BRGM promotes mangrove restoration in East Kalimantan through Youth Mangrove Action – Front Row

As part of its efforts to raise awareness among youth about mangrove restoration, the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) held the 2024 Mangrove Youth Action in East Kalimantan. Held from October 25 to 28, the event attracted a total of 15 participants between the ages of 15 and 25, including dedicated local mangrove volunteers from SMA 8 High School in Balikpapan State as well as from the Greater Jakarta area.

Under the theme “Protect Mangroves, Save the Earth”, the Mangrove Youth Action program aims to increase the knowledge, awareness and active participation of young people directly involved in the restoration of mangrove ecosystems, as well as to discuss innovations in mangrove rehabilitation. Event This is the second time that BRGM has engaged the younger generation in the restoration of wetland, peat and mangrove ecosystems.

Didi Vurjanto, head of the Working Group on Cooperation, Law and Public Affairs, said the Mangrove Youth Action aims to provide the younger generation with the opportunity to directly participate in mangrove restoration activities.

“We hope that the participants who take part in this event will be able to share their knowledge and apply it to each region or community they join,” he said.

Volunteers took part in a number of interesting activities, including a visit to SMA 8 Balikpapan as an example of the implementation of mangrove ecosystem conservation at the school level, an exploration of the future capital of Nusantara, which prioritizes the concept of a Forest City, an exploration of the mangrove forest in the village of Mentawir, as well as various interactive games.

Participants also met and interacted with local environmental activists in East Kalimantan. Agus Bey, the 2017 Kalpataru Prize winner, shared his knowledge of the mangrove ecosystem and how to conserve it, noting that the conservation process cannot be accomplished in a short time: it takes decades to restore its functions.

“I appreciate BRGM’s involvement with Youth Mangrove Action volunteers in exploring the mangrove ecosystem and its benefits in coastal areas. I hope the participants will be able to communicate the potential of mangroves to the wider community,” he said.

Agus Bay presents materials related to mangrove ecosystems and their management.

Agus, who has been restoring mangroves since 2001, was forced to restore the mangrove ecosystem when tidal water entered his local residential area. The loss of mangrove forests also resulted in strong offshore winds hitting the community directly and damaging around 300 homes.

Through independent action, Agus and the local community began planting and caring for mangroves.

In 2010, Agus and the local community reaped the rewards of their hard work when the local government opened the mangrove forest as a tourist attraction. The well-maintained mangrove forest, dubbed the Graha Indus Mangrove Centre, also serves as a source of income for the community.

In addition to mangrove restoration, volunteers also received citizen journalism training to enable participants to effectively manage information through websites, blogs and social media.

After attending the training, participants toured the Mentawir mangrove tourism village, accompanied by Lamale, Tourism Awareness Team Leader Thiram Tamboon (Pokdarwis).

Apart from overseeing the Mangrove Tourist Village, Lamale and his team members process mangrove products in the form of dodol, mangrove tea, mangrove coffee and mangrove syrup. Participants were also invited to take part in the processing of mangrove syrup.

Lamale praised the enthusiasm of the participants, expressing hope that they will be able to spread awareness of community efforts to restore mangrove forests to the wider community.

“I am amazed by the enthusiasm of the Youth Mangrove Action participants. At this time, we really need the help of young people to take more care of mangrove forests and help us introduce our mangrove products more widely,” said Lamale.

Subhannudin, one of the participants in the Youth Mangrove Action, said that through volunteering, he was able to gain new knowledge and experience by directly seeing the mangrove ecosystem and communicating with environmental activists.

“This youth mangrove drive is not just an ordinary volunteer activity; we were invited to learn more about mangrove restoration efforts and interact with mangrove activists. This is a valuable experience for me and I will share my experience through citizen journalism media platforms. and the social networks that I have. I hope BRGM can hold this event every year so that young people can become more aware of the mangrove ecosystem,” he concluded.