The Fifth President of the Republic of Indonesia and Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Professor Dr. (H.C.) Megawati Soekarnoputri visited Wanagama Forest in Banaran Village, Gunungkidul Regency, on Thursday (Oct. 2).
Soekarnoputri was welcomed by UGM Rector Professor Ova Emilia, accompanied by UGM leaders, the Regent of Gunungkidul, the Deputy Regent of Sleman, and other regional officials.
During the visit, Soekarnoputri received an explanation about the history and development of Wanagama Forest as an educational forest from Dr. Rini Pujiarti, the Director of KHDTK Wanagama.
On this occasion, she also signed a framed photograph of herself taken during her previous visit to Wanagama in 2005.
Dean of the Faculty of Forestry at UGM, Dr. Sigit Sunarta, stated that Soekarnoputri’s visit to Wanagama Forest was intended to commemorate her visit twenty years ago. At that time, she contributed by providing a borehole to support the teak forest breeding efforts.
“We already had existing genetic material, which we later developed and named Jatimega. The Jatimega trees have been planted here for 19 years and are now located in Plot 13. This visit is partly a moment for Soekarnoputri to see their progress and reminisce about her visit two decades ago,” he explained.
During this visit, Dr. Sunarta said that Soekarnoputri emphasized the importance of conserving Wanagama as a forest area designated for special purposes. She reminded that no tree felling should occur in the area, a policy that UGM has long upheld in accordance with existing regulations.
“Indeed, we are not allowed to cut down the trees, but we can utilize non-timber forest products,” Dr. Sunarta said.
He further explained that Wanagama Forest serves as a designated forest area with special purposes, as mandated by law. While the area has been developed for activities such as ecotourism, its primary function remains educational.
“We have several buildings and rooms here that can be used for various types of training and educational programs, in line with its designation as a special-purpose forest area,” he added.
Regarding the Jatimega tree, Dr. Sunarta elaborated that the seed development project was originally funded by the former president. As a result, the superior teak variety was named Jatimega in her honor. The tree continues to be cultivated and planted in various forest areas across Java.
At Wanagama Forest, Jatimega trees are currently covering an area of five hectares. The species is also planted in forest areas in Ngawi and Blora.
“This teak is a superior variety. For example, while ordinary teak trees typically reach maturity in about 60 years, Jatimega can achieve similar growth in just 20 years,” he explained.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Salma
Photographer: Donnie Trisfian