A group of students and alumni from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), organized under the Mratani Project Community, carried out a “Caring for Watershed Ecosystems” awareness campaign and symbolic planting of 500 bamboo seedlings across two hectares of land in Pengkok Village, Patuk District, Gunungkidul, on Saturday, Jun. 28, 2025.
The initiative, in collaboration with the Tunas Karya Forest Farmers Group (KTH Tunas Karya), was funded by the Community Fund for the Environment as part of the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 program.
Septian Adira, Head of the Implementation Team, explained that the activity aimed to educate the public while directly engaging them in environmental conservation practices.
He noted that Pengkok once had extensive bamboo coverage, with bamboo plants also commonly found along the Oya River watershed.
“Unfortunately, overharvesting through clear-cutting practices has drastically reduced bamboo cover, increasing the risk of floods and erosion. The bamboo planting serves as a restoration effort for the watershed area in Pengkok,” said Adira.
Pengkok Village lies in the valley of the Sewu Mountains and is traversed by the Oya River.
The area faces a considerable risk of flooding and landslides.
The bamboo planting is expected to mitigate these risks during the rainy season while enhancing water retention capacity during the dry season, as bamboo has strong water-holding properties.
Sugit, Head of Pengkok Village, welcomed and expressed full support for the initiative.
He noted that bamboo planting would bring multiple benefits to the village.
“We highly appreciate and fully support this bamboo planting activity. Bamboo is known to bring many advantages to agriculture and also holds significant economic value. Besides serving as a conservation medium, bamboo stalks can be used for handicrafts, construction materials, and other purposes, but sustainability must remain a top priority,” said Sugit.
Jumingin, Head of KTH Tunas Karya, added that his group has long been involved in bamboo-related activities.
He hopes this initiative will further raise awareness among Pengkok residents about the value of bamboo.
“This collaborative effort between the Mratani Project and KTH Tunas Karya shows that conservation can go hand in hand with community empowerment. The planting of 500 bamboo seedlings marks the beginning of a shared commitment to nurturing a greener and more sustainable Earth, starting here in Pengkok Village,” he said.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna