28 “Influencers” Joining Misi Lestari

A total of 28 influencers from various backgrounds and professions joined the Lestari Mission campaign launched by Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) during 24 May-31 July 2021. These 28 influencers actively raised public awareness of the importance of protecting mangroves for Indonesia's sustainability, which is the theme of this year's Mission Lestari campaign.

Mangrove conservation is one of the main concerns of the government today with its great potential in absorbing carbon and effectively being able to restrain the rate of temperature rise.

“Forests are the only ones that can absorb carbon dioxide and in particular mangroves are able to store more carbon in the soil than mineral forests. The ability of mangroves to absorb carbon dioxide is 23 tons CO2/hectare/year, compared to mineral forests at 10 tons/hectare/year. Mangrove forest area is only 3 percent of the total forest area in Indonesia, but it can contribute 9 percent to the target of achieving Indonesia's emission reduction by 2030," explained Nisa Novita, Forest Carbon & Climate Specialist YKAN in a virtual talk "Conservation Dialogue: Mission for Mangroves", on Friday (18/6).

A quarter of the world's mangrove ecosystems are located in Indonesia and this stores 3.14 billion tons of carbon, equivalent to a third of the world's carbon stock in coastal areas. However, this ecosystem also continues to face the threat of damage until it is lost due to land conversion.

“Protecting is a bigger task than restoring. And we can protect nature early on, from small things, but they can actually have a big impact. For me, being able to do something we love (sports), but also being useful for the environment, while educating children and those around us is a joy in itself,” said Alina Bramantyo, one of the influencers that YKAN collaborated with, explaining her reasons for supporting the Misi Lestari.

Coming from various backgrounds and professions—housewives, professional runners, doctors, socialites, to financial managers—these influencers are part of the front line reaching the wider community to act together to preserve the earth.

The Conservation Dialogue also featured Eri Palgunadi, JNE's Vice President of Marketing, who was the representative of private partners who supported the Misi Lestari. He said that private companies must also benefit their surroundings, not only think about profit. The environmental sector is one of JNE's focuses in running its operational business and is committed to reducing emissions by making new initiatives. Not only encouraging each department under it to have initiatives that contribute to the environment, JNE also innovates by activating a bicycle fleet for courier services in the SCBD area, South Jakarta.

Established since 2014, YKAN always opens the door for collaboration with various parties, both with the government, community organizations, private parties, and individuals. The Misi Lestari Campaign, which will end on July 31, 2021, as part of the commemoration of World Mangrove Day which falls every July 26, is also a wider opening for all elements of society to act together for the Earth.

Joining Misi Lestari

Registration for Misi Lestari is still open until July 10, 2021 with a mission completion period of June 21-18 July 2021. Each participant will be invited to explore further about the function of mangroves; plant seeds on the home page and upload their progress on personal social media accounts; perform a virtual run/walk; can also raise funds for mangrove conservation through Ayobantu (https://www.ayobantu.com/campaign/misilestari).

Registration is done through the Virtuathlon application which can be downloaded through the Playstore or Appstore, by paying a registration fee of Rp. 149,000. Participants can register for a virtual run/walk with a choice of a minimum distance of 5 kilometers to 25 kilometers. There are two categories of participants to choose from, namely the family category, which consists of 1 adult and 1 child, or the individual category. The conditions are that adult participants are 21 – 70 years old and child participants are 5 – 15 years old.

Offline registration can also be done by visiting the YKAN booth at Grand Indonesia during 7-20 June 2021 and merchandise is available that can be directly obtained by registrants.

Participants who successfully complete all phases successfully have the opportunity to take part in the peak celebration on July 31, 2021 with influencer families who support Misi Lestari at SM Muara Angke. The activity, which was carried out in a limited number of times while still observing the health protocol, also invited selected participants to tour the Muara Angke SM area.

For more information on how to register for the Lestari Mission, please visit the official website www.YKAN.or.id.

Sports, gardening, while raising funds for the future of the Earth. Who doesn't want Earth to always be a comfortable home to live in? This is not just wishful thinking, if we act today.