Celebrating World Rhino Day 2020 by Promoting Community Based Sustainable Conservation Partnership

We celebrated 2020 World Rhino Day today by supporting Way Kambas National Park forest restoration project of Rahayu Jaya Forest Farmer group, supported by International Rhino Foundation.

Way Kambas National Park (TNWK) and the Rahayu Jaya Forest Farmers Group (KTH) marked the World Rhino Day by cementing a conservation partnership for Rawa Kijang ecosystem restoration activities in the National Park through planting rhino forage plants.

This conservation partnership is very special, as the community around the National Park supports the conservation of the Sumatran Rhino by seeking to restore the ecosystem through planting rhino feed and fruits plants in the area usually burnt by annual forest fire. In implementing their activities, the group receive technical assistance from National Park extension officer.

This activity received support from the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia (YABI) and the International Rhino Foundation (IRF). YABI Chairperson Widodo S. Ramono said, “This group has our and the International Rhino Foundation support, in form of assistance for seeding, planting, maintenance and guarding, training, institutional development, and operational funds,”. At the same time, the group designed this activity to be sustainable so that it continues to provide conservation benefits for the national park as well as income benefits for group members and the community.

For each tree adopted and planted, the group plans to produce 4 new seedlings, to be planted in more forest restoration plots. In each tree that is adopted, the largest portion is allocated for producing new seedlings, then for management by group members, as well as cash reserves for producing biodegradable planting material by mothers and the elderly around the national park in order for them to get additional income that can be done at home.

There are 42 types of favorite foods for Sumatran rhinos planned to be grown, including medang (Phoebe hainanensis), puspa (Schima wallichii), and pulai (Alstonia scholaris).

At this celebration, 2020 alumni of SMA Negeri 2 Tangerang Selatan adopted 500 trees, along with other on-the-spot individual donors that will result in 2,400 new seedling to be produced by the group.