Abstract
The degradation of biodiversity, especially the decline of plant species endemic to Indonesia, poses a serious threat to environmental sustainability and national food security. In the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been designed in implementing the development of the welfare of the people's lives, especially in life on land. The problem of tree cultivation today deserves attention. Various environmental pressures cause ecosystems to be disrupted. By using descriptive qualitative, the researcher can provide an overview of the condition of endemic trees handled by Taruna Nusantara SHS since 1990 with the "Abang Kakak Pohon" program. In the program, generations to generations are involved in nurturing each seed until it grows strong. The planting of endemic trees uses 60% of the land of Taruna Nusantara SHS with a total of 128 types planted throughout the area. This activity shows efforts to cultivate endemic plants by using the land of Taruna Nusantara SHS like a Conservation School. Students of Taruna Nusantara High School often carry out outdoor activities that include biological knowledge. In line with the national conservation program that emphasizes the importance of preserving endemic flora as part of the nation's biological heritage by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Conservation Schools require development between educational institutions, the government, and with the public to follow up on broader conservation. Another benefit of this Conservation School is also to educate the younger generation who are sensitive to the sustainable content of the environment. Taruna Nusantara SHS also has thousands of endemic plant seedlings that are donated to the communities which also focuses on preserving cultural, spiritual, and environmental values to spread them to all parts of Indonesia. The growing collaboration between the Conservation School and the community that wants to preserve endemic trees shows the efforts, contributions and success of Taruna Nusantara SHS in preserving endemic trees in Indonesia.
Keywords: Endemic, Trees, Conservation School
INTRODUCTION
In 2015, the UN General Assembly agreed on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which introduced 17 global goals known as the SDGs. One of these goals focuses on protecting life on land. But today, trees are facing many problems due to climate change and environmental damage. Soil is losing its nutrients, temperatures are rising, and local tree species are disappearing. These issues affect not only forests but also the balance of nature and food supply. In Indonesia, tree damage is often caused by dry weather, pests, diseases, and land being turned into houses or factories.
One of the biggest threats to trees, especially local or rare ones, is deforestation and the lack of awareness about their importance. To help with this, some schools are stepping in to support conservation efforts. Taruna Nusantara Senior High School is one example. The school has made environmental care part of both its lessons and student activities. Around 60% of its 24 hectare campus is used to grow trees 147 different species and 731 trees in total. Each one is planted and taken care of with purpose. By learning through hands-on activities like planting and caring for trees, students are helping to protect Indonesia’s unique tree species.
Picture 1.1 Data of trees that are planted in Taruna Nusantara SHS until now
Source: Taruna Nusantara Senior High School Magelang
- ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Baca juga : Peringat A, Telkom Raih Penghargaan ESG Sustainability Ratings 2025
1.A Endemic Tree Problems in Indonesia
Indonesian endemic trees are biological resources that only grow in certain regions and are not found anywhere else in the world. However, its existence is now threatened due to various factors such as land conversion, deforestation, the use of chemicals in agriculture, and the invasion of foreign species (Setyawati et al., 2021). In addition, climate change also worsens the condition of tree growth by affecting rainfall, temperature, and seasonal patterns. As a result, the productivity and sustainability of endemic tree species are declining, and some of them have even been included in the category of endangered according to the IUCN (Sari & Pranoto, 2019).
1.B Tree Conservation Efforts: An SDGs Perspective
Tree conservation efforts are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially goal 15: Life on Land. The government through the Ministry of Environment and Forestry has established the National Plant Conservation Strategy and Action Plan 2020–2025 which includes mapping conservation areas, germplasm conservation, and community and educational institution involvement (KLHK, 2022). Tree conservation is not only the responsibility of the state, but it also requires collaboration across sectors, including educational institutions and local communities.
1.C Taruna Nusantara High School as a Conservation School
Taruna Nusantara SHS is one of the leading schools that has played an active role as a Conservation School since 1990. This school has excellent programs in the conservation of rare trees through planting, tree care, and endemic tree nurseries in the school environment. This activity is not only symbolic, but is carried out in a sustainable manner and integrated into the curriculum and extracurriculars. Students are involved in the "Abang Kakak Pohon" program where they are responsible for caring for certain trees from the time of seedling until they grow strong. In addition to focusing on the care of each tree, Taruna Nusantara SHS also has endemic tree seedlings that are distributed to the community that focuses on preservation and cultivation. Not only that, high ranking officials are also helping by actions of this conservation such as from planting actions by Pak Soeharto, Bu Tien Soeharto, Pak Jokowi, Pak Prabowo, to handover of donation plants by Pak Ganjar. This effort makes Taruna Nusantara SHS a concrete example of how educational institutions can be agents of change in the preservation of biodiversity.
Baca juga : Pertamina NRE Raih Gold Rating Di Asia Sustainability Reporting Rating 2024
Picture 1.Ca Students from Taruna Nusantara SHS running the “Abang Kakak Pohon” program
Source: Taruna Nusantara Senior High Sschool Magelang
Picture 1.Cb Handover of saplings between Taruna Nusantara SHS and the Mahajava Community
Source: Taruna Nusantara Senior High School Magelang
Picture 1.Cc Handover of saplings between Mahajava Community and the society of Borobudur
Source: Taruna Nusantara Senior High School Magelang
Baca juga : Peruri Raih Peringkat Silver Pada Penilaian Asia Sustainability Reporting Rating 2024
Picture 1.Cd Former Head Staff of the Indonesian Military, General Budiman planted Sawo Kecik plant in Taruna Nusantara SHS Magelang
Source: Taruna Nusantara Senior High School Magelang
CONCLUSION
Conclusion based on the results of the studies and discussions that have been carried out, it can be concluded that the problem of endemic trees in Indonesia is very closely related to environmental degradation. Taruna Nusantara SHS has shown and is used as a model into building a conservation area including taking proactive actions as an effort to start a difference. As trees as an important component of the ecosystem are not only threatened but also affect the overall balance of nature. Therefore, efforts to preserve trees, especially endemic trees, are very important in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the 15th goal on Life on Land.
Taruna Nusantara SHS has shown an active role in environmental conservation through various programs such as planting, care, nursing, and caring for endemic trees since 1990. This activity proves that educational institutions can be the driving force in efforts to preserve biodiversity and form an environmentally conscious young generation. Collaboration between schools, governments, and communities needs to be continuously improved to create a sustainable conservation system with long-term impact.
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