Botanical Gardens broke, less frequented

Botanical Gardens broke, less frequented

By Sapto HP

JAKARTA (Antara): At 182 years old, Asia's oldest botanical garden is groaning in pain due to the merciless economic crisis.

As Bogor Botanical Gardens, about 60 kilometers south of here, celebrated its birthday on May 18, its coffers stand drained because visits have drastically dropped since the crisis began to strangle the country in July 1999. Visitors account for its largest source of income.

Statistics show that visitations have dropped by up to 30 percent since the crisis broke out. The 80-hectare garden located at the heart of Bogor is a popular recreational place and shooting location for TV soap operas.

Meanwhile, the steep depreciation of rupiah against the U.S. dollar has jacked up operational costs. A small example is the cost of a grass cutter which has soared by 300 percent. The sharp increase in operational costs has forced the management to maximize the use of old equipment and facilities.

"The lowest rank and file are the hardest hit because their income depends on the number of visitors," says the botanical garden's chief Dedi Darnaedi.

The cut in the state budget has also affected the garden's researchers, all from the Jakarta-based Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). Research activities in the forests of Kalimantan, Irian Jaya and Sumatra are affected.

"But their working spirit to explore plants in the garden is still aflame," Dedi claims.

Lack of funds has forced the garden's management to celebrate this year's anniversary in a modest fashion. There was neither seminars nor dangdut music for Bogor folks.

"We gathered for a quite decent meal to please the employees," Dedi said.

Since it was founded in 1868, the Bogor Botanical Garden has always been proud of having scientists with unquestionable commitment to maintain its biodiversity.

Among the notable names are Japanese T. Nakai and Kanihera, who were assigned by the Japanese occupation troops in 1941 to oversee the garden which was then called the Botanic and Herbarium Garden.

The two scientists were remembered for their courage to refuse the Japanese colonial administration's plan to cut trees in the garden for military purposes.

"We hope that anyone in power will have the commitment to maintain the garden," says Dedi, the eighth Indonesian, or the 23rd since it was founded, who has led the botanical garden.

Researchers say that Nakai and Kanihera's determination to maintain the garden has inspired them to keep working despite the crisis.

In honor of the garden's researchers, many new species they discovered have been named after them. At present, at least 70 plants bear the name of Indonesian researchers. For example, a species discovered by Dedi which is endemic to Central Sulawesi was given a scientific name of lecanopteris darnaedii hennipman.

The use of scientists' name in the terminology for the species they discovered is said to have greatly motivated the researchers to conduct new studies.

Scarce funding for research purposes have made researchers turn to the private sector for cooperation. In the past, such collaboration was established with the oil company Caltex to explore plants in forests in Riau. A lot of new species were found in the project.

Some researchers keep their spirits high despite the crisis. Quite recently, they published reports on their findings about plants they studied at the Bogor Botanical Garden.

The two reports are Koleksi Anggrek Kebun Raya Bogor (Orchid Collection of Bogor Botanical Garden) and Koleksi Palem Kebun Raya Bogor (Palm Collection of Bogor Botanical Garden).

It is this undampened spirit which has made it possible for researchers to complete the preparation of a blue print for a 200-hectare botanical garden in Jambi.

The Bogor Botanical Garden has so far served as the "headquarters" of other such gardens elsewhere in Indonesia, which include Cibodas in West Java, Purwodadi in Central Java, and Eka Karya in Bali.

The government will build more in Jambi, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Wamena in Irian Jaya and Bengkulu,

The Bogor Botanical Garden was opened on May 18, 1817, by the Dutch administration as part of its commitment to develop science in its colony now known as Indonesia.

It was scientist Carl Reindwardt who proposed the development of a botanical garden in Bogor to the East Indies governor Baron van der Capellen. It was meant as a research center for plants of high economic value and to conduct scientific research.

Reindwardt brought in plants from overseas and grew them there. He was replaced by Teysman, who had no formal education but was highly committed to develop the garden. Under his leadership, the botanical garden was rearranged and beautified.

Tyesman is remembered as the one who took over the garden's management from the Dutch military control.

The first Indonesian to lead the garden's management was Sudjana Kasan in 1956. At present, the garden is managed by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences.