Yogyakarta - Green School Forum of International Standard High Schools in Yogyakarta is ready to do a campaign to preserve rare plants. The rare plants referred to are kepel, duku karangkajen, mundu, cendana, namnaman, and duwet. Those plants are getting rarer and difficult to find in Yogyakarta. It is planned that the plants will be grown in every school. That was delivered by Chairman of the forum, Drs. Rusman, after following green school training held by Research and Community Service Institute of UGM and Youth and Sport Education Agency of Yogyakarta at Hargotirto Village, Kulon Progo, recently. 30 teachers from International Standard High Schools joined the green school training.
Deputy Headmaster of Infrastructure Affairs of SMAN 2 Yogyakarta said that the green school forum will conduct socialization related to green school program to some schools in Yogyakarta immediately, including program of rare plants conservation. “The movement will be launched simultaneously on the Earth Day in year 2011,” he said.
He added that the activity to save rare plants will be made a model for other schools in Yogyakarta to follow suit. “At least it can pioneer green schools,” the Physics teacher said.
The success of green program in schools, said Rusman, is expected to support energy saving program at school, such as reducing the use of air conditioning in each classroom. He gave an example that the electricity bill at SMAN 2 reaches 6 million rupiah each month. “If the environment is green, we can reduce the use of air conditioning, thus more economical electricity use,” he said.
Expert staff of green school forum, Priyono Suryanto, S.Hut., M.P., admitted that their program needs to get support from everyone as collective movement to preserve environment. According to Priyono, the program is very good to do at school. The plants will be continuously maintained by teachers and students. “It will be safest once the plants are grown at schools,” said the lecturer of Faculty of Forestry of UGM.
Besides, rare plants conservationcan support rehabilitation efforts against the current forest degradation rate. However, the responsibility of forest biodiversity and rehabilitation lies not only on stakeholders alone but also on community, including schools.
To support the movement, Faculty of Forestry cooperating with UGM Institute of Research and Community Service will support by providing seeds to schools. “We will provide the seeds. We want all teachers and students to be pro-active later,” he added.
As it is known, International Standard High Schools in Yogyakarta include SMAN 1 Yogyakarta, SMAN 2 Yogyakarta, SMAN 3 Yogyakarta, SMAN 8 Yogyakarta, SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Yogyakarta, SMA Muhammadiyah 2, SMAN 1 Bantul, SMAN 1 Kasihan, SMAN 1 Wonosari, SMAN 2 Wates, SMAN 1 Kalasan, SMAN 1 Sleman, SMA BOPKRI I Yogyakarta, SMA Stella Duce I Yogyakarta, and SMA Kolese De Britto Yogyakarta.