Biodiversity Warriors Conducts Concurrent Search for Biodiversity in Eight Different Cities
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Date:
30 Apr 2020 -
Author:
KEHATI
On May 22, 2018, the Biodiversity Warriors and KEHATI Foundation are joining hands to organize a Capture Nature (CapNature) event – an endeavour to seek biodiversity across eight cities in Indonesia. This event is to be held simultaneously across these cities, with the participants comprising of the members of the Biodiversity Warriors community and the residents of each city. They will collectively gather at specific locations to identify, record, document, and popularize the various aspects of biodiversity that exist within their urban environments.
Fardila Astari, the Director of Communications and Resource Collection at the KEHATI Foundation, announced on Tuesday (22/5) that the eight cities participating in this initiative are Jakarta, Bogor, Tarakan, Samarinda, Pontianak, Lampung, Kuningan, and Padang. It was also disclosed that the planning and organization of the event in each city are being handled by the local members of the Biodiversity Warriors..
Fardila shared that this initiative not only marks World Biodiversity Day, observed on May 22, but also aims to increase public consciousness about the diverse range of biological species existing in Indonesia. They stressed the importance of public attentiveness – it sparks needed efforts to protect the surrounding biodiversity.
Furthermore, these collective actions serve a dual purpose. Not only do they enhance awareness, but they also work towards nurturing citizen scientists within the country. This activity further propagates the endeavors of the Biodiversity Warriors.
The Biodiversity Warriors are a group of enthusiastic young individuals driven by the mission of the KEHATI Foundation. Their aim is to effect changes by becoming defenders and protectors of Indonesia’s biodiversity. Their mandate includes promoting the knowledge of Indonesia’s unique biodiversity, its utilities, and methods for conserving it..
As of now, Biodiversity Warriors has a total membership of 1,879 individuals across Indonesia. The members are predominantly between the ages of 16 and 30. Utilizing social networking platforms, the Biodiversity Warriors are able to disseminate information concerning biodiversity. This includes its unique characteristics, benefits, status (whether it’s rare, protected, etc.), and its special features. The information is shared through articles, photos, videos, and popular biodiversity catalogs on the biodiversitywarriors.org website.
In the coming year, Biodiversity Warriors aims to expand its membership base by adding 200 more members. “Our target for 2018 is a total membership of 2,000 members,” stated Fardila.
Having engaged in various nature capture activities over the past three years, the members have contributed to producing 2,678 journals and 4,510 catalogs detailing Indonesia’s biodiversity. These resources have proven valuable for Indonesian school students, university students and biodiversity enthusiasts by providing an extensive educational resource to deepen their understanding and appreciation of local biodiversity.
Capnature and Photo Contest
The Capnature events in Jakarta will primarily take place in Menteng Park, located in Central Jakarta. The event commences at 13:00 and concludes at 17:00, with Taman Menteng Greenhouse serving as the meeting hub.
According to Ahmad Baihaqi, the coordinator of Capnature Biodiversity Warriors, Menteng Park was specifically chosen for capnature activities due to its pivotal role as the city’s urban forest in maintaining and protecting the dwindling biodiversity. It is believed to house various species that rely on this urban forest, most of which remain unfamiliar to the general public.
Baihaqi further mentioned, “Alongside the members of Biodiversity Warriors, the Capnature event in Menteng Park is set to welcome the attendance of the Biological Bird Club (BBC) Ardea, the Faculty of Biology from the National University (UNAS), the Jakarta Environmental Activist Community, as well as other interested individuals from the public.”.
In addition to its stunning natural scenery, Menteng Park hosts events such as the Wildlife Photo Contest. The contest’s first-place winner receives a prize of IDR 1,000,000, while the second and third place winners are awarded IDR 750,000 and IDR 500,000, respectively.
As Baihaqi elucidates, the current green open space in DKI Jakarta constitutes only about 9% of the city’s total area. However, according to Law Number 26 of 2007 on Spatial Planning, a city must allocate at least 30% of its total area for green open spaces.
The law mandates this 30% area allocation to maintain a city’s ecological balance, which encompasses a balanced hydrological system interconnected with flood control and augmentation of clean air availability.
According to Baihaqi, under the current circumstances, Jakarta is significantly deviating from the ideal city model.
By implementing comprehensive nature capture, Baihaqi continues, the rich biodiversity currently housed within Menteng Park can be effectively uncovered, studied, and reintroduced to the locals. The long-term goal is to turn this into a motivation for people to visit the park and the city’s other forests more frequently and utilize them in a positive manner.
In addition to these benefits, Baihaqi believes this initiative can serve as a prompt for the government to expedite the expansion of green open spaces.