Woman greens E. Java mountains<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Titik Tarwati will never forget the moment she was officially
\ntold she had won this year's Kalpataru Award for conservation.<\/p>\n
The news was even more meaningful because she was the only
\nwoman to receive the prestigious environmental award from the
\ncentral government.<\/p>\n
"I felt honored and convinced that my (conservation) efforts
\nwere recognized. I thought the other nominees had better
\nchances," said Titik, who has worked at the Bondowoso, East Java,
\nregional forestry office since 1989.<\/p>\n
Titik received the award on June 5, 2003, in conjunction with
\nWorld Environment Day. Her outstanding service involves greening
\nor "rehabilitating" land in mountains in Bondowoso.<\/p>\n
The award was presented by President Megawati Soekarnoputri at
\nJakarta's National Monument (Monas) compound.<\/p>\n
The modest woman said the award had also allowed her to tour
\nJakarta and stay in a luxury hotel for the first time.<\/p>\n
"Jakarta is very big and I'm happy to be here on such an
\nimportant occasion. I admire the tall and glittering buildings.
\nBefore then I only saw them on TV."<\/p>\n
Titik was nominated in the same category last year but did not
\nwin.<\/p>\n
Titik is the third Kalpataru recipient from Bondowoso.<\/p>\n
She vowed to continue her work.<\/p>\n
"I love my job and I will keep going with or without the
\naward."<\/p>\n
Titik's initial duty in 1989 was to rehabilitate land in Cerme
\nsubdistrict, where she invited men to plant trees on their land
\nplots as part of a pilot reforestation project.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the plan failed when the men's wives became
\njealous.<\/p>\n
"It was not easy to encourage people to plant trees although
\nour intentions were noble: to save the lives of people from
\nnatural disasters like floods and landslides and to revive dead
\nwater springs," she said.<\/p>\n
The failure made her realize she had to employ other tactics
\nto make villagers plant trees on their land.<\/p>\n
In 1992, she provided the villagers with seedlings she had
\nbought with her own money.<\/p>\n
However, people were reluctant to collect the seedlings from
\nTitik for a number of reasons. They did not believe the trees
\nwould give them any economic benefit and others feared that
\nplanting trees on their land would invoke mythical giant snakes.<\/p>\n
Titik then approached community leaders and wife associations,
\nincluding the Family Welfare Movement (PKK), to seek support in
\npromoting her work.<\/p>\n
More and more community leaders became interested in her
\ncampaign, gaining acceptance among the wider public.<\/p>\n
She recalled planting trees on a dangerous slope near a house
\nwith the aim of preventing potentially fatal landslides in the
\nrainy season.<\/p>\n
The home owner initially destroyed the trees that Titik
\nplanted, but with advice from his wife and local leaders, the man
\neventually accepted Titik's idea.<\/p>\n
"Between 1989 and 1994 was my hardest time as I lacked
\nexperience to do my job. But I kept going, believing that what I
\ndid would benefit the public," she said.<\/p>\n
After working on contract from 1989 Titik became a full-time
\ncivil servant in 1994 at the Bondowoso forestry office in charge
\nof forestry in Tlogosari, Kembang, Pakisan, Sulek, Trotosari and
\nJebonglor villages.<\/p>\n
Her dedication has been acknowledged as having helped improve
\nthe welfare of local people.<\/p>\n
The improved condition of the land, income from the sales of
\nbamboo and other plants, the return of springs, and decreased
\nland erosion are among the benefits that locals attribute to
\nTitik's work.<\/p>\n
Titik wants to follow in the steps of her idol, artist Ully
\nSigar Rusady, in her conservation campaign.<\/p>\n
"Of course I can't do all the things Ully does but I will do
\nit my way," she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/woman-greens-e-java-mountains-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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