In celebration of World Environment Day on Jun. 5, the Faculty of Geography at Universitas Gadjah Mada (Geography UGM) held a mojo tree planting activity on campus on Wednesday, Jun. 4, 2025. This initiative was not only intended as a reforestation effort but also served as a symbol of local biodiversity conservation.
Through this activity, Geography UGM reaffirmed its commitment to supporting environmental preservation and biodiversity in Indonesia, particularly within the UGM campus area.
The planting of mojo trees marks the first step in fostering ecological awareness among the academic community and surrounding residents.
It also forms part of a long-term effort to strengthen the relationship between humans and nature through educational and participatory approaches.
“I believe UGM can take the initiative to preserve campus biodiversity by embracing the wide variety of species found throughout the archipelago,” stated Professor Suratman from Geography UGM.
Professor Suratman explained that Geography UGM is also planning an inventory of various native plant species from Yogyakarta, including symbolic plants found in the vicinity of the Yogyakarta Palace.
This initiative aims to ensure that the region’s cultural values and local beliefs, reflected in its biodiversity, are not lost over time.
By mapping and documenting this local flora, the faculty aims to create a living knowledge repository that is accessible to students across generations.
“We are working on this inventory to ensure that no species from the past disappears and that students do not lose valuable knowledge and local wisdom,” he said.
The tree planting initiative is also envisioned as an outdoor learning medium for students, going beyond conventional classroom-based activities.
Professor Suratman emphasized the importance of transforming the campus into a living laboratory where students can learn directly from their interaction with the environment.
This approach enables students to better understand and internalize sustainability values in their daily lives.
“The campus is a place for learning, not only in classrooms but also in the field,” he remarked.
As part of UGM’s broader contribution to climate change mitigation efforts, Professor Suratman proposed expanding the tree planting movement to include UGM’s Community Service Program (KKN).
He hopes that each student participating in the program will bring tree seedlings to plant at their service sites, generating a widespread and sustainable ecological impact.
If carried out consistently, the initiative could significantly contribute to increasing vegetation cover across various regions in Indonesia.
Furthermore, Professor Suratman encouraged inter-faculty collaboration at UGM to support the tree-planting movement.
The Faculty of Forestry, for example, holds great potential in providing seedlings through its nursery facilities in the Wanagama Forest.
He emphasized that such cross-faculty collaboration is crucial to enhancing the program’s impact and fostering an inclusive, integrated environmental movement.
“Let’s connect the resources and units we have to work together in saving the planet,” he urged.
As an academic institution with a research flagship in sustainable planet themes, Geography UGM views tangible actions like this as a means of implementing the knowledge it has developed.
Programs such as Forest and Other Land Use (FOLU) exemplify the integration of research outcomes with field-based actions.
Through mojo tree planting and other efforts to preserve local vegetation, the faculty plays an active role in supporting the Sustainable Development Goals.
“This is part of how we implement our geographical knowledge,” concluded Professor Suratman.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna
Photographer: Donnie