Badiman brings orchid back to light<\/p>\n
Bambang M., Contributor, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Indigenous to a forest located on the southern slope of Mount
\nMerapi, the pandanus orchid has been rarely spotted in its
\nnatural habitat. However, the pandanus is back for people to
\nadore largely due to the efforts of one man, Badiman.<\/p>\n
With white petals dappled pink, the pandanus orchid (Vanda
\ntricolor lindl) was displayed at the exhibition last month thanks
\nto Badiman, a 25-year-old man from Ngrangkah hamlet in
\nCangkringan, Sleman.<\/p>\n
His efforts and achievements in bringing back the orchid --
\nnow rarely seen in its natural habitat due to volcanic eruptions
\nor because of visitors to the forest, who often take them as
\nsouvenirs -- have been recognized through various environmental
\nawards. Badiman was recently awarded the first environmental
\npioneer award by Sleman regency, and in July, he also received an
\naward from Director General Adi Susmianto of the Forest
\nProtection and Nature Conservancy (PHKA).<\/p>\n
\"Receiving the awards don't surprise me. The most important
\nconsequence of these awards is that I have made many new friends
\nbecause of the many people who have come to see the orchid at my
\nhouse,\" said Badiman at his simple house on the southern slope of
\nMt. Merapi.<\/p>\n
\"For a Javanese man like me, friends are like brothers and are
\nmore important than money,\" said the father of two, who
\ncultivated the orchid at his home. As part of his efforts to
\nrevive the orchid, he has returned some 30 orchids to the forest
\nand displayed about 50 orchids at the exhibition.<\/p>\n
His interest in the environment began when he was still a
\nchild. Just like any villager living near the forest, he has
\ntraditional knowledge about the forest, but his concerns for the
\nenvironment grew when he was at junior high school, after he
\nattended a series of workshops organized by the Forest
\nConservation Network (Skephi), an environmental NGO. Later, he
\nwas even involved in a rally which received much coverage,
\nprotesting the construction of a golf course in Cimacan, West
\nJava.<\/p>\n
\"Back then, I was not afraid. Instead, I felt happy joining
\nthe rally,\" Badiman recalled.<\/p>\n
During senior high school, he led a group of friends in
\nprotesting a school policy to raise enrollment fees, which
\nresulted in Badiman and his 47 friends failing to graduate from
\nthe school. \"And I was not a stupid student,\" laughed Badiman,
\nwho then moved to a new school with his friends.<\/p>\n
After graduating, he tried his hand at many odd jobs,
\nincluding a position as a factory worker.<\/p>\n
It was when he joined Skephi in 1990 that he learned about the
\norchid through a magazine. He read that the pandanus orchid of
\nhis hometown came up as the winner in an orchid competition in
\nthe Netherlands, where the orchid was being cultivated. There was
\nonly a single question in his mind upon reading the article: why
\nwas the orchid being cultivated in another country, and not in
\nhis village?<\/p>\n
Feeling homesick and no longer interested in working in
\nglamorous Jakarta, Badiman decided to return to Sleman in 1995
\nand become a cow breeder.<\/p>\n
It was when gathering grass in the forest that Badiman noticed
\nthe absence of the pandanus orchid in the wild. He even traveled
\nto the orchid's main habitat of Plawangan, Turgo forest, in
\nsearch of the orchid, but still could not find it. Instead, he
\nfound most of the area blackened as a result of a 1994 natural
\ndisaster.<\/p>\n
It was then that he heard his calling to save the orchid by
\ncultivating it at home.<\/p>\n
Enlisting the help of several friends, he requested financial
\nassistance from the Natural Resource Conservancy (KSDA) office in
\nYogyakarta, which provided a Rp 2 million grant. With this money,
\nBadiman bought 25 pandanus orchids from his neighbors and the
\nmaterials needed to grow the orchids.<\/p>\n
Badiman explained that it is crucial to make an effort to save
\nthe orchid since in its natural habitat, the orchid does not
\npropagate easily because insects feed on its pollen. Moreover,
\nthe orchid requires large host trees, and such trees are also
\nincreasingly hard to find.<\/p>\n
\"This bad condition is worsened by visitors who like to take
\nthe orchid as souvenirs,\" said Badiman.<\/p>\n
Badiman is patient in his work as it takes a considerable time
\nto grow the orchid. It takes six months for the seed to grow into
\na young orchid, and another five years for the orchid to flower.
\nDuring this period, Badiman must be vigilant about protecting the
\norchid from insects.<\/p>\n
\"I'm really satisfied because I have succeeded,\" Badiman
\nsmiled.<\/p>\n
In addition to Badiman, five other farmers now cultivate the
\npandanus orchid.<\/p>\n
Currently, Badiman has 400 adult orchids and 700 young orchids
\nat his small nursery. \"If someone wants to buy an orchid, I'll
\nsell, but only two or three small orchids,\" said Badiman.<\/p>\n
During the beginning of the rainy season, Badiman has to work
\nharder, separating the small orchids from the adults. \"But I
\ndon't know how I will manage since there's not enough space
\nanymore,\" said Badiman.<\/p>\n
In June, Adi Susminato of PHKA came to visit him, and Badiman
\nused the opportunity to request more funding to expand his
\nfacilities. Five months have gone by, and Badiman has yet to
\nreceive a response.<\/p>\n
Badiman has insisted, however, that he would keep cultivating
\nthe orchids as long as he can. \"In future, I can sell the flowers
\nbecause they're very expensive,\" he said, full of hope.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/badiman-brings-orchid-back-to-light-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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