Students Build Villages Universitas Brawijaya carried out a tree planting action in Secang area, Kalipuro, Banyuwangi. This action took place in Secang Independent Ecoliteracy Community (MEM) environment which is also the headquarters of the Secang Herbal Coffee Palace. This planting was the result of an initiative from one of the MMD teams of the Forestry Study Program who planned to plant trees, together with the MEM Secang team who wanted to restore secang tree population.
With the theme “Education and Implementation of Planting to Combat Climate Change,” this action raised the issue of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) point 13 concerning climate change. In addition, the MEM Secang team realized the importance of the existence of secang trees for the area, so this activity also supports point 15 of the SDGs concerning the sustainability of terrestrial ecosystems.
The Secang planting event coincided with the MEM work program “Pasar-Pasaran,” which teaches children to count and record purchases and sales. The activity began with morning exercise that raised the children’s spirits, then continued with the planting of sappanwood trees in the MEM environment as an effort to restore sappanwood trees.
In addition to Secang Independent Ecoliteracy Community (MEM) environment, sappanwood planting was also carried out in two residents’ yards in Secang area, Kalipuro, Banyuwangi. This activity is part of the planting action initiated by the group 67 of Students Build Village (MMD) together with the MEM Secang team.
Mr. Haji Husen, one of the local community leaders, conveyed the importance of preserving sappanwood trees in this area.
“The existence of sappanwood trees needs to be preserved in the hope that the secang icon will return and the community will know about the existence of sappanwood trees,” he said. This statement shows the urgency of sappanwood tree restoration as part of an effort to preserve the identity of local vegetation.
Planting in residents’ yards is not only aimed at increasing the population of sappanwood trees, but also at increasing public awareness of the importance of this plant. By understanding and recognizing the sappanwood tree, the Secang community can strengthen the identity of their local vegetation and see the potential for developing sappanwood-based tourism. (zma/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
