Me, Mangrove, and Its Future

Awareness in environmental conservation needs to be taught from an early age from the smallest social unit, the family. The family has a vital role in creating the base of caring and loving the environment. This topic was covered in a virtual event, Dialog Konservasi, with a theme “Me, Mangrove, and Its Future” (“Aku, Mangrove, dan Masa Depannya”), on Friday (7/30). This event was held by Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) as a part of the Misi Lestari campaign.

“Every July 26th, people all around the world commemorate the Mangrove Ecosystem Conservation Day. This day is an important moment to remind us of the importance of mangrove ecosystems to lives. We want to thank YKAN, who is always active in supporting mangrove conservation in Indonesia through concrete actions. One of them was by initiating Mangrove Ecosystem Restoration Alliance (MERA) partnerships, which has cooperated with Jakarta BKSDA since 2018 to strengthen the function of Muara Angke Wildlife Reserves (Suaka Margasatwa Muara Angke) as a center of education and mangrove ecosystem restoration in Jakarta,” explained Abdul Kodir, Head of Jakarta BKSDA.

Abdul Kodir added that Muara Angke Wildlife Reserves is one of the remaining mangrove ecosystems in Jakarta. Aside from being the habitat of various flora and fauna, this area also plays an important role ecologically for Jakarta, and it needs to be conserved. The conservation efforts can start from the family unit.

“We need to invest for our future. This kind of event can be a platform to discuss nature, especially about mangrove conservation, to children,” said Melissa Karim, YKAN Nature Ambassador and the moderator of this virtual event.

Similar to Melissa, Alina Bramanto, an influencer who also supported this Misi Lestari campaign, said, “Because of Misi Lestari, we have a reason to bring our children outside, far from gadgets, and together accumulate distance points by running or walking. And in this event, we emphasize togetherness, whether it is running or walking, everything we do it together.”

Julian (8), Alina’s son, admitted that he and his older sister had accumulated distance points of 9 kilometers. “Julian accumulated 1 kilometer a day, [and] my sister accumulated 2 kilometers a day,” he said.

Meanwhile, for Danisya (9), considering the setting around her home did not allow her to do outside activities, she chose to complete one of the missions: plant a cherry tomato tree at her home. “At least planting is an alternative to doing an outdoor activity, a break from gadgets and daily routine, but still safe to do since it is done around the home,” explained Dinia Widodo, Grand Indonesia Corporate Communications Manager and Danisya’s mother.

In addition to Julian and Danisya, Jazz and Naya were also present as Nature Kids, the representatives of the future generation who also involved in Misi Lestari and cared about Earth conservations.

Misions to save the Earth

Supports for nature conservations also comes from artists. They deliver their messages through aesthetic approaches. One of them is through music. Wolftank, a music band consisting of Ariyo Wahab, Tyo Nugros, Noey Jeje, and Kin Aulia, takes this approach to convey the message through their music. “We as an artist feel the calling to act, in environmental conservations, including mangrove ecosystem. We hope that people can receive our message. The environment needs to be protected and conserved for the future generation,” explained Ariyo Wahab, representing Wolftank, who is also one of YKAN Nature Ambassadors.

In the case of awareness, since May, YKAN has started a campaign titled Misi Lestari, which chose mangrove as the theme of this year. This event is YKAN’s effort to invite the public to be involved in mangrove conservation through entertaining sport-related activities. This event was held in a hybrid means, offline and online, collaborating with several event-supporting platforms. “Through this event, we hope that more people become more aware of the importance of mangrove ecosystems. Furthermore, Misi Lestari is hoped to be an alternative to beneficial family activities during this pandemic. July 31, 2021, is the last day to complete the missions. Everyone can act to save the Earth for a sustainable Indonesia,” said Astrid Candrasari, Misi Lestari Project Director.