1,000 trees planted to observe Earth Day

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A number of environmental non-governmental organizations (NGO) gathered on Saturday to plant 1,129 trees in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, in celebration of Earth Day, which fell on Wednesday.

The event was held by a number of NGOs, such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Indonesian Waste Forum, the Environmentalist Farmer Group Sangga Buana and Clean Air Aware Generation.

The celebration was opened by the wife of the district head of Cilandak, South Jakarta, Sanusi Machmud, as the deputy governor who was expected to inaugurate it could not attend. Officers from the City Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) and the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) also were unable to attend the event.

Some of the trees had been donated by the Ministry of Forestry, the Java-Madura Forest Plant Seedling Center, the City Park Agency, the Farming and Forestry Agency and the Ciliwung river area center.

In addition to planting trees, a drawing competition as well as a cross country walk and run were held.

The theme was "Nature is not our heritage, it belongs to our next generation."

The activities, however, ended on a sad note as litter was scattered everywhere at the site, showing that the main message of Earth Day had failed to make an impression on guests, participants and even organizers.

Not one garbage bin had been provided, either near the stage where most of the guests had gathered, at the location of the drawing competition or along the pathway for the cross country run.

As a result, peanut shells, empty water bottles, wrappers and plastic bags littered the ground.

The cross country walk and run along the Pesanggrahan riverbanks involved about 20 participants aged between 15 and 61 years, said Nurina, the chief organizing officer. Most were students.

The total distance of the run was about three kilometers.

The path led participants to areas which were still green and natural. Several participants said they were surprised to know there were still some green areas in a city like Jakarta.

Eighteen children participated in the drawing and coloring competition.