Science Club is extraordinary club
Science Club is extraordinary club
By Stevie Emilia
JAKARTA (JP): The Biological Science Club, which has been in the news with the kidnapping of four of its members while on a scientific expedition in Irian Jaya, is anything but a club.
In the opinion of its executive director, Yuda N. Laman, the word "club" has somewhat become a liability, although the group is now stuck with the name it was christened with in 1969.
"We find the use of the word 'club' slightly disturbing in the organization," Yuda told The Jakarta Post.
Most people who have no knowledge of the organization tend to associate it with clubs for nature lovers, he said.
But because it has promoted environmental conservation throughout its 27-year history, the group is now recognized by the government, financial sponsors, non-governmental organizations and local communities it has worked with, as an organization which aims to benefit the science world as well as the community.
Due to the scientific nature of its activities and because its community work has been targeted at specific groups, the club was relatively unknown to the public.
Until a few weeks ago.
The club and its activities were thrust into the limelight when members of its flora and fauna expedition in the Lorentz nature reserve in Irian Jaya were kidnapped by local separatist rebels.
There had been suggestions earlier that they were kidnapped because the expedition was trampling on areas regarded sacred by the local people. This however was not the case, and the motivation of the rebels was purely political.
Yuda said his club's concerns include the over-exploitation of natural resources, environmental damage, pollution and commercial utilization of rare plants and animals.
"We always involve local communities in our work," he said.
The club provides a channel for biologists to reach grassroot communities.
The organization's members spare the local people the technical complexity of biology, he said. "Rather, we try to enlighten them about the benefits of biology in their lives and in their environment."
The club was founded on Sept. 9, 1969, by biology students at the Nasional University in Jakarta. By 1992, it had acquired members and interests beyond the campus and decided to function on its own, although its office on Jl. H. Noor is still close to the university.
Now the club, which boasts 600 members, has several working groups which reflect the range of its interests and activities: etnobotany, agroforestry and social forestry, wildlife and ecology, pollution and hornbills. The members include 72 professional and experienced researchers.
As a non-governmental organization, the club's goal is to conduct field research for the benefit and development of local communities and the population at large.
Yuda expressed the importance of involving local people in every project which relates to the environment.
"Some environmental damage is caused by local people. For instance, they hunt rare animals or steal wood from conservation areas. But we can't blame them entirely. They do that because of their socioeconomic condition," he said.
Rather than looking for scapegoats, club members study the problems facing local communities. "Then we help them find alternative ways of finding food."
One such project the organization is currently involved is in the Gunung Halimun National Park in West Java, a joint pilot project with the University of Indonesia and Wildlife Preservation Trust International.
"We plan to expand the Halimun area into a tourism destination where the local people can earn a livelihood by selling handicrafts," Yuda said. The plan is expected to bear fruit in 1998.
The club had planned to do the same in the Lorentz reserve and at the time of the abduction the expedition was making a preliminary study about the plants and animals in the reserve.
"The Lorentz area includes one of the most complete ecosystems in the Asia-Pacific region and in the world. It's important that we maintain its natural resources," Yuda said.