sumber-sumber air besar, menyedot dan mengalirkannya keluar dari Senjoyo. Namun Vanessa mengatakan perusahaan besar dan instansi militer itu tidak pernah melakukan konservasi atau manajemen lingkungan agar sumber air Senjoyo tetap lestari.

Berkurangnya jumlah tegakan pohon di wilayah sekitar sumber air di sekitar Senjoyo juga ikut menyumbang turunnya debit air di Senjoyo. “Banyak pohon di wilayah sekitar Senjoyo ditebang untuk pembangunan,” ujar perempuan asal Australia ini. Sementara Gunung Merbabu setinggi 3124 meter yang berdiri tidak jauh dari Senjoyo dan menjadi water catchment juga mengalami kegundulan. Banyak lahan berubah menjadi kebun sayuran.

Akibatnya, masyarakat di sekitar Senjoyo sendiri sudah mulai mengalami kesulitan air. Siang itu, saat berbagai grup musik mempertunjukkan kebolehannya di salah satu panggung yang dekat dengan sumber air utama di Senjoyo, Nanang (30) warga Cabean, Karangduren (tidak jauh dari Senjoyo) sedang asyik mencuci pakaian di salah satu pojok kolam air Senjoyo. “Saya mencuci pakaian di sini karena air PDAM di rumah hanya mengalir di pagi hari saja,” ujarnya sambil membilas pakainnya sehingga buih-buih sabun deterjen mengambang di permukaan air kolam.

Ironis! Warga yang tinggal di sekitar sumber air justru mulai mengalami kesulitan. Itu pula yang menjadi alasan mengapa komuitas TUK memilih festival mata air 2009 di Senjoyo. “Festival mata air ini juga bisa berguna untuk mengadvokasi kepentingan warga di sekitar Senjoyo,” tandas Vanessa seraya menyebutkan betapa indahnya lokasi Senjoyo.

Semoga tema festival mata air 2009, “Tanam Pohon=Tangkap Air” dapat bergema ke seluruh penjuru dunia. Menanam pohon adalah cara paling mudah dan murah untuk menangkap air serta melestarikan sumber air yang menyediakan air bersih bagi kehidupan. Tanpa ada air, yang terjadi adalah aneka bencana mulai dari kekeringan, kelaparan hingga timbulnya berbagai macam penyakit.

Mantan Sekjen PBB Kofi Annan pernah mengingatkan tentang pentingnya air bersih. “We Shall not finally defeat AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria or any of the other infectious diseases that plague the developing world until we have also won the battle for save drinking-water, sanitation and basic health care.” (foto dan teks: Bambang Muryanto)

Hutan Wonosadi, Secuil “Jamrud” yang Jatuh di Gunungkidul

Oleh: Bambang Muryanto

Musim kemarau sedang berada di puncak, beberapa desa di Kabupaten Gunungkidul, Propinsi Yogyakarta mulai kekeringan. Tetapi penduduk Desa Beji, Ngawen, Kabupaten Gunungkidul tidak mengalaminya. Meskipun berkurang, air masih mengalir dari sumber-sumber air setempat yang digunakan untuk keperluan sehari-hari dan menyirami tanaman di ladang. Airnya jernih, saat mengalir dan menggenangi sungai-sungai kecil, ia masih bisa memberi kehidupan bagi beberapa jenis ikan lokal.

Ya, bagi Desa Beji, kedatangan musim kemarau tidak membawa persoalan. Jaminan air bersih tetap ada. Warga Beji yang berjumlah sekitar 2968 jiwa (2008) tidak menjadi bagian dari satu hingga dua juta penduduk dunia yang setiap hari berjuang mencari 20 hingga 25 liter air bersih untuk berbagai keperluan dalam satu hari.

Itu semua karena Desa Beji mempunyai hutan adat seluas 25 hektar atau sama dengan luas 51 lapangan sepak bola. Namanya hutan Wonosadi. Di hutan yang menutupi sebuah bukit ini terdapat tiga mata air yang dapat memenuhi kebutuhan masyarakat Desa Beji sehari-hari. Sedangkan di sekitar Wonosadi terdapat hutan penyangga seluas 35 hektar yang berfungsi untuk mengurangi kerusakan hutan wonosadi. “Masyarakat bisa mencari kayu bakar di hutan penyangga,” ujar Muhammad Kasno (77), salah seorang pemuka Desa Beji.

Bila anda masuk ke Wonosadi, setelah menapaki jalan setapak yang amat terjal, pasti tercengang karena seperti berada di hutan hujan tropis yang masih perawan di Sumatera. Pohon-pohon besar dari berbagai jenis (diantaranya ada yang langka) berdiri rapat, tajuknya saling bersinggungan dan “dijahit” sulur-sulur tumbuhan perdu yang menjalar ke berbagai arah. Akibatnya sinar matahari sulit menembus, membuat suasana di dalam hutan begitu teduh.

Dari kejauhan, hutan Wonosadi begitu hijau seperti batu jamrud. Sama sekali tidak nampak jika di dalamnya juga terdapat batu-batu yang ukurannya sebesar rumah. Pun pula serasah daun berwarna coklat yang menutupi lantai hutan.

Bila diletakkan dalam land scape Gunungkidul yang kering, tandus dan berbatu, kehadiran Wonosadi yang ijo royo-royo adalah suatu ‘anomali’. Bahkan Wonosadi lebih lebat dari hutan Wanagama milik Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Yogyakarta yang ada di Gunungkidul pula. Kecantikan Wonosadi ini menjadi salah satu daya tarik bagi wisatawan untuk mengunjungi Desa Beji yang menjadi desa wisata sejak 2006.

Kelestarian Wonosadi tidak lepas dari mitos yang dipercaya masyarakat setempat. Menurut Kasno, sekitar abad 15 saat Kerajaan Majapahit di Jawa Timur runtuh – karena serangan Kerajaan Demak di (Jawa Tengah) -- salah seorang patihnya yang sakti bernama Ki Onggoloco dan rombongan, melarikan diri dan membuka kawasan hutan di wilayah yang belakangan menjadi Desa Beji. Sejak itu Ki Onggoloco dan rombongan menetap di sana.

Tetapi Ki Onggoloco tidak membuka semua hutan. Ia menyisakan hutan Wonosadi karena memiliki mata air, “Ki Onggoloco berpesan hutan ini harus disisakan supaya mata airnya tetap lestari,” ujar Kasno yang juga menjadi pengururu desa wisata Beji.

Akhirnya Wonosadi tetap dijaga kelestariannya secara turun-temurun. Masyarakat percaya Ki Onggoloco dan berbagai mahluk halus tetap tinggal di hutan itu. Ini membuat masyarakat takut merusak Wonosadi.

Tetapi masa penjajahan Jepang hingga berakhirnya Perang Dunia II, Wonosadi sedikit mengalami kerusakan. “Waktu itu situasi ekonomi sangat sulit, banyak penduduk mencari kayu bakar di hutan itu untuk dijual,” ungkap Kasno.

Pasca Indonesia merdeka, hutan ditutup dan akhirnya pulih kembali. Namun pada tahun 1965, masyarakat pendukung Partai Komunis Indonesia (PKI) melakukan penebangan sehingga Wonosadi rusak parah. Menurut Kasno, para pendukung PKI sengaja melakukan perusakan karena mereka tidak percaya mitos bahwa Wonosadi adalah hutan ‘angker’ yang dihuni banyak jin dan setan serta menjadi kediaman Ki Onggoloco.

Pasca 1965 setelah PKI dihancurkan pemerintah, masyarakat Beji menghijaukan kembali Wonosadi. Proyek penghijauan ini dipimpin perangkat desa, salah satunya Kepala Dusun Duren, Desa Beji, Siswanto Tukimin. “Dialah yang mempunyai peran besar menghijaukan Wonosadi lagi,” tandas Kasno.

Berbagai cara, termasuk melalui kebudayaan digunakan untuk meyakinkan masyarakat tentang pentingnya menjaga kelestarian Wonosadi. Belakangan, pelestarian Wonosadi berlangsung sukses, salah seorang penduduk Beji yang juga turut serta dalam penghijauan itu, Sudiyo mendapat penghargaan dari Yayasan Kehati (Keanekaragaman Hayati), Kehati Award untuk kategori Prakarsa Lestari tahun 2009 ini.

Siswanto (66) yang menemani saya menjelajahi Wonosadi, mengatakan setelah penghijauan berhasil, tiga mata air di hutan yang semula mati, hidup kembali. “Tiga sumber ini, dapat memberikan air bersih bagi penduduk di 6 dusun di Desa Beji,” ujarnya saat berada di sumber air bernama Pok Blembem. Di sumber ini, air mengalir dari balik batu hitam besar. “Ini adalah sumber air terbesar,” tambah Siswanto.

Ketika melewati sebuah pohon mahoni berdiameter sekira 1 meter, Siswanto mengatakan,”Ini adalah hasil tanaman saya bersama warga,” ujarnya. Di batang pohon itu tertulis pohon itu ditanam tahun 1966.

“Jantung” dari Wonosadi adalah sebuah dataran seluas 800 meter persegi yang bernama Ngenuman. Di sana tumbuh empat pohon munggur (asem jawa) raksasa, yang lingkar pokok batangnya mencapai 4 hingga 8 meter. Konon pohon ini sudah berumur 500 tahun. Penduduk Beji percaya Ki Onggoloco pernah membangun padepokannya di Ngenuman. Di sana pula, setiap bulan Juni masyarakat Beji menggelar upacara sadranan untuk mengenang mendiang Ki Onggoloco.

Selain menyediakan air bersih, Wonosadi adalah ‘apotik’ raksasa. “Mau sakit apa saja, obatnya ada di sana,” ujar seorang petani renta, Yanto Suwarno. Menurut catatan, hutan itu menyimpan lebih dari 75 jenis tanaman obat.

Dengan kekayaan lebih dari 74 jenis pohon kayu, 23 jenis perdu dan 45 jenis rerumputan, Wonosadi juga menjadi rumah bagi aneka ragma fauna. Paling tidak, seperti dicatat Kasno, ada 32 jenis burung, 9 jenis mamalia, 28 jenis reptil/ampibia dan lebih dari 15 jenis serangga.

Sentuhan alam yang ikut mempercantik Wonosadi adalah kehadiran 21 jenis tanaman hias. Beberapa jenis anggrek terdapat di sini. Tetapi primadonanya adalah anggrek tanah bernama Pactelis susannae. Di musim kemarau, anggrek ini hanya berujud umbi yang tersimpan di dalam tanah. Ia akan muncul pada musim hujan dan kemudian berbunga (warnanya putih).

Saat akan meninggalkan Wonosadi, saya menatap air jernih yang mengalir di sungai kecil yang berhulu di Wonosadi. Sebagian dari air ini masuk ke ladang-ladang yang ditanami kacang tanah, daunnya hijau. Terlepas dari kebenaran sejarah lisan tentang Wonosadi, masyarakat Desa Beji mempunyai keraifan lokal yang sarat dengan pelajaran hidup. Bahwa memelihara kelestarian hutan adalah kunci untuk menopang kehidupan di wilayah yang digariskan selalu mengalami kekeringan.

Tulisan ini dimuat di The Jakarta Post, edisi 3 Nopember 2009

Melepasliarkan Elang Jawa di Lereng Gunung Merapi

Di lereng Gunung Merapi dengan ketinggian sekira 1200 meter (dpl), Jose, anggota Raptor Club Indonesia jongkok. Di tangan kirinya yang berbalut sarung tangan kulit yang panjang, bertengger seekor raptor berbulu coklat, berpadu dengan spot warna hitam dan putih. Setelah tali di kakinya, giliran ‘topeng’ penutup matanya dibuka. Dalam sekejap, bola matanya yang berwarna kuning menyala menatap tajam Jose. Ia membuka paruhnya yang tajam sambil merentangkan sayap. Di atas kepalanya, tiga helai bulu jambulnya bergetar. Hanya dalam hitungan detik, ia terbang melesat dan hinggap di sebuah pohon besar. Setelah berorientasi sejenak, ia melesat ke udara lagi dan hilang ditelan rimbunnya pepohonan hutan hujan tropis yang berada di kawasan Taman Nasional Gunung Merapi.

Ya, raptor bernama elang jawa (Spizaetus bartelsi) itu kembali hidup bebas di habitat alamnya. Bagi para pelaku konservasi burung di Yogyakarta, terutama Kutilang Indonesia Birdwatching Club dan Raptor Club Indonesia (RCI) Cabang Yogyakarta, ini adalah sebuah momen sejararah amat penting. Untuk pertama kalinya mereka melepasliarkan seekor elang jawa di lereng Selatan Gunung Merapi, Yogyakarta, Sabtu (25/4). “Ini adalah pelepasliaran elang jawa pertama kali di wilayah Yogyakarta,” ujar Direktur Kutilang, Ige Kristanto.

Di Indonesia yang mempunyai 78 jenis raptor, burung endemik Pulau Jawa ini adalah spesies paling terancam punah. Para ahli burung memperkirakan jumlahnya tinggal 200 ekor tersebar di berbagai hutan di pulau paling padat penduduknya di Indonesia ini. Penyebabnya tidak lain karena terus menyusutnya luas hutan di Pulau Jawa dan perburuan yang belum dapat dihentikan.

Sedangkan di lereng selatan Gunung Merapi tinggal tersisa 5 individu elang jawa! Itulah sebabnya pelepasliaran elang jawa betina dan berumur dua tahun ini mempunyai nilai penting. Kehadirannya menambah jumlah elang jawa di kawasan itu menjadi 6 ekor. Momen ini menjadi ‘catatan emas’ dalam wacana konservasi burung di Yogyakarta

“Kami, sangat terharu dapat melepasliarkan elang jawa ini,” ujar Budi “Kabul” Prakosa, koordinator RCI Yogyakarta, sebuah komunitas pecinta raptor untuk berburu dan berolah raga. Ia menceritakan elang jawa ini adalah milik salah seorang anggota RCI yang mendapatkannya dari seorang pedagang. Konon elang jawa ini berasal dari Jawa Timur. Ini menjadi bukti jika perburuan terhadap elang jawa yang menurut IUCN berstatus critical endangered masih terus terjadi.

Budi menjelaskan setelah ia melihat raptor milik anggotanya itu adalah jenis elang jawa yang dilindungi dan terancam punah, ia menegaskan burung ini harus dilepaskan di habitat alamnya. Setelah konsultasi dengan Lim Wen Sim, anggota RCI dan aktivis Kutilang, persiapan rilis pun dilakukan. Lim segera melakukan cek fisik dan kesehatannya, ia mengatakan raptor ini siap dirilis. “Semakin cepat, semakin bagus,” ujar Lim. Praktis raptor ini ada di tangan anggota RCI hanya 12 hari sejak dibeli pada tanggal 13 April lalu.

Dan Sabtu lalu menjadi awal lembaran hidup baru bagi elang jawa ini. Puluhan orang yang berasal dari anggota RCI Yogyakarta, Kutilang Indonesia Birdwatching Club dan para jurnalis mengantarkannya ke rumah alamnya yang baru. Mereka rela menempuh perjalanan mendaki lereng Gunung Merapi sejauh sekitar 4 kilometer. Rute yang dilalui adalah rute yang selalu digunkan Mbah Maridjan – juru kunci gunung Merapi – jika mengadakan Labuhan, untuk memperingati ulang tahun Raja Kraton Yogyakarta. Sang elang jawa sendiri dimasukkan dalam sebuah kotak dan dijinjing dua orang. Tidak terlalu berat.

Setelah berjalan kurang lebih satu jam, tibalah rombongan kecil itu di tempat yang dipilih, yaitu bibir jurang memanjang yang masuk wilayah Kinahrejo, Sleman, Yogyakarta. Sebelum dilepaskan, elang jawa seberat 17 kg itu dikeluarkan dari kotak untuk diambil darahnya dan menjalani berbagai pengukuran seperti bentang sayap, panjang badan, cakar, paruh dan lain sebagainya. Cakarnya sudah tumpul, kemungkinan sudah lama di tangan pedagang dan pernah ditumpulkan agar tidak melukai. Tidak lupa, di sayapnya dipasang kode dan wingmarker untuk mempermudah proses monitoring dan identifikasi.

Seluruh proses pengkuran dan pengambilan sampel darah ini berlangsung selama 7 menit 39 detik. “Wah ini terlalu lama,” ujar Lim yang memimpin proses ini. Seluruh proses ini tidak ada yang luput dari bidikan kamera para jurnalis. “Wah dia menjadi artis,” ungkap Mutiara (9), seorang anak SD yang rela membolos untuk melihat sosok elang jawa yang menjadi tokoh dalam salah satu buku cerita fabel koleksinya.

Setelah sang elang jawa kembali ke ‘pelukan’ hutan tropis yang hijau, ahli biologi dan pengamat burung dari Universitas Atma Jaya (UAJ) Yogyakarta, Pramana Yuda yang ikut hadir di sana mengatakan kemungkinan besar elang jawa ini dapat beradaptasi dengan habitat alamnya yang baru. “Insyaallah dapat beradaptasi,” ujarnya sambil tersenyum.

Tetapi yang menjadi persoalan serius adalah apakah daya dukung lingkungannya memungkinkan dengan kedatangan seekor elang jawa baru ini. “Persoalannya apakah elang jawa yang baru ini mampu berkompetisi (dengan raptor lainnya) dalam mencari makan,” ujar Pramana. Ia menegaskan berdasarkan hasil studinya, kawasan lereng selatan Gunung Merapi hanya mampu mendukung 6 individu elang jawa. Jika ternyata di kawasan ini ternyata ‘menyimpan’ lebih banyak elang jawa

Ketakutan Pramana ini beralasan karena wilayah hutan lereng selatan Gunung Merapi sangat sempit, hanya sekira 1.283 hektar. Di sini ‘berkuasa’, tiga jenis raptor berukuran besar seperti elang hitam (Ictynaetus malayensis), elang bido (Spilornis Cheela) dan elang brontok (Spizaetus cirhatus). “Belum lagi masih ada jenis-jenis raptor lain yang berukuran kecil,” tambah Pramana. Perebutan makanan antar raptor yang menjadi top predator pasti terjadi. Adegan dogfight alias ‘pertempuran di udara’ untuk memperbutkan wilayah kekuasaan pasti akan lebih sering terjadi.

Untuk memastikan berbagi kemungkinan itu, Kutilang akan melakukan monitoring bersama RCI. Lim mengatakan monitoring guna melihat perkembangan si elang jawa yang baru dilepasliarkan akan dilakukan minimal dua hari sekali. Ige Kristanto mengingatkan berdasarkan pengalaman di masa lalu, tingkat keberhasilan pelepasliaran raptor sangat kecil. Pengalaman di Yogyakarta ini akan menambah pengalaman dan pengetahuan tentang pelepasliaran elang jawa.

Bagaimana masa depan elang jawa betina ini memang masih menjadi misteri. Apakah ia akan survive atau mati. Tetapi untuk sementara kehadiran elang jawa betina ini menjadi penglipur lara atas kematian anakan elang jawa yang diserang kawanan kera ekor panjang (Macaca fascicularis) beberapa bulan lalu. Agaknya sejarah kehidupan elang jawa di lereng Gunung Merapi tengah menggeliat melawan ancaman kepunahan. (Bambang Muryanto)

Tulisan ini pernah dimuat di The Jakarta Post edisi 28 Juli 2009 dengan judul “On A Wing and A Prayer”

Alih fungsi lahan persawahan menjadi perumahan terus terjadi di wilayah Kabupaten Bantul. Meskipun persyaratan untuk hal ini sebetulnya cukup sulit, tetapi alih fungsi ini terus saja terjadi. Salah satunya adalah areal persawahan di Desa Ngestiharjo, Kasihan, Kabupaten Bantul yang 'disulap' menjadi perumahan. (foto dan teks: bambang muryanto)

Pencemaran Air Sungai Ancam Budidaya Ikan dalam Karamba

Masyarakat Yogyakarta yang tinggal di sepanjang Sungai Winongo banyak yang memelihara ikan di dalam keramba. "Buat hiburan untuk menghilangkan sress," ujar salah seorang penduduk yang tinggal di kampung Tejokusuman.

Bila musim panen tiba, hasil panen ikan mas dan jenis ikan lainnya menjadi tambahan lauk bagi mereka. Tetapi sayangnya, sering ikan-ikan peliharaan mereka mati karena tingginya tingkat pencemaran air sungai.

Masih banyak masyarakat yang suka membuang sampah ke sungai serta limbah berbagai kegiatan industri dan jasa yang langsung dibuang ke sungai tanpa melalui mekanisme pengelolaan air limbah menjadi sumber utama pencemaran air sungai.

Sudah seharusnya pemerintah kota Yogyakarta serius mencegah agar pencemaran air sungai dapat ditekan serendah mungkin. (foto dan teks: Bambang Muryanto)

Kutilang 'Kampanye', Ajak Masyarakat Pilih caleg yang Peduli pada Kelestarian Burung di Alam

Beng-beng makes money from rubbish to help the poor

Features - February 07, 2004 (The Jakarta Post)
Fathuddin Muchtar, Contributor, Yogyakarta

Compassion never turns a blind eye towards those who are in need. And compassion does not encourage one to wait until he or she prospers before they lend a hand.
Bambang Sudiro has set an example of what one can do to improve the welfare of poor people.
Bambang, or Beng-beng as he is fondly called, is not a rich man. He does not even have his own house. The long-haired 28-year-old born in Banda Aceh is a lapak, or broker, who collects junk and other recyclable waste from scavengers.
He manages a place on a 200-square-meter area in Balerejo, Umbulharjo, Yogyakarta, where he receives the recyclable waste from 35 scavengers.
The industrious young man also helps makes life worth living for others. Beng-beng is a foster parent of 13 street children. Most of them are children of the scavengers who sell their goods to him.
With the income he generates from the business, Beng-beng sends them to school. Seven of them study at the elementary school, three at the junior high school and three others at the senior high school.
Every month Beng-beng allocates Rp 595,000 (US$70) to pay their school fees. The elementary school children receive Rp 30,000, the junior high school students Rp 45,000, while the senior high school students get Rp 50,000.
"This program started in August last year. Next year, if there is good fortune, maybe there will be more (foster children) because there are still some other children who want to continue their studies but their parents can not afford it," Beng-beng says.
Why does he have so much concern about these children? Beng-beng says it is a long story.
In February last year, he heard some scavengers complaining. One of their complaints was that they could not pay their children's school fees. The scavengers, Beng-beng says, were hard workers and they wanted to set aside part of their income to finance their children's education.
"It turned out that there was something wrong in their working relations with their boss. The boss bought the (waste) from the scavengers, but that's it. There was no sort of partnership between the boss and the scavengers. This gave me an idea, how about if I helped them to market their goods? The revenue was divided into two, a part of it was for them, the rest was to pay the children's school fees. They agreed," Beng-beng said.
Therefore, in May 2003 Beng-beng started his program to improve the welfare of the scavengers and to enable their children to go to school. He asked the scavengers to work together and he became a lapak.
He raised funds to buy the items collected by the scavengers and he sold them to a pengepul (a businessman who buys recyclable items from brokers) in Yogyakarta.
In just a short time, there were many scavengers who sold their goods to him. With the scavengers he started a good working relationship.
"I told them that this business was not just to make money, but there were other benefits they would enjoy. The concept that we agreed upon is this: from the monthly profits, 20 percent is set aside for education, 20 percent for health, 10 percent for organization's petty cash, 35 percent for (business) development, 10 percent for tactical funds, and 5 percent for the consolidation fund," he said.
Beng-beng said that beside education, there are two other main problems facing the scavengers and their children: health and identity. Almost all of them could not afford to pay for their medication when they were sick. And most did not have ID cards.
Scavengers often become the victims of loan sharks. One of such victim is Tembong, 54.
"Before I joined mas (brother) Beng-beng, I could barely survive and had a lot of debts. But now I can save my money, even though only a little," he said.
Beng-beng said that the daily turnover of his business was between Rp 800,000 and Rp 1 million. Asked about the monthly profits, however, he said he never really made an exact calculation.
But the situation speaks for itself -- and it's clear the business is profitable. Besides paying the school fees of 13 children, Beng-beng can also hire three employees and he often gives out allowances if someone is sick or gets married.
In truth, Beng-beng says, he was not interested in becoming a lapak. He was afraid people would accuse him of exploiting scavengers for his own interest. But he did it anyway as he was concerned with the scavengers' fate.
"So, if you ask me about the benefits that I can make for myself, my answer is "social benefits". Just look what I have other than my clothes and this old motorcycle. I am quite happy I can help them," said the high school graduate.
Beng-beng is also a member of Taabah, an advocacy team for the poor. He established this independent organization with friends who were concerned about street children, scavengers and street musicians.
In this organization, one of his activities is securing ID cards for street people. Some street people now have the document they have wanted a long time for, thanks to his advocacy.
Beng-beng is now working to improve the image of scavengers. Many people have the wrong idea that scavengers are thieves, he says. This stigma is seen in the signboards erected at some housing estates, which say: "Scavengers are not allowed". Such treatment really hurts the people, Beng-beng said.
"We are currently talking with the government about prohibiting scavengers from entering an area. We will try to urge (the government) to ban such signboards," he said.

'Awat' rock, an alternative brick for house-building

Features - August 07, 2004 (Jakarta Post)
Fathuddin Muchtar, Contributor, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta

Creativity often comes when you are just about to give up.
Margono, 60, of Surodadi village in the mountainous area of Ponjong, wanted to build a house. However, there were no bricks in the area. The villagers couldn't afford them and, in any case, the road to Surodadi was too steep to lug bricks up.
He thought of building with other flimsier materials, such as bamboo. No good. He wanted a home that could withstand all weather conditions, the harsh wind and the scorching sun.
Finally, it dawned on him, he could use breksi pumis or awat rock, as it is locally known, of which there is an abundance in Pojong.
In fact, the rocks were everywhere. Margono took a handang (large, deep pan traditionally used to cook rice) and a ganclung (machete-like knife) to cut the rock into the desired 100-by-25-by-10-centimeter bricks.
That was in 1974. Six years later, people began to notice that Margono's house was standing the test of time. They were envious, even.
One by one, their wooden and plaited bamboo houses were replaced with fine awat brick ones.
"Bricks made of awat rock are strong, last longer and are cheaper than clay," Margono said.
What a contrast to some 25 years back, when a fire could easily have swept though the village, taking all the villager's houses with it.
Umbulrejo, also in Ponjong, is another isolated village, seemingly at the top of the world.
Head of Umbulrejo village Sumardi said the problem was that wood and bamboo were prone to termite attacks, particularly after the rainy season. Thus, the villagers had spent much of their time repairing their houses with new boards or plaited bamboo.
When he heard about Margono's house, Sumardi was very interested. Awat bricks, which had initially been used just for houses in Surodadi, became a popular building material in the area. In Wanglo, Plalar and other villages, the people began to make a living by producing bricks.
"Actually, it's just 10 years since they started quarrying awat," Sumadi said, adding that there were some 320 heads of families in the region made a living that way.
In a day, a worker can produce five to seven awat bricks that sell for Rp 2,500 a piece.
Buyers mostly come from Gunungkidul and the neighboring cities of Surakarta, Purworejo, and Purwodadi in Central Java.
Most agree that awat brick houses are economical. To make a house of seven by 11 meters, for example, one needs some 600 awat bricks, as the bricks are bigger than clay or concrete ones.
"If you use clay bricks, you are also going to need a lot more sand or cement to join them together," Hardi Suwito, a resident of Surodadi, said.
Another benefit of awat bricks is that they can be used for flooring. With precise cutting, one doesn't even need to use cement. They just need to arrange them on the floor according to the desired pattern.
"Without cement, they look even more artistic. They look natural and unique," said Samhudi, whose has an awat brick house.
So promising is the awat brick business that a South Korean firm is planning to invest in it, through Jakarta-based company PT Shatya Bhuwana Sejahtera. The firm has promised to invest some US $54 million, with the start of quarrying scheduled for November.
"By inviting investors, we hope the economy here will grow stronger," said Sumadi, adding that the area would no longer be isolated now that it boasted such a sought-after product.
The question is, to what extent will locals continue to actively participate in the business, and to what extent will the local community benefit? Equally important are the possible environmental repercussions.
Local environmental activists have expressed concern over the presence of an outside quarrying company in the region. Yet, locals are adamant that the once-barren area has finally become a fruitful one.
They may be right. However, Dewi Titisari of Gadjah Mada University's school of geology strongly suggests that an Amdal (environmental impact analysis) of planned business activities is needed.
"Without an Amdal, there is a real risk of landslides, or other damage to the environment that could reduce water resources in the region," Dewi Titisari remarked.

Perusakan Terumbu Karang di Pantai Selatan Yogyakarta Masih Terjadi

Oleh : Bambang MBK

Hari Minggu, wisatawan lokal memenuhi Pantai Baron di Kabupaten Gunung Kidul. Pantai yang berpasir putih ini memang cukup indah. Meskipun berombak besar, banyak wisatawan yang berani bermain-main di bibir pantai. Agak jauh dari bibir pantai segerombolan anak-anak muda, semuanya laki-laki asyik berjoget di depan panggung konser dangdut dengan penyanyi perempuan yang super seksi. Di timur panggung, berderet para penjual souvenir. Mereka menjual aneka jenis souvenir khas pantai seperti hiasan dari kerang, lobster dan kepiting besar yang diawetkan dan, wow, terumbu karang!

Terumbu karang berwarna putih yang dijajakan itu mempunyai ukuran sebesar genggaman orang dewasa. Ada yang dibiarkan tetap dalam bentuk alaminya, ada pula uang sudah dimodifikasi dengan hiasan dari kerang-kerangan. Karang dalam bentuk aslinya ditawarkan dengan harga antara Rp 1000 hingga Rp 3000 per biji. Sedangkan yang dimodifikasi berkisar Rp 5000 hingga Rp 10.000.

Bagi para wisatawan, terumbu karang mungkin akan menjadi pilihan souvenir yang menarik. Dapat digunakan sebagai hiasan untuk akuarium di rumah. Namun untuk mereka yang mengetahui ‘peta persoalan perusakan terumbu karang’, kenyataan itu pasti menyedihkan. Walaupun pemerintah secara resmi sudah melarang, perusakan terumbu karang masih terus terjadi.

Terumbu karang itu tidak hanya dijajakan di Pantai Baron saja tetapi juga di kawasan wisata lainnya seperti Pantai Kukup, Pantai Krakal dan beberapa pantai lainnya di kawasan Kabupaten Gunungkidul. Sementara di Pantai Drini, kita dapat menyaksikan pecahan terumbu karang berserakan di bibir pantai. Boleh jadi, perusakan terumbu karang secara intensif pernah terjadi di kawasan ini.

Walau tidak pernah diekspos, ekosistem terumbu karang berada di sepanjang pantai di Gunungkidul banyak. Secara tekinis, ini namanya karang tepi atau fringing reefs yang tumbuh tidak jauh dari bibir pantai.

Perusakan terumbu karang yang terjadi di wilayah pantai selatan di Gunungkidul ini hanyalah sebagian kecil dari fenomena perusakan terumbu yang masih terus saja terjadi di Indonesia. Pada tahun 1996, Kementrian Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia mengatakan dari sekitar 50.000 km2 luas terumbu karang di Indonesia diperkirakan hanya 7 % terumbu karang yang kondisinya sangat baik, 33 % baik, 46 % rusak dan 15 % lainnya sudah kritis.

Di seluruh dunia ekosistem terumbu karang yang kaya akan keragaman hayati dan menjadi pelindung wilayah pantai itu juga sedang mengalami kerusakan hebat. Penelitian dari Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network yang disponsori Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa (PBB) menyebutkan lebih dari dua per tiga terumbu karang di seluruh dunia mengalami kerusakan dan terancam punah saat ini.

Penyebabnya tidak lain adalah ulah manusia. Aktivitas manusia yang langsung merusak terumbu karang adalah pengambilan terumbu karang, membuang jangkar kapal dan menyebarkan apotas untuk mengambil ikan hias. Sedangkan factor utama penyebab kerusakan terumbu karang secara global adalah berbagai aktivitas manusia yang menyebabkan pemanasan global.

Sugeng, salah seorang penjual terumbu karang di Pantai Baron mengakui dirinya mengambil terumbu karang dari sekitar Pantai Baron. Pengambilan dilakukan pada saat laut sedang surut yaitu pada awal atau pertengahan bulan. Pada waktu surut, terumbu karang berada pada posisi tidak terlalu dalam dari permukaan air laut.

“Saya menggunakan linggis dan palu untuk mengambil terumbu karang,” ujar Sugeng. Menurutnya mengambil terumbu karang memerlukan keahlian khusus sebab jika tidak terbiasa, terumbu karang akan hancur. “Makanya tidak semua orang bisa mengambil terumbu karang,” tambah Sugeng.

Milah, seorang ibu beranak satu yang tinggal di Pantai Krakal, sekitar 6 km di timur Pantai Baron juga menjual terumbu karang. Berbagai ukuran terumbu karang dipajang di atas meja yang berada di depan rumahnya. Ada pula yang dijual dalam bentuk serpihan-serpihan kecil terumbu karang.

“Suami saya yang biasa mencari terumbu karang,” ujar Milah. Sambil melayani seorang pembeli, ibu bercucu satu ini mengatakan terumbu karang yang dijualnya itu berasal dari sekitar Pantai Krakal.

Milah bercerita setelah diambil dari laut, terumbu karang itu kemudian direndam beberapa hari dengan air tawar yang dicampur dengan deterjen. Hasilnya, terumbu karang menjadi putih dan terlihat indah dipandang mata. Jika tidak direndam, terumbu karang akan terlihat kusam.

Dibandingkan dengan tempat wisata lainnya, di Pantai Krakal terdapat banyak terumbu karang yang siap untuk dijual. Terumbu-terumbu karang itu diletakkan di belakang rumah-rumah penduduk yang ada di sana.

Kepala Kantor Pengendalian Dampak Lingkungan (Kapedal) Kabupaten Gunungkidul, Suryo Aji mengakui beberapa warga yang tinggal di sekitar pantai memang masih ada yang mengambil terumbu karang. Namun buru-buru ia menegaskan tidak semua terumbu karang yang dijual di tempat-tempa wisata pantai di Gunungkidul berasal dari wilayah yang sama.

“Ada pula terumbu-terumbu karang yang didatangkan dari Jawa Timur,” ujar Suryo Aji. “Bahkan ada pedagang yang berasal dari Wonosari yang secara rutin mendapat pasokan dari Jawa Timur.” Seorang tukang parkir di Pantai Baron juga bercerita soal ini.

Namun demikian, Suryo Aji mengatakan pihaknya bekerja sama dengan Dinas Kelautan dan Pariwisata Kabupaten Gunungkidul untuk melakukan pembinaan terhadap warga yang tinggal di wilayah pesisir untuk tidak merusak terumbu karang. Ada program pembentukan kelompok-kelompok peduli lingkungan di masyarakat pantai. Melalui kelompok ini, pemerintah menyampaikan pentingnya pelestarian lingkungan, tidak hanya terumbu karang saja tetapi segala sesuatu yang berhubungan dengan ekosistem pantai.

Hanya saja, Suryo Aji mengakui di beberapa tempat, kelompok peduli lingkungan ini belum dapat berjalan maksimal. Buktinya dapat dilihat, perusakan terumbu karang masih saja terjadi. “Kami akan melakukan monitoring lagi,” ujar Suryo Aji. Menurutnya kelompok yang sudah berjalan efektif ada di wilayah Pantai Wedi Ombo.

Lebih lanjut Suryo Aji juga mengatakan mereka yang sering mengambil terumbu karang tidak semuanya adalah nelayan yang tinggal di sekitar pantai. Ada juga pendatang yang bukan nelayan.

Lagi pula, mencari terumbu karang juga tidak menjadi mata pencaharian pokok. Alasannya, seperti dikatakan Suryo Aji, peminat terumbu karang tidak banyak sehingga hasil penjualan terumbu karang tidak dapat diandalkan, apalagi harga jualnya juga tidak mahal.

Apa yang dikatakan Suryo Aji memang masuk akal. Para wisatawan yang mengunjungi Pantai Baron, Krakal dan Kukup tidak banyak yang melirik dan membeli aneka souvenir terumbu karang. Mereka lebih banyak membeli makanan khas pesisir, ikan hias dan kelapa muda.

Tetapi bagaimana pun juga pengambilan terumbu karang masih terjadi. Ini harus dihentikan. Pasalnya, terumbu karang memerlukan waktu sangat lama untuk tumbuh. Menurut Yayasan terumbu Karang Indonesia (TERANGI) terumbu karang memerlukan waktu satu tahun untuk tumbuh sepanjang 1 cm (www.terangi.or.id).

Jadi dapat dibayangkan, terumbu karang sebesar genggaman tangan yang banyak dijual itu rata-rata berketinggian 10 cm. Artinya terumbu karang itu membutuhkan waktu sekitar 10 tahun. Setelah diambil, ia hanya dijual seharga Rp 1000 hingga Rp 3000, sebuah harga yang sama sekali tidak berarti.

Padahal jika dibiarkan, ekosistem terumbu karang yang termasuk ekosistem tertua di bumi ini akan memberikan keuntungan ekonomis sangat besar. .World Wildlife Fund (WWF) dalam salah satu penelitiannya menghitung, ekosistem terumbu karang di seluruh dunia mempunyai nilai ekonomis (termasuk dari sektor pariwisata dan perikanan) sebesar 30 juta dollar AS per tahun.

Terlepas dari kemampuannya dalam memberikan nilai ekonomis, ekosistem ini menjadi pelindung bagi masyarakat yang tinggal di pinggir pantai. Ekosistem terumbu karang menjadi benteng paling ampuh untuk mencegah abrasi laut. Mungkin inilah yang harus kita pikirkan bersama ketika harus melestarikan teumbu karang.


Tulisan ini pernah dimuat di majalah Kombinasi terbitan CRI

Animal center raises new hope for conservation

Features - April 22, 2003

Bambang M and Mahmud NA, Contributor, Yogyakarta

Large iron cages stand strongly on a plot of land measuring almost 14 square hectares in Paingan hamlet, Sendangsari, Kulonprogo regency, some 15 kilometers to the west of Yogyakarta.

Some are rectangular while others are dome-shaped. There are also moats surrounded by iron fences. The distinctive sounds of cockatoos and gibbons are heard simultaneously.

This is not a zoo, although it looks like one. This is the center for wild life conservation (PPS) of Yogyakarta. It is here that legally protected animals, confiscated by the state or voluntarily surrendered by community members, are accommodated, and "re-educated" before being released back into the wild.

It is one of six such centers across Indonesia. The other five are found in Jakarta, Sukabumi in West Java, Manado in North Sulawesi, Malang in East Java and Wanariset Samboja in East Kalimantan.

"All these centers were built in mid 2002 with financial assistance from The Gibbon Foundation," said Sugihartono, project manager of PPS Yogyakarta. The Gibbon Foundation is a Holland-based environmental non-government organization.

The establishment of these six centers gives new hope that efforts may be maximized to eradicate illegal trading and possession of protected animals (dead or alive) as stipulated in Law No. 5/1990.

Protected animals commonly kept as pets by people in cities include certain species of birds, crocodiles, bears, leopards and primates. Deddy Pranowo Eryono, the owner of Ruba Graha Hotel in Yogyakarta, for example, is known to have kept a sapit alligator (Tomistoma schlegelii) without a proper document.

Even universities violate this government regulation on protected animals. UGM in Yogyakarta, for example, possesses two Timorese deer (Cervus timorensis). These two and five spotted deer (Axis axis) are kept at UGM's Valley Park. Center for Conservation of Natural Resources (BKSDA) of Yogyakarta have twice asked UGM to process the licensing for keeping the deer but to no avail so far.

The university's school of veterinary medicine, which owns the two Timorese deer, was tight-lipped about this matter. "No comment," said HR Wasito, the dean of the school, apparently irritated.

Data compiled by the BKSDA of Yogyakarta in 1991 showed that there were over 3,000 people that own protected animals in this province. "Thirty percent of them have live animals while the rest possess stuffed animals," said Sulistyo Wibowo, a staff member of the center.

The figure for the entire country, however, is amazingly large. As of 2000, according to the data from the Director General of Nature Protection and Conservation, there were 69,180 owners of protected animals. They possessed 59,022 living animals, 63,315 animals preserved in whole and 26,876 preserved parts of animals. Of course, the real number is greater as not all owners of such animals are registered.

Rife trading and possession of protected animals (also the damaged habitat) have made Indonesia, known as one of the world's centers of biological diversity, become one of the countries with the biggest number of animals facing extinction. Records of IUCN (The World Conservation Union) show that in Indonesia, 128 species of mammals, 104 birds, 19 reptiles, 60 fish and 29 invertebrates face the threat of extinction.

Apart from the earnestness of a few law enforcers, Sigit Riyanto, lecturer of the school of law at UGM said that the eradication of wild animal trading and possession could not be carried out to the optimum as Law No. 5/1990 was yet to be completed with important supporting facilities like PPS.

"In the absence of such a center, the confiscated animals will simply die later," he said.

Before a PPS-type facility comes into being, every time the government confiscates animals, it will leave these animals in the zoos or other conservation institutions. As great costs result, zoos are willing to accept only animals not yet in their possession. "Besides, zoos prefer large and exotic animals only to lure visitors," Sugihartono said.

To ensure that this problem is well addressed, the Forestry Ministry issued a Decree in 1992 stipulating that protected animals owned by citizens are the legal property of the state. As a special place is yet to be available for these animals, these owners may continue to cage these animals. In status, these animals are left by the state in the care of community members. Any time the state wishes to take them back, it can do so.

The period in which these protected animals were left in the care of community members spanned between June 1, 1991 up to October 31, 1992. Unfortunately, when this period expired, the state was yet to collect these animals. Meanwhile, there is a growing number of people who have protected animals. They can easily buy the animals from markets in major cities or from the place where the animals come.

"Now that PPS has come into being, there is no reason for the government not to undertake confiscation of protected animals," said Sugihartono, while adding that confiscation is necessary as a shock therapy to discourage community members from keeping protected animals. "If confiscation continues, community members will be discouraged from taking these animals. The market demand for these animals will drop and hunting of such animals will become rarer, as well," said Sugihartono.

Although each PPS will accommodate every species of confiscated wild animal, some of them have their own specialization. PPS Yogyakarta, for example, will be specially intended for reptiles. The center in Sukabumi for carnivores while the one in Malang for primates. Orangutans will be kept in Wanariset Samboja. Two more PPS - in Jakarta and Manado - can take any wild animals.

All these PPS establish operational cooperation. If an orangutan is confiscated in Yogyakarta, it will be left in the care of PPS Yogyakarta temporarily. Then, it will be dispatched to Wanariset Samboja. Then, if a reptile is confiscated in West Java, it will be kept temporarily in Sukabumi before being finally sent to Yogyakarta.

Each PPS is completed with facilities such as a laboratory, a clinic, a quarantine room and an isolation room. All animals taken to a PPS will be examined. If they are sick, they will be treated. If they cannot be cured and there is fear they will spread their disease to other animals, they will be destroyed.

When they are declared healthy, they will be trained again on living in the wild so that they will be ready for their original habitat.

Sugihartono said that PPS Yogyakarta, built at a cost of Rp 4 billion (about US$470,000), was the largest of such centers. It has a conference hall, a computer room, a library and 10 bedrooms.

"Aside from being a facility where protected animals are saved, a PPS is also a center of environmental information and education," he said. Although this PPS has been only 85 percent completed, it is now operational and keeps some confiscated animals.

The present six PPS are not enough, said Sugihartono. Ideally, each province needs to have one such center.

However, the presence of a PPS has given rise to criticisms. "Can these centers accept all animals confiscated by the state? Besides, care must be taken to prevent a PPS being considered a new zoo," said Kuspriyadi, head of BKSDA of Yogyakarta.

Other critics say that a PPS cannot solve the existing problems unless the habitat is saved first.

"Is there any assurance that the animals that are released in the wild can survive if their habitat continues to sustain damage?" asked Triman Setyardi of Yayasan Kutilang Indonesia for Bird Conservation.

Songbird craze pushes thrush toward extinction

Features - January 28, 2003

Bambang M, Contributor, Yogyakarta

It was a sunny Sunday morning and the Babarsari camping ground in Yogyakarta was alive with the sound of cheerful birds singing. The birds, of course, were not there to join in the camping. They were brought by owners to participate in a bird-singing contest. The competition started with the orange-headed thrush (Zoothera cirtrina). Each participant paid Rp 75,000 as a registration fee for their birds.

Dozens of orange-headed birds in luxurious bird cages were hung about four meters from the ground while their owners whistled and gestured to encourage their pets to respond with a series of chirps.

The entire sight was unbelievable: Each bird began chirping in their own signature singing style. They first spread their wings and dropped their heads low while shaking their body right and left. "It was like they were in a trance," said Anthonie Kelik, a bird lover from Yogyakarta.

The orange-headed thrush became popular among Indonesian bird lovers in the 1990s. Rarely has a major bird-singing contest been held since then. Hobby magazines have dedicated a lot of space in their pages to ways of raising this particular bird, with topics ranging from where to buy it to how to teach it to sing.

The bird's natural habitat is in the forests of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java. An adult bird -- about 21 centimeters in length -- is popular for its extended, beautiful notes when it sings and its unique dance. Like other birds, it is in high demand and sold at bird markets in major cities.

Due to its high demand, it has become one of the most expensive birds. A young bird, which has yet to learn to sing, for example, can fetch up to Rp 200,000 in Yogyakarta's Ngasem bird market. That price increases to Rp 7 million for a bird that has won a competition.

"I bought my orange-headed thrusts for between Rp 2 million and Rp 7 million each," said Anthonie, who owns five of the birds.

The orange-headed thrush has rarely been seen in its natural habitat over the last several years. In Central Java, one could often spot the bird in the forests on the south slopes of Mt. Merapi as they build their nests on indigenous zallaca plants (salak pondoh).

Besides the threat of poachers, however, this bird is losing its nesting grounds as farmers are planting a newer, higher-yielding variety of zallaca. This change in the variety has disturbed the birds' natural habitat.

"The salak pondoh needs more frequent fertilization and weeding and these activities disturb the birds. They are scared to build their nests there," said Triman Setyardi from the Kutilang Indonesia Foundation for Bird Conservation.

The bird is also disappearing from the Kerinci Seblat National Park in Sumatra. A survey on the birds conducted by the Center for Environmental Studies at the Andalas University from December 1998 until November 1999 was not able to find the species in its former habitat. Another survey in the same park by the bird-watching club of the Bengkulu University from November 1998 until November 1999 was not able to locate the species either.

A relative of the orange-headed thrush, the chestnut-capped thrush (Zoothera intepres), enjoys less popularity among bird lovers, but it has also met with the same fate: It cannot escape the poachers.

The shy chestnut-capped thrush is very difficult to find in its natural habitat in Nusa Tenggara, particularly Lombok, Flores, Sumba and Sunda Besar. This bird is also native to Malaysia and the Philippines.

According to Birdlife Indonesia, its numbers are very low due to excessive hunting on Sumbawa. This fact was reported by Warta Teropong, an environmental publication, in its March/April 2002 edition.

This bird is easy to spot because of its black spots on its white chest and stomach. It is locally called the Punglor kepala merah (Red-headed punglor) for the ornate red feathers on its head.

To protect its population, the then governor of West Nusa Tenggara, Warsito, banned poaching of the bird, but the move has not stopped its decrease in population. Even Birdlife Indonesia has reported that the poaching has spread as far as Flores and Sumba in East Nusa Tenggara.

While poaching of the orange-headed thrush and the chestnut-capped thrush goes on, efforts to breed both birds in captivity have not shown encouraging results.

"It's more difficult to breed insect-eating birds than seed-eating ones," said Sri Panuju Karso, a famous bird breeder from Kulonprogo, Yogyakarta.

Environmentalists have called on the government to legally protect the birds. But the call has met with a cold response from a local forestry official.

"It is easy to declare these birds a protected species because that would require a ministerial decree. But scientific research is needed to determine if the birds deserve the (protected) status," said Kuspriyadi, the head of the Yogyakarta provincial agency for conservation.

But Hartono from the Yogyakarta-based Kutilang Indonesia Foundation for Bird Conservation insisted that legal protection was necessary. "We need a law to take action against the poachers," he said in a recent seminar on conservation at Gadjah Mada University. Indonesia boasts 1,539 species of birds and the thrushes are but two of the scores of protected species.

Authors John McKinnon, Karen Phillips and Bas Van Balen in their book titled Burung-Burung di Sumatera, Kalimatan dan Jawa, (Birds of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java) said there are eight thrush species living on these islands. They are the chestnut-capped thrush, the orange-headed thrush, Everett's thrush (Zoothera everetti), the sunda thrush (Zoothera andromedae), the siberia thrush (Zothera sibrica), the scaly thrush (Zoothera dauma), the eyebrowed thrush (Turdus obscurus) and the island thrush (Turdus poliocephalus).

But Brian J. Coates and K. David Bishop, the writers of a book that has been translated into Indonesian Panduan Lapangan Burung-Burung di Kawasan Wallacea (Sulawesi, Maluku dan Nusa Tenggara) said that there are at least 14 species of the thrush family in the territory. Some are also found on Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java. The 13 species are the sangihe shike thrush (Colluricincla sanghirensis), geomalia thrush (Geomalia heinrichi), the slaty-backed thrush (Zoothera schistacea), the maluku thrush (Zoothera dumasi), the nusa tenggara thrush (Zoothera dohertyi), the red-backed thrush (Zoothera thronota), the timor thrush (Zoothera peronis), the sunda thrush (Zoothera andromedae), the scaly thrush (Zoothera dauma), the fawn-breasted thrush (Zoothera machiki), the sulawesi thrush (Cataponera turdoides), the island thrush (Turdus poliocephalus) and the eyebrowed thrush (Turdus obscurus).

Rare birds, orchids saved in Plawangan

Bambang M, Contributor, Yogyakarta

Bored with Yogyakarta city and need to get out? The Plawangan-Turgo nature reserve on the slopes of Mount Merapi might be an alternative place to visit, offering a glimpse of exquisite orchids or, if you get lucky, the rare Javan hawk-eagle.

Comprising some 198.5 hectares of nature reserve and 131 hectares of park, visitors can reach Plawangan-Turgo through the Kaliurang tourist resort and need only pay an entrance fee of Rp 500 per person.

Tall trees like banyans and pines create a beautiful canopy that shades visitors from direct sunlight. Once inside, the natural orchestra produced by thousands of birds welcomes the arrival of visitors.

Plawangan is home to a vast variety of birds -- some of them rare or endangered species. A recent survey conducted by the Yogyakarta Natural Resources and Conservatory (KSDA) organization revealed that at least 96 different species of birds could be found in this area.

Among them are the orange-spotted bulbul (Pycnonotus bimaculatus), red-breasted parakeet (Psittacula alexandri) and house crow (Corvus enca).

Of the 96 species found, some 26 of them are endemic birds, meaning they can only be found in Java.

It is also in this nature reserve that the endangered Javan hawk-eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi), or elang Jawa as they are locally known, live. Reports said there were only about some 300 Javan hawk-eagle left throughout Java Island.

The presence of the Javan hawk-eagle in the reserve provides a strong reason to preserve Plawangan-Turgo as this particular bird cannot easily bred outside its original habitat.

"They (the Javan hawk-eagles) get stressed very easily," said Andi Chandra, a conservation technician from the Yogyakarta KSDA.

Spotting the rare eagles however is a very rare occurrence.

"It's only when the weather is clear that we sometimes get lucky and see the Javan hawk-eagle flying over from the forested area," Andi said.

The location of the eagles' nests are kept secret by the nature reserve so as to avoid irresponsible hunters from stealing the eggs.

"A television reporter once asked permission to take pictures of the nests but we would not give it because we were afraid people would recognize the place once it was broadcast," Andi said.

He added that there were still many people hunting the endangered species even though they were protected by the law, mostly because of the high prices they fetch from collectors.

Other animals that can be found roaming the Plawangan-Turgo nature reserve include black panther (Phantera pardus), deer (Mutiacus muntjak), black long-tailed monkeys locally known as lutung (Tracypithacus auratus) and long-tailed monkeys (Macaca fascicularis).

Of all these, the black panther is the rarest.

"Before the 1994 natural disaster, there were about 14 black panthers in the area. Now, we do not know their exact numbers," said Andi.

Orchids are another priceless treasure of the Plawangan-Turgo nature reserve.

A recent survey conducted by the student association of nature lovers of Gadjah Mada University's School of Biology (Matalabiogama) reported that at least 56 different species of orchids were found in the area. Among the most famous species from Plawangan are the pandanus orchid (Vanda tricolor Lindl).

Not long ago, this particular species of white orchid with pink spots scattered on it could easily be found growing on the branches of dadap trees (Erythrina lithosperma). The flowers can remain in bloom for up to 45 days even when there is no rain.

"Presently, it is only in the untouched areas, the areas that people never visit, that they grow well," said Miyarso, an officer of the Yogyakarta KSDA Unit assigned to the Kaliurang checkpoint.

But it seems that the orchid will get a second chance in the wild.

Badiman, a young man from Ngrangkah village on the edge of the Plawangan-Turgo nature preserve, has been trying to save the pandanus orchid by growing it at his home with the financial assistance of the Sleman regency-based KSDA.

He plans to put the plants back in the forest once it is safe to do so. He currently has more than 150 pandanus orchid plants at his home.

Other orchid species that can be found in the nature reserve include Paphiopedilum javanicum, which grows on the ground among the undergrowth, and the unique Nervilia punctata. This particular species spends half of its life cycle underground as a tuber. The flower only emerges when the leaves, which grow directly from the tuber, have retreated.

Apart from being a home to numerous species of birds, trees, and orchids, the nature reserve, through which several rivers, including the Boyong and the Kuning flow, also serves as an important water catchment area for Sleman regency and even Yogyakarta municipality.

The reserve will also apparently be incorporated in the planned Merapi-Merbaby national park planned by the provincial governments of Yogyakarta and Central Java.

Gede Pangrango park spoiled by trash dumping

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta Tue, 07/02/2002 7:13 AM Life

Bambang M., Contributor, Yogyakarta

Botanists call Gede Pangrango National Park in West Java ""the pearl in Java's crown"" for its incomparable richness and beauty.

Just like a pearl, though small, it is exquisite. The park is one of the world's best examples of a tropical forest with its overwhelming biodiversity and stunning natural splendor although the 15,196-hectare park is the second smallest in the country.

Sadly, the ""pearl"" is now tarnished by trash left behind by climbers, leaving several places commonly used to rest and enjoy scenery covered with filthy rubbish.

""We unfortunately can't deal with the waste problems just yet,"" said the park's officer at Cibodas station, L. Surjadi.

Despite warnings, visitors continue to throw their garbage everywhere, unaware of the park's status as one of the world's centers of biodiversity.

The park which produces oxygen for over 1.5 billion people has attracted internationally renowned biologists like Alfred Russe Wallacea -- a biologist who divided Indonesian fauna into two categories: western and eastern territories; Reinwardt -- founder of Bogor Botanical Garden in Bogor, West Java, and many more.

The park, located on the slopes of Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango was named a nature reserve by the Dutch East Indies government in 1889 who declared the area between the Cibodas Botanical Park and the hot water spring at the altitude of 2,150 meters on Mount Gede as a nature reserve. In 1978, the Indonesian government named this area Gede Pangrango Reserve before declaring it a national park two years later. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) then made this park a World Biosphere Reserve, and since 1995 it has become a global conservation zone.

On the way into the park's deep forest, there are numerous varieties of soaring trees. The forest floor too is covered with bushes and shrubs. Over one thousand flowering plants, 120 families of vegetation and more than 200 orchid varieties can be found in the park.

Between the altitudes of 1,000 meters and 1,500 meters is the thickest submontane forest zone, where visibility is hampered by different kinds of huge trees. Pasang and saniten trees (family of Fagaceae) dominate the area to a height of 30 meters to 40 meters, while rasamala is the tallest, reaching 60 meters in height. On the ground level are diverse types of rattan, ginger and gorgeous flowers.

In the montane area (1,500-2,400 m), the forest starts to thin, with trees, reaching a height of only 20 meters. The forest floor has decorative plants like Begonia isoptera and Labelia angulata.

The subalpine height (2,400-3,019 m) is characterized by small-leaf vegetation, dominated by cantigi (Vacciniun varingiaefolium).

The dense forest zone is also the habitat of different bird species, making a visit here a must for avid bird watchers.

Dark colored tiung batu/sunda (whistling thrush) are most easily noticed. A gentle walk often enables us to spot such birds feeding on the ground near forest paths.

Around 250 species, or half of all types of birds existing on Java island -- including the rare Javan hawk-eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi), live there.

Unlike birds, mammals are more difficult to discover. With some 60,000 visitors a year, mammals stay away from forest paths and hide themselves in the dense jungle.

Among the mammals that fortunate visitors may catch sight of are Java's owa or gibbons (Hylobtes moloch), surili or leaf monkeys (Presbytis comata), lutung or ebony leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus auratus), trenggiling (Manis javanica), and leopards (Phantera pardus). Gibbons are the most prominent of all.

The gray gibbons with black faces and no tails are the world's rarest species and can only be found in West Java in the wild. However, only 100 such gibbons are left in the park. The population of the species, which is on the critical list of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), has shrunk due to diminishing natural habitat.

Visitors who fail to get face to face with the park's unique birds or other species will find the remarkable scenery a consolation.

An hour's hike from the park's Cibodas station will take one to a small lake called Telaga Biru, which is teeming with fish and surrounded by singing birds on nearby bushes.

The lake's name literally means ""blue lake"" since its water sometimes changes in color from blue to brownish owing to its rich mineral content, which comes from decomposed leaves, other organic materials and dissolved volcanic rock and soil.

Cibeureum waterfall is the next attraction at an altitude of 1,625 meters, offering an extraordinary sight with three streams of water gushing down from a 30-meter height. The largest waterfall on the left is called Cikundul, the middle Cidendeng and the right Cibeureum. Official sources say the right stream came from the lava flow of Mount Pangrango and the left from that of Mount Gede. There is no information however, about the middle stream.

The name Cibeureum for this waterfall means a red river because red molds growing on the waterfall's walls, create the illusion of reddish-colored water.

Other tourist spots in the park are the hot spring (2,150 m); Surya Kencana plain (2,750 m); Lake Situgunung, that is accessible from the gate of Selabintana (70 km from Bogor or near Sukabumi); and Cimanaracun and Sawer waterfalls near the lake.

In his dairy, Wallacea described the waterfalls as beautiful as a painting. But if he had lived to witness the present day park, he might sadly add that Indonesians cannot appreciate natural beauty as they had marred it with trash. The beautiful painting has turned into a dump.

Mount Merapi slopes ideal for grazing

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta Sat, 09/18/2004 4:00 PM Life

Bambang Muryanto, Contributor/Yogyakarta

The morning is still very young but daily chores have already began for people living in Kinahrejo village on the slopes of Mountain Merapi in Sleman.

With a sickle in their right hand, bamboo ropes in their left, and a hat or a wide handkerchief covering their head, the villagers hurry, skillfully climbing the slope of the volcano to cut grass to feed their dairy cows.

For many of these highlanders raising dairy cows is considered the best way to make a living, better than growing beans or other crops.

"Thanks to this work we are now able to send our children to colleges and universities," a mother said while cutting the grass.

Pringgo said she had six cows and could collect some 40 liters of milk a day that she sold for Rp 1,350 per liter, giving her daily earnings of Rp 54,000 or Rp 1,260,000 a month. Growing beans she would get much less, she said.

Sleman regency's Forestry and Plantation Office empowerment section head Harjanto said dairy cow breeding in the area had begun between 1982 and 1983, following a government program.

Yet, a support program to grow food for the beasts was not introduced. So although there are plenty of fields planted with grass, demand still far outstrips supply.

According to Harjanto, ideally, a mature milker with a weight of 400 kilograms needs one tenth of its weight, or 40 kilograms, in grass a day.

Grass of that amount can only be harvested from fields about 400 square meters. To generate adequate profits, a farmer needs to breed at least seven cows at the same time, meaning a single farmer needs a 2,800 square-meter paddock.

When there is not enough grass in the feilds, the slopes of Mt. Merapi are used to feed the cows. This explains why many people living in the region have opposed the government's decision to establish the Mt. Merapi National Park (TNGM), fearing that they would no longer be allowed harvest grass there.

From generations, the slope of Mt. Merapi has been divided into numbered of lots of fields. Each family has the "authority" over a particular lot, ranging from 2,000 square meters each to 35,000 square meters a family. It is from these fields that people cut the grass for their cows during the rainy season.

When the dry season comes, however, grass is difficult to find in this area. Some often climb further up to the volcano for grass. In some places, the slope is cultivated with BB (Brizanta brazillius) grass, a fast growing grass that can be harvested every two months.

While on the hot-cloud burn areas, people usually plant a grass locally known as kolonjono.

Harjanto believed, such a "concession" had made local people voluntarily participate in preserving the protected forest. The periodic cutting of the grass, he said, could as well prevent forest fire due to dried, abandoned grass. The cutting rejuvenated the area, he said.

Some also say the grass has the capability of holding back erosion.

However, Yogyakarta Natural Resource Conservation Office (BKSDA) head Kuspriyadi, however, insisted that turning the whole surface of the slope of the volcano into grass field was not a good practice. Trees and bush were often cleared from areas where grass was sown, he said.

The act of cutting grass could also slow down the rehabilitation process of the forest as small trees were also cut down together with the grass. As the need for grass was increasing in line with the increasing dairy herd sizes in the region, more trees were under threat.

Head of Kaliurang Natural Resource Conservation Resort Sugiman said the grass area had rapidly increased to 400 hectares this year from 290 hectares last year.

"We are looking for a solution to this problem. We look forward to discussing it with other concerned (government) offices. We plan to manage collaboratively," Kuspriyadi said, expressing the hope conservation of the area and improving the people's welfare were not conflicting interests.

Merapi National park, important lesson for govt

Features - October 12, 2004

Bambang Muryanto, Contributor, Yogyakarta

The Ministry of Forestry learned a valuable lesson about the importance of communication when it tried to establish the Mt Merapi National Park.

Villagers rejected the park, which includes territory from both the Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces. The community also registered their displeasure with Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa about not being involved in the park's establishment.

Concern that park would be off-limits Locals were concerned the establishment of the park would make Merapi an untouchable area that was closed to human activities and would not take into account the community's long-established, sociocultural relationship with the area.

People living on the slopes of the volcano have interacted with Merapi for generations, either harvesting grass to feed their livestock, selecting dry branches as firewood, or cultivating food crops there.

A discussion on the establishment of a TNGM caused controversy early on Nov. 26 2001, Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and Ministry of Forestry director general of forest protection and natural conservation Wahyudi Wardojo agreed to establish the TNGM as a conservation area.

Government officials from Yogyakarta and Central Java also attended the meeting.

Lack of public information

In fact, it was not until almost a year later that the people most affected by the change in status for the land would be told.

A public information program was carried out on the slopes of Merapi in August and September 2002 by the Yogyakarta provincial Forestry and Plantation Office.

At that time strong objections were aired by locals and environmental activists. Some, however, were persuaded to change their mind after they attended the program.

"We accepted the plan because were allowed to continue using grass on the slopes of Merapi," Sadjiman, of Kaliadem village, Kepuharjo, Sleman, said.

However, as not all locals attended the program, not everyone concerned had the same information about the plan.

A housewife in Kinahrejo, Sleman, for example, said she knew nothing about TNGM when she was asked about it. T. Maryoto, Head of Ngargomulyo village in Dukun, Magelang, said his people had never received any news about the matter.

Wignyo Suprapto of Umbulharjo, Sleman, meanwhile, said although he had received an explanation about the plan he still could not understand what TNGM was really all about.

Many people, therefore, reacted strongly when the Minister of Forestry, in May this year issued Decree No 134/2004 on the establishment of the 6,410-hectare park.

Locals rally against park

In July, they staged a rally involving thousands of people from the four regencies of Sleman (Yogyakarta), Magelang, Klaten and Boyolali (Central Java) in Deles, Klaten.

At the same time Walhi, a non-governmental organization on the environment, also accused the ministry of forestry of violating Article 5 (3) of Law No 23/1997 on the management of the environment by not involving the community in the establishment of the park.

The Ministry of Forestry, however, insisted the decree was in line with legal procedures, but admitted the publicity could have been better.

The irony is that many people who are against the establishment of the TNGM agree that Merapi badly needs conservation programs.

It is public knowledge that the forest is the main water catchment area for the surrounding region. Its Umbul Wadon spring, for example, is the main source of clean water for the majority of Sleman's population. Its mountain slopes form the upper reaches of some 27 rivers below.

Overexploitation in Merapi area

Yet, due to the overexploitation of the region, Merapi has become endangered ecologically. A study on the potential of the TNGM as a possible conservation area, carried out by the UGM school of forestry, identified large-scale sand quarrying, unsustainable tourism and unsuitable buildings as blights on the landscape.

Of the whole area, only the southern slopes of the mountain in the Yogyakarta province including the 1,283 hectares of Plawangan Turgo nature reservation and tourist attraction, is still considered to be in good condition and rich in biodiversity.

Yogyakarta Natural Resources Conservation Office (BKSDA) reported in October 2001 that it was home to some 95 species of plants -- 19 as-yet unidentified -- and some 96 species of birds, including the endangered Java eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi).

Since objections to TNGM have been raised, people have expressed concern that its establishment would only lead to a mass eviction of the indigenous people from the protected area, as has often been the case upon the establishment of national parks around the globe.

BKSDA Yogyakarta head Kuspriyadi however has assured residents no one would be evicted in order to create a TNGM, as it would be established on state land. People, similarly, would still be allowed to exploit grass on the slopes of Merapi, he said.

Community involvement

"We shall involve the community in deciding where the (conservation) zones are later," said Kuspriyadi. The zones which local people used for grass would be gazetted "traditional use".

Similarly, the zone in which people used to cultivate land belonging to the state forestry company Perhutani I would be included in the "rehabilitation" zone, where people would be still allowed to continue agricultural activities but would be required to plant large trees, including fruit trees, from which they could harvest fruit.

Kuspriyadi also gave an assurance that national park status was the most suitable of the five types of conservation approaches as set out in Law No 5/1990 on natural resource conservation and ecosystems.

The other options, which include a nature and wildlife reserve, he said, focused more on conservation, while taman hutan raya and taman wisata alam status took into account local culture and usage.

"The national park concept accommodates both conservation and sociocultural interests," Kuspriyadi said. By establishing Merapi as a national park, management of the area would be under the yet-to-be-established TNGM Office, and not under the three different institutions -- BKSDA Yogyakarta, the Yogyakarta provincial Forestry Office and Central Java's Perum Perhutani I.

Transtoto said the Ministry of Forestry was ready to facilitate a social contract between the new park management and the local community.

He referred to it as a "new model" of a national park.

Now it seems the toughest thing to do is to convince the local community that establishing a TNGM will not marginalize them.

But as ministry of forestry officials admit, their task is now more difficult because a thorough awareness campaign was not carried out in the first place.

Rezit breeds rare peacock pheasant

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta Wed, 06/30/2004 10:07 AM Life

Bambang M, Contributor/Yogyakarta

As late as the 1990s, the Bornean peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron schleiermacheri), which is only found in the forest of Kalimantan, remained a mystery to both international and Indonesian avian experts. As the bird is extremely sensitive to human contact, to study it was often to risk its life. Thus, a pair of peacock-pheasants are worth about US$15,000 on the international market.

Dutch avian expert Rezit Sozer is the only person known to have bred the peacock-pheasant in captivity.

He says the bird spends more time on the ground than flying and, uniquely, has more than one spur. Also, it only lays one egg in one sitting.

Sozer began to breed the bird in 1998, in Cikananga village in Sukabumi, West Java, which has a cool climate. From eight breeding pairs, 24 young birds were born.

Many avian experts have since come to Cikananga, including Ben King, the author of the Field Guide of Birds in Southeast Asia; Nigel Collar of Britain's Birdlife and Bas van Ballen of the Netherlands -- as well as Indonesian students and bird lovers.

Born on Nov. 8, 1970, Sozer was fond of animals as a child. Indeed, as a nine-year-old he had already begun to breed quail and wild fowl. Later, he studied biology at university.

In 1992 he came to Indonesia as a tourist and was drawn to search for the Bornean peacock-pheasant in Kalimantan. His curiosity was aroused by the little that was known about the bird, which is one of seven species of peacock-pheasants.

In fact, he decided to research the bird as part of his degree. Unfortunately, his supervisor, Prof. Dr. Jan Wattel, rejected the proposal, due to the virtual absence of data on the bird, and suggested he study the Javan eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi) instead.

Although Sozer agreed, and spent nine months studying the Javan eagle, when it came to settling on a topic for his masters thesis, he again proposed to study the Bornean peacock-pheasant.

His supervisor gave him the green light and Sozer, who is fond of riding a trail bike, left for Kalimantan, where he conducted research between 1995 and 1996. Carrying only a few pictures of the bird, he interviewed the Dayak people, particularly hunters and those working in the forest. He wanted to find out whether they had ever seen the bird.

After eight months, he managed to trap a peacock-pheasant, which are 20 centimeters tall and 40 cms long on average. The father of two describes how the male, which is metallic blue-green in color, performs a mating ritual for the brownish colored female.

Sozer relates the difficulties he encountered while staying in the forest. Once, he lost his supplies in a flood. For two weeks he ate fish that he caught himself and exotic fruits that he tasted for the first time. ""I also erected a makeshift shelter on higher ground"", said Sozer, who is married to Hernawati from Sukabumi.

His efforts were not in vain, however, and Sozer gained his masters degree. His data on the Bornean peacock-pheasant contributed to the Red Data Book compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Previously, the IUCN had categorized the bird as a critically endangered species. Thanks to Sozer's research, it is now categorized as an endangered species. (At the time of Sozer's research, there were still about a thousand birds in existence.)

In 1998, Sozer received permission from the government to breed six species of wild fowl and mouse deer in captivity. A short time after, he was asked to mate four pairs of Bornean peacock-pheasants. For that purpose, he received a donation of US$4000 to build a breeding facility, from Richard Olsen, a Californian billionaire and wild fowl lover.

Asked for the secret of his success, Sozer simply said that he knows what the birds need. Although, he confesses the crucial mating process is the most difficult to bring about. ""A breeder must know when to put the female into the cage of the male, and when to take it out again.

""If the two birds are together all the time, the female will die of stress. She will also refuse to mate prior to laying an egg,"" said Sozer, who is also an expert on tropical forests.

All eggs, hatched or otherwise, are kept. ""Sozer even knows when an egg will be hatched,"" said Hartono, director of the Yogyakarta Animal Rescue Center.

However, while Sozer has learned much from the birds, he says that he learned his most valuable lesson from the Dayak people. ""They do not carry identity cards, they are not familiar with money but they have the freedom to invest meaning in their lives.

""Money is the greatest evil. Corruption will disappear when money disappears,"" added Sozer, who has decided to live permanently in Indonesia.

Villagers join hands to save the Earth Saturday

June 12, 2004, Jakarta Post
By Bambang M, Contributor/Yogyakarta

Garbage has always been a problem, especially if it is not properly managed. Villagers in Sukunan hamlet, Sleman, are working on ways to manage their household garbage to save the environment.

One of the villagers, Iswanto, initiated an environmentally friendly waste-disposal scheme. His offer was welcomed, and nowadays his fellow villagers no longer dump garbage anyplace they please.

Iswanto's idea was that every family in the village would sort their household litter into three categories; plastic, paper and iron/glass -- each is disposed of in separate containers.
There are currently 18 points where these sets of three garbage bins are located in the village. The large drums are eye-catching as they are colorfully painted.

Unlike in many other neighborhoods, where residents usually pay a garbageman to collect their daily waste, in Sukunan, scavengers pay for the garbage pooled by the villagers.

"If the drums are full, a lapak (scavenger) picks them up, for which he pays a small price," said Iswanto, adding that the money collected from the garbage sale was saved as the village's cash.
"That's why people are so enthusiastic about the program. Besides, the organic garbage is made into compost that they can use or sell," said Iswanto, who is a lecturer at health academy Poltekes, in Yogyakarta.

The idea of sorting the garbage came after Iswanto met Lea Jellinek, the resident director of the Australian Consortium for In Country Indonesian Studies (ACICIS), at the latter's home.
"I saw good garbage management at her house. I thought it could be applied in my village."
Jellinek assisted -- both technically and financially -- to help Iswanto implement the program.
With the help of Jellinek's students, the campus and an Australian donor, the program kicked off in April this year.

To prepare the garbage bins, they invited Apotik Komik, an association of cartoonists to help make the garbage drums beautiful.

However, the program was not the result of one night's work. A kind of feasibility study was conducted, as well as socialization programs. The team used every possible forum or meeting held in the village to promote the new scheme.

And, once they agreed to implement the program, the villagers helped with the preparations.
"No one got paid for their work," said Jellinek, adding that the project had encouraged cooperation among the villagers.

According to Iswanto, Sukunan villagers had been facing garbage-related problems for the past five years due to the increasing number of inhabitants in the village.
Currently some 180 families live in Sukunan.

"Farmers were complaining that garbage was piling up on their fields, especially plastic, causing their land to be infertile," Iswanto recalled.

With the newly established program, people of Sukunan no longer burn their plastic garbage.
In fact, they are also able to create new jobs for unemployed youth. The locals transform used plastic or aluminum foil into attractive handbags -- Iswanto's wife initiated the business.
"It's a good effort, but we need time to prove that the program really works," Bobi Setiawan of Gadjah Mada University's Center for Environmental Studies (PSLH) commented.

Appreciation was also expressed by other community groups, including that of a housing complex in Sidoarum and a village in Temple -- both in Sleman -- which plan to apply the program.

Only time will tell whether the scheme is a success, but one thing is for sure, Sukunan village has taken a big step forward.

In search of 'extinct' Javan tiger

The Jakarta Post, Features - October 30, 2002
Bambang M., Contributor, Yogyakarta

On arrival at small cave in Sumber Wungu village, about 70 kilometers east of Yogyakarta, Didik Raharyono hurried into the cave that locals claimed was home to a Javan tiger.

Armed with a video camera, Didik carefully looked for any signs that suggest existence of tiger: feces, footprints, hair and leftovers - anything. Meanwhile, his wife, Dewi Kurnianingsih, interviewed a peasant who claimed he had seen a tiger in the area.


After two hours, Didik came out with fecal matter and pieces of bones he believed were good signs that proved the locals' claim. Some pieces of the bones resembled human fingers and ribs.

"I am curious about the villagers' claim that Javan tigers live here," says Didik, a 1998 graduate of Gadjah Mada University's school of biology.

At first, he wanted to install a trap camera near the cave's entrance to satisfy his curiosity but then he thought the expensive equipment could be stolen if he did.

Didik is obsessed with finding hard evidence to prove his belief that the Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) still exists although it was officially declared extinct in the 1980s.

His ambition has taken him into forests and outlying caves in many parts of Java.

The official pronouncement was confirmed by the WWF (then the World Wildlife Fund, now called the Worldwide Fund for Nature) after it completed its research in Meru Betiri National Park, East Java, in 1994.

Didik remains in great doubt about all the conclusions that the beast is extinct and is determined to conduct his own research.

He became interested in the research after Matalabiogama, Gadjah Mada University's biology students club for nature -- where Didik also belonged -- conducted research with the Meru Betiri National Park in 1997.

Then he was excited to find signs which he claimed showed that the tiger may still exist, three years after WWF completed its survey there.

The club raised the matter in 1998 in a national seminar at Gadjah Mada. One of its recommendations was that more surveys should be conducted in Meru Betiri National Park.

"That was when I convinced myself that I should do my own survey on the Javan tiger," said Didik, who was born in Pati, Central Java, on Jan. 28, 1970.

Yayasan Kappala Indonesia, an environmental NGO that Didik is affiliated with, established its own research team and Didik was named chairman.

"One of this team's purposes is to transfer the tiger tracking skill to local people," Didik said.

His curiosity was also driven by the fact that the government ignored local people's apparent sighting of the tiger. Some people living near forests told him that they still poached the animal even after it was declared extinct.

"They (the villagers) are not stupid because they know the animal still exists. Besides, they can precisely describe the Javan tiger's features."

To make sure that what the villagers saw were the real thing, Didik asks specific questions about the animal. To his surprise, the self-proclaimed poachers have also given him tiger parts as "gifts": teeth, skin or whiskers of the tigers they had killed some months or years ago. He collects all the parts as material evidence to prove his thesis.

When he met with the poachers, Didik also tries to "lecture" them about the need for conservation.

His biggest problem in carrying out the work is money. "Because the tiger has been officially declared extinct, it is difficult to get sponsors. In 1998, Meru Betiri National Park refused The Singapore Zoo's offer of funding to install trap cameras in the forest, believing that it would be a useless project.

Didik's research team, meanwhile, cannot do much without funds from the sponsors of funding institutions. But Didik won't give up. He has established networking with other environmentalist groups which can give him information about the tiger. Often, he will go on his own account.

After five years, Didik has collected strong evidence to strengthen his belief that the tiger still exists in Java.

The evidence in his collection are bits of hair, skin, footprints, teeth, feces and eyewitnesses' accounts. He has written and co-authored a number of scientific reports about forests in Java.

His collection of tiger's hair has been made into a dissertation about the Javan tiger by Erwin Wilianto, a student of biology at Gadjah Mada. His theory that the hair belonged to Javan tiger has been confirmed by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

In fact Didik once sighted a Javan tiger in Meru Betiri National Park when he and his research team was there for a 14-day survey.

He says the tiger appeared at the bush thanks to the help of a local shaman but before he managed to photograph it, the beast ran away after the two frightened rangers that accompanied the team also ran scared.

"As we were inside the tent at night, we heard the tiger roar at about 2 a.m. That was the most memorable experience of all our expeditions," he recalls.

He has not set a deadline for proving this thesis. "I will not set a time limit for myself," he says.

His spirit to track down the Javan tiger got a boost from Dewi, the woman he married two years ago. She will go with him wherever he likes to quench his curiosity about the tiger.

"He says he will make me a live bait to fool the tiger to come out," she quips

Yogyakarta NGOs help children study nature

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta Sat, 01/15/2005 1:39 PM Life
Bambang M, Contributor/Yogyakarta

A group of kindergarten children looked delighted when activists from Hijau - Gerakan Peduli Lingkungan (Hijau-GPL), an non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Yogyakarta, took them to Samas Beach in Bantul to release baby lekang turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) to the sea.

They yelled loudly in excitement at the crawling turtles, encouraging them to reach the sea quickly. Earlier, they had received a short briefing about the turtle world, including the importance of conservation.

Surprisingly, these young children were very enthusiastic and asked many questions about turtles.

Hijau-GPL is one of a number of NGOs in the city that pay special attention to educating children about the environment and environmentally friendly behavior.

Other NGOs include Kelompok Pecinta Alam Fakultas Psikologi UGM (Palapsi), Earth Kids and Langkah Bocah.

They consider the move urgent because environmental education for children at both kindergartens and elementary schools is lacking in the country, despite its importance.

""I do think it's important to give children environmental education because the older they are the more difficult it will be to develop a concern for the environment,"" Demitria, head of the Early Childhood and Development Rescue Center (ECCD RC) kindergarten, whose pupils were among those taken to Samas Beach, said.

Purwo Madya Witono, a teacher at SD Bangunrejo I elementary school agreed, saying that environmental education in elementary schools has been given only token reference, as part of various subjects such as natural science and social science. That was insufficient, Purwo said.

Educational expert Ki Gunawan of Taman Siswa even blames such a lack of environmental education in elementary schools as the root of many problems related to the extensive damage of the country's natural environment.

It is for this reason that NGOs like Hijau-GPL pay special attention to providing environmental education to preschool children. They visit kindergartens and elementary schools, offering outdoor programs that are designed to educate children about the importance of loving nature and preserving it.

""Theory is not enough on its own. They (the children) need to learn directly from nature and implement directly environmentally friendly behavior there,"" M Panji Kusumah of Hijau - GPL said.

Besides taking kindergarten and elementary schoolchildren to the beach to release baby turtles to the sea the NGO also takes children on bird-watching visits to the slopes of nearby Mount Merapi.

At the end of a program, the children are invited to express themselves in whatever way they wish about their experience. Some express themselves through pictures or drawings, while others write poetry or stories.

Similar activities are also run by Earth Kids, whose motto is: Make the earth a better place in the future, together with children.

In June 2003, for example, they carried out an Earth Club pilot project at SD Muhammadiyah Blunyah Gede, in which the elementary schoolchildren were taught about plants, water and environmentally friendly attitudes.

""The students were told about the importance of clean water, the color and function of leaves, etc.,"" Fitria, of Earth Kids said, adding that the same programs were also being held for third- and fourth-grade students of state-run SDN Nitikan II elementary school.

Palapsi, similarly, provides environmental education by taking children on nature-appreciation trips. Palapsi divides the children into groups, each of which is equipped with a camera with which to take pictures of any interesting natural objects they encounter.

By the end of the session, all the pictures are collected to make a series of stories. This is considered to be the introductory part of the educational program.

""The next step is to build understanding followed by application in which the participating children are required to join a care-for-nature competition,"" Nungki Puspitasari of Palapsi said.

Children participating in such programs mostly show a positive response. Many of them even look forward to having the same experience in nature.

""They always wonder when it will be their turn to study outside the classroom. They're waiting in anticipation for such a precious experience,"" Purwo of SD Bangunrejo I said.

For children of that age, said Purwo, having the opportunity for nature study is very exciting. It's mostly because such an occasion makes it possible for learning and play to go along side by side. As a result, learning becomes enjoyable.

""By listening and seeing directly for themselves, it will be easier for them to understand the subject matter,"" said Panji of Hijau-GPL.

Yet, according to Fitri of Palapsi, not every elementary school teacher they met supported the implementation of such activities in their class.

""Many of them agreed on the importance of environmental education for their students but were not interested in participating in the programs we offer,"" said Fitri.

Purwo also experienced the same thing, saying that he often encountered difficulties in taking students of other classes to join his outdoor learning activities because their classroom teachers refused to allow them to go.

""Teachers who lack creativity have often been an obstacle for such a program,"" said Ki Gunawan.

Some schools, however, have shown full support for such a program. The ECCD RC Kindergarten is an example. It even plans to run the ""Green School"" program offered by Hijau-GPL.

This is aimed at creating an environmentally friendly school, both physically and spiritually. Via the program, the students are expected to imitate and implement the environmentally friendly behavior that they hear of and see at school.

What the NGOs have been doing in Yogyakarta is small in scale. Still, it deserves appreciation and support from concerned institutions, including the Ministry of National Education, especially at a time when environmental degradation has become a matter of great concern.