Activity Highlights: Engaging Local Communities to Promote Tree Planting Initiative

Field Facilitator Induction Gunungsari (02)_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Pati

In line with our commitment to empowering the local community, we have hired members of the community as Field Facilitators. Their crucial role involves connecting the tree planting program with local farmers, who become tree grower partners, as well as engaging with other local communities. 

Currently, we have successfully completed the induction sessions for Field Facilitators in all working units throughout Central and West Java. During these sessions, our team provided environmental knowledge and equipped the facilitators with the necessary skills to engage with local communities and promote the tree-planting program. 

Let us look at our induction activities in various working areas through the images below! 

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Cirasea 1 Bandung_Citarum
Trees4Trees Cirasea 1 unit, West Java

Starting the field facilitators’ induction session in Cihanyir village, Trees4Trees team of Cirasea 1 unit presented the overview of tree-planting program and achievements as well as organization vision and mission to participants from nine villages in Bandung regency, West Java. 

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Cirasea 3 Bandung_Citarum
Trees4Trees Cirasea 3 Unit, West Java

During the Cirasea 3 unit’s field facilitators’ induction session in Mandalahaji villages, Bandung regency, Trees4Trees emphasized fairness, equality, and commitment against child labor and coercion in the tree-planting program operation. The session was attended by 60 facilitators from 15 villages. 

Field Facilitator Induction Gunungsari (02)_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Pati
Trees4Trees Pati Unit, Central Java

The Trees4Trees team in the Pati site shared knowledge about tree planting programs during the field facilitators’ induction session held in Kedungsari Village, Pati Regency. The Pati unit successfully completed the field facilitators’ induction sessions in all 14 villages within the area. 

Field Facilitator Induction TA Barat_Balaidesa Sukomulyo_20230703 (3)_trees4trees_tree planting_kebumen_reforestation
Trees4Trees Kebumen Unit, Central Java

(Above) During the field facilitator session in Sukomulyo village, Kebumen regency, participants discussed field facilitators’ tasks and responsibilities in Q and A session. (Below) Similarly, in Ciwidey, West Java, the induction session covered the same topics. The Kebumen unit completed sessions for 37 villages, while Ciwidey covered 24 villages.  

 

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Ciwidey Bandung_Citarum
Trees4Trees Ciwidey Unit, West Java

 

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Cisangkuy Bandung_Citarum
Trees4Trees Cisangkuy Unit, West Java

(Above) The Cisangkuy unit of Trees4Trees was discussing incentives during the field facilitators’ induction in Cipongkor village. (Below) In Ciminyak 2, the team was discussing a similar topic. Essentially, the field facilitators’ incentives are based on productivity and work results. Cisangkuy has completed the induction sessions covering three districts: Banjaran, Cangkuang, and Cimaung, while Ciminyak 2 covers Sindangkerta and Cipongkor district. 

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Ciminyak 2 Bandung_Citarum
Trees4Trees Ciminyak 2 Unit, West Java

 

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Ciminyak 3 Bandung_Citarum.jpg
Trees4Trees Ciminyak 3 Unit, West Java

Field facilitators play a crucial role in establishing connections with local communities, helping prepare farmer training, distributing tree seedlings to farmers, collecting farmer data, monitoring tree planting preparations, and reporting and documenting activities. During the induction session, field facilitators from the Ciminyak 3 unit (above) and Ciminyak 1 unit (below) were focused on learning their respective responsibilities. 

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Ciminyak 1 Bandung_Citarum
Trees4Trees Ciminyak 1 Unit, West Java

 

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Cirasea 2 Bandung_Citarum
Trees4Trees Cirasea 2 Unit, West Java

Field facilitators are responsible for collecting lands and farmers data. In the induction sessions of both Cirasea 2 unit (above) and Citarik unit (below), they discussed the criteria that local farmers must meet to become partners in the tree planting initiatives. 

Field facilitators Induction 2023_trees4trees tree planting program_reforestation_Citarik Bandung_Citarum
Trees4Trees Citarik Unit, West Java

A Monument to Cooperation: AstraZeneca Puts Down Roots in Java

(Above) Volunteers join the tree planting activities, part of AstraZeneca Indonesia’s CSR program

To the east of Yogyakarta city, Banyunibo stands alone; an island of stone, marooned in a sea of green farmland. Unlike most buildings from the ancient Mataram kingdom – like nearby Prambanan and Ratu Boko – this ninth-century temple leads a solitary life. 

Out on these sunbaked plains, there are hardly any trees to provide shade. Particularly in the dry season, the area can become very hot and arid during the day, chasing people back to their cars and villages. But all that is about to change. 

A Shade Better: AstraZeneca Program Targets Tree Cover Density  

In February 2023, a joint tree-planting program kicked off in Cepit sub-village, where Banyunibo is located. Implemented by AstraZeneca and with support from Trees4Trees, the program will expand tree cover and provide more shade at the site.  

AstraZeneca Indonesia is working to deliver social and economic benefits to the local community, as part of an overarching goal to improve the environment.

AstraZeneca Indonesia's top management volunteering at the tree-planting event, including Se Whan Chon, Country President (fifth from the left); and Rizwan Abudaeri, Director of Market Access, Government Affairs and Regulatory Affairs (fifth from the right)
(Above) AstraZeneca Indonesia’s top management volunteering at the tree-planting event, including Se Whan Chon, Country President (fifth from the left); and Rizwan Abudaeri, Director of Market Access, Government Affairs and Regulatory Affairs (fifth from the right)

Providing Benefits for People and Nature 

The program provided a number of benefits to the local environment: restoring bare land, increasing water availability, supporting biodiversity, and mitigating environmental problems in various locations.

“The tree-planting event also included the riverbanks,” says Novita, Assistant Planning Manager at Trees4Trees. She explains that the trees planted will protect the rivers from erosion. “They will also increase rainwater absorption in the ground, preventing rainwater from flowing directly into the river,” she added.  

The program chose trees that will benefit communities. Species like mahogany, teak, damar, and trembesi, provide shade, support water availability, and produce a vast amount of oxygen; while fruit trees such as avocado, durian, and sapodilla can offer a source of income to local enterprises. 

(Above) Ms. Belinda Aw, Cluster Procurement Manager at AstraZeneca Singapore & Indonesia, plants a tree with the help of a Trees4Trees forester.
(Above) Ms. Belinda Aw, Cluster Procurement Manager at AstraZeneca Singapore & Indonesia, plants a tree with the help of a Trees4Trees forester.

The Program in Numbers  

The program involved many different people, working together to provide a range of environmental and social benefits, while also raising awareness in local communities about the importance of trees. 

  • 260 trees planted 
  • 2,500 square meters of land 
  • 500 volunteers from AstraZeneca Indonesia 
  • 25 groups, led by 18 experts from Trees4Trees 
  • 3 local communities 

“We hope everyone will benefit from the trees we have planted in this area,” says Novita. “Especially the local communities in the village, who can enjoy the shade provided by the trees and the oxygen they provide.,” Trees planted during the project will grow to provide shade for the temple, ecosystem benefits for the surrounding area, and livelihood opportunities for the people who live and work here. 

AstraZeneca Program : member of the Trees4trees planting team
Members of the Trees4Trees planting team

In the fertile heartland of Java, history and traditions run deep. Banyunibo is a symbol of this proud heritage. In the local language, the temple’s name means ‘dripping water’. With every drop of sweat shed during the recent tree-planting program, and every drop of rain that falls from now on, a forest will spring up around the temple; a living monument to the power of cooperation, shading the temple and its visitors for generations to come. 

For more information, and to find out how Trees4Trees is working together with AstraZeneca to restore forests around Indonesia, visit our website. 

Regreening Jakarta’s Concrete Jungle through Urban Forestry

Regreening Jakarta’s Concrete Jungle
With support from Microsoft, and in collaboration with local farmers, schools, and communities, Trees4Trees will continue replanting urban areas around Jakarta.

In terms of urban area, Jakarta is the second biggest city in the world. And it’s still growing; areas on the outskirts are quickly swallowed by the urban sprawl, and the increasing number of industrial centers is already having an environmental impact. But in the satellite towns of Bekasi and Karawang, locals are finding ways to push back against the concrete tide: by planting more trees. 

Replanting urban forests offers all kinds of benefits. Trees combat pollution and lower temperatures. They provide habitats for animals and livelihoods for people. They filter drinking water, protect against flooding and prevent soil erosion. On a larger scale, urban forests are proven to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change by sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.  

Going Green in Greenland: Trees4Trees’ Replanting Program   

Recognizing the importance of urban forests, and with support from Microsoft and One Tree Planted, Trees4Trees kicked off a tree-planting initiative in the Greenland International Industrial Center (GIIC) in Bekasi and the Karawang International Industrial Center (KIIC) in Karawang. The program, which began in November 2022, has already covered an area of 25 hectares.  

Regreening Jakarta’s Concrete Jungle
(Above) Since November 2022, Trees4Trees has planted 17,778 new trees around Bekasi and Karawang

“With this project, our goal is to plant 25,000 trees in GIIC and KIIC,” explains Anto Wartono, Planning Manager at Trees4Trees. “We hope these trees will soon grow into urban forests.”  

According to Anto, Trees4Trees has already planted 17,778 trees around GIIC and KIIC. Around 8,000 more trees are expected to be planted in the area over the next few weeks.  

The program actually went beyond planting. To raise public awareness about the importance of green spaces in urban areas, Trees4Trees engaged with local women farmers and ran an environmental campaign in local schools and communities.  

Rehabilitating the Riverbanks 

One of the main goals of the project is to restore areas around rivers. In recent years, the riverbanks have been eroding away due to land conversion. Trees4Trees focused on areas either side of the Cipamingkis and Cikalapa rivers, which flow through the GIIC area in Bekasi and the KIIC in Karawang, respectively.   

Regreening Jakarta’s Concrete Jungle
(Above) The Cipamingkis River in Bekasi, where Trees4Trees has been active recently

In Jakarta, temporary shelters are a common sight on the city’s riverbanks. During the rainy season, rising water levels can lead to floods and landslides. Adding trees to the banks of rivers is an effective defense against these dangers. 

“Many riverbanks have been converted into residential areas and semi-permanent buildings,” says Anto, who has experienced plenty of obstacles to urban planting. “Unlike in rural areas, planting trees in urban areas is more challenging – there are only a few spaces we can use as green areas.”    

Greening Industrial Areas, Supporting Farmers 

The process of urbanization and land conversion is also squeezing farmers off their land. As part of the urban forest project, Trees4Trees has been working with displaced farmers, helping them establish plantations in the newly reforested areas. By planting trees with high economic value – like durian, avocado, and caqui – we are helping devise new and sustainable ways to support local livelihoods. 

“We have planted 3,085 trees in two villages around KIIC, Puseurjaya and Margamulya village,” says Anto. “While in the GIIC buffer zone, we have planted 2,300 trees in Pasirtanjung village by involving local farmers,” he added.   

Preserving Biodiversity  

Trees4Trees’ work in KIIC also covered the Telaga Desa conservation area; an educational park that provides a precious green oasis in Karawang. As part of the project, more than 3,000 trees were planted here. Trees species chosen for this purpose included kemang (white mango), buni (currant), pulai (blackboard tree), mundu (yellow mangosteen), genitri (rudraksha), puspa (needlewood), and gandaria (mango plum).  

Regreening Jakarta’s Concrete Jungle
(Above) Microsoft’s Gavin Hodge (left) helps plant trees in the GIIC in Bekasi

“These trees will grow 20 meters high in 5 years,” explains Gavin Hodge, the DCD Project Manager at Microsoft. He joined the activity in GIIC and KIIC area as a volunteer tree planter, and believes this project will offer a range of benefits. “(It’s) going to protect our environment and improve the estate, while also improving the situation for the community. So it’s good that Microsoft can be a part of it.” 

With support from Microsoft, and in collaboration with local farmers, schools, and communities, Trees4Trees will continue replanting urban areas around Jakarta. Every sapling holds enormous potential. In time, they could change the landscape in one of the world’s biggest urban areas.   

To find out more about our ongoing replanting programs, and to see how you can help, visit devtrees4trees.portopaper.com.  

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Editor: Christopher Alexander