Association of outdoor enthusiasts from Diploma III (MAPALGA) UGM in collaboration with the local government of Singosaren village, Lestari NGO, and Environment Ministry held the Grebeg Sampah (Waste Festival) in the village in Banguntapan of Bantul regency, Sunday(24/2), to mark the Waste Aware Day 2013.
Secretary of Forest Management study programme in UGM Vocational School, Wiyono.T. Putro , said the main activity is aimed at terminating the illegal waste in the compound of Jagang Bokong Semar Kotagede site. The site needs to be preserved as it has a high historical value for Jogja and Indonesia.
“Jagang Bokong Semar is a fort inherited from the kingdom of Islamic Mataram when the capital was situated in Kotagede,” said Wiyono.
Wiyono said student’s involvement is focused to educate elementary school children and the local people about the importance of environment sustainability, waste aware culture and build green open space in landfills.
“With adequate availability of green open space and clean from waste, the school children are expected to learn in comfort area,” Wiyono added.
The Grebeg Sampah festival was started with gymnastics, inauguration of waste police, closure of illegal waste location, performance art by Miroto and Jemek Supardi, marching bleg, waste collection, tree planting and dialogue on policy in waste management with Environment Ministry.
The event went on to the tree planting to initiate the green open space, There are eight types of trees: rain tree (Samanea saman), mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), Jabon, (Anthocephalus cadamba), Pulai (alstonia scholaris, Cananga (Cananga odorata), agarwood (Aquilaria moluccensis), nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), and Gmelina (Gmelina arborea). The seeds are donated by the BPDAS Opak-Progro-Serayu and Forestry and Plantation Agency of the Province of Yogyakarta Special Region. Vice Director of Vocational School, Ma’un Budiyanto, ST., MT., had the chance to plant the Pulai (alstonia scholaris) tree. The event was closed with a dialogue.
The event was joined by some 500 residents of Singosaren and nearby in addition to 50 students. Also attending the event were UGM Director of Student Affairs, Assistant to Head of Waste Management in Environment Ministry, Head of Ecoregion Java, and Head of Environment Agency of Bantul regency.