Bogor Botanical Gardens develops experience-based tourism
Bogor Botanical Gardens is developing an experience-based tourism concept that invites visitors to learn about plants and the environment through a range of educational activities and hands-on practice.
General Manager Corporate Communication of PT Mitra Natura Raya, Zaenal Arifin, said in Bogor, West Java, on Monday that the concept was developed to broaden the function of the botanical garden as a space for public interaction with nature.
“A botanical garden is not only a place to see and enjoy plant collections. Here the public can also learn and interact directly with plants through various activities,” Zaenal said.
According to him, the experience is expected to provide knowledge while increasing public awareness of plant conservation.
Bogor Botanical Gardens offers a number of educational classes, including compost making, fruit plant propagation or grafting, fruit plants in pots (tabulampot), kokedama, Nepenthes, terrariums, Platycerium, tissue culture, Oshibana, and ecoprint.
In these activities, participants not only receive material about plants but also carry out practice with the assistance of facilitators.
Zaenal explained that the experience-based approach makes the learning process about plants closer to everyday life.
Visitors, he said, can learn first-hand the process of propagating and caring for plants and turning them into creative products.
“When someone is directly involved in a process, their learning experience will be different. That is why we designed these classes so that participants not only receive information but also try and produce something from the process,” he said.
One of the activities developed is Oshibana, the art of creating works using flowers and leaves that have been dried using a pressing technique.
In the class, participants learn the basic techniques of Oshibana and then practise them using plant materials that have been provided.
The name Oshibana comes from Japanese, with oshi meaning pressed and bana meaning flower. Dried flowers and leaves are then arranged into works of art while maintaining their natural shape and colour.
The activity is also used to train creativity, precision, focus, and patience in arranging plant materials into a composition.
Zaenal said the educational programme is open to various community groups, from children, families, and students to university students and communities.
A similar concept is also applied at other botanical gardens managed by PT Mitra Natura Raya as a strategic partner of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), with programmes tailored to the characteristics and plant collections of each botanical garden.
According to Zaenal, the development of these activities is expected to make public visits to botanical gardens not only a recreational activity but also an opportunity to learn about biodiversity and understand the importance of conservation.
“Ultimately, we want the public to leave the Botanical Gardens not only carrying photos or handmade works but also carrying new knowledge and experiences about plants,” Zaenal said.
One participant in the Oshibana class, Aurora (15), said she gained a new experience in flower processing after taking part in the activity.
“I also like visual arts and flower aesthetics. After attending this educational class, I now know how to arrange and preserve flowers using the Oshibana technique,” she said.
Another participant, Arsyad, said the activity could be a means of developing creativity while training patience.
“Oshibana art is unique and different from ordinary handicrafts. After attending this class, I now know how to make Oshibana. Besides that, the benefit I felt most was training patience,” he said.