JP\/20\/BARDI<\/p>\n
Bardi, committed regreening activist<\/p>\n
People just call him Bardi. As a field forestry counselor, he has
\nan impressive record of achievement as an environmentalist under
\nhis belt.<\/p>\n
Since he was first assigned to Sedayu district, Bantul,
\nYogyakarta, in 1988, he has successfully regreened 382 hectares
\nof barren, hilly land in four villages: Argodadi, Argorejo,
\nArgomulyo and Argosari.<\/p>\n
This has now become a forest that produces economic benefit
\nfor local people. He has done much else to improve the
\nenvironment. That is why he received the Kalpataru, the highest
\naward for environmentalists in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I really appreciate this,\" he said about the award he
\nreceived personally from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at
\nCipanas Palace, West Java, on June 6. For Bardi, 48, the award
\nwas encouragement to do more to improve the environment. \"In
\nfuture, I must try to regreen areas outside Sedayu district,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
As Bardi's home village, Dingkikan, Sedayu district, is an
\narid place, his father, then the head of a farmers' group, was
\nassigned to regreen the hilly parts of the barren village. Bardi,
\nthen a teenager, helped his father in the regreening drive. He
\ntook seedlings and planted them there.<\/p>\n
Regreening seems to have become a challenge that Bardi has
\ntaken on in life. After completing his studies at a technical
\nsenior high school in 1981, he enrolled as a regreening field
\nofficer and was accepted.<\/p>\n
After the completion of training, he began to work, moving
\nfrom one district to another in Bantul regency. In 1988 he was
\ntransferred to Sedayu district, his home village, and has since
\nbeen assigned there.<\/p>\n
Bardi's enthusiasm to regreen his home village grew because of
\nthe many critical plots of land there. \"What my dad did in the
\npast always inspired me in my regreening activities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
As a field officer, Bardi goes round the village. He meets
\nfarmers working in their paddy fields or attends meetings
\norganized by groups of farmers, each time providing them with
\ninformation about the importance of terracing and the benefits of
\nregreening.<\/p>\n
He never talks down to them; instead, he simply encourages
\nthem to undertake regreening. He employs a counseling method that
\nencourages participation of the groups of farmers, who eventually
\ndraw up their own work plans.<\/p>\n
Of course, Bardi has had to work extra-hard to bring the
\nfarmers round to his regreening ideas. The meetings are usually
\nheld at night because during the day villagers work either as
\nfarmers or on construction sites.<\/p>\n
Dedication bears fruit<\/p>\n
Very often, therefore, Bardi has to work overtime.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, there is no overtime pay. \"As this is part of
\nmy job, I have to set aside time in the evening to attend these
\nmeetings,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bardi also needs to use his own money to do his job properly.
\nHe travels around the village on an office motorcycle. As this
\nhas a two-stroke engine, it consumes a lot of gasoline.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately for him as he is a low-ranking civil servant, he
\nhas to buy his own gasoline and pay the vehicle tax. Bardi is the
\nonly field forestry officer in Sedayu, a district of more than
\n3,000 hectares.<\/p>\n
Thanks to his great enthusiasm and dedication, the arid areas
\nin Sedayu have gradually turned green, as mahogany, sengon, teak,
\ncoconut, Gnetum gnemon trees, acacias and many other tree species
\nhave grown well there.<\/p>\n
Locals can sell the wood from some of these trees. \"Pak Bardi
\nhas done much for the locals,\" said Abdul Fatah Maksum, chairman
\nof the Ginanjar group of farmers from Kepuhan village, Argorejo,
\nSedayu. Maksum also said that it was Bardi who had brought the
\nKepuhan villagers mahogany seedlings.<\/p>\n
Apart from his success in regreening critical plots of land,
\nBardi has also successfully encouraged locals to preserve a kind
\nof edible tuber. Back in 1985, the New Order government urged
\nthat locals replace this plant with other more useful plants,
\ncausing it almost to disappear.<\/p>\n
To ensure that the plots of land would again be effective,
\nBardi encouraged locals to replant garut (a kind of tuber). This
\nplant is suitable for regreening purposes as it can grow well
\nunder other trees planted in the reforestation program.<\/p>\n
Sedayu now boasts 75 hectares where garut grows. The plant has
\nturned out to be economically beneficial to locals. Atmo Suyud, a
\nfarmer in Kadibeso village, Argodadi, Sedayu, said in a year he
\ncould harvest 150 kilograms of garut. When processed into emping
\n(deep-fried chips), every five kg of garut could produce one kg
\nof emping.<\/p>\n
This means that Atmo can produce 30 kg per year from his garut
\nharvest. One kg can be sold for Rp 16,000. Each harvest, Atmo can
\nearn about Rp 480,000.<\/p>\n
Garut is also a prime product for the Mekar Sari group in
\nSongapan village, Argodadi, Sedayu. The group produces food made
\nfrom garut, which is then sold in big shops.<\/p>\n
A[art from regreening barren, hilly areas, Bardi has also
\nencouraged villagers to preserve water resources in the district
\nwhere he works.<\/p>\n
He successfully mobilized villagers to regreen the area around
\na cave where there is a water resource in Argorejo village. Bardi
\nand the villagers have also sunk five absorption wells and built
\na water control dam.<\/p>\n
Despite his many achievements, Bardi has never said they are
\nthe result of his own hard work. \"I have not done all this by
\nmyself. I have achieved these things in cooperation with my
\nfarmer group colleagues,\" he said, modestly.<\/p>\n
Bardi can be seen as a role model for civil servants across
\nIndonesia. Low pay does not necessarily mean working as little as
\npossible: Bardi's achievements in the community for which he
\nworks are living proof of that.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp20bardi-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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