6000 trees for Sebangau National Park

By: Sahiri Loing
Global warming is a threat that is increasingly felt today. The heat trapped by the greenhouse effect has disturbed the ecological order of the earth, which is not impossible to cause permanent damage in the future. And what makes it even more troubling is: humans are largely to blame for global warming.

However, as a bright spot, the doers of the damage can also be the saviors, and the proof was shown on Tuesday 13 September 2011, when Hino Indonesia and PT Hino Motors Manufacturing Indonesia inaugurated their commitment to WWF-Indonesia NEWtrees reforestation program.

Through this partnership scheme, Hino Indonesia will plant 6,000 trees in a 15-hectare area in Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan. If corporations have been seen as the "enemy" of environmental conservation, then the NEWtrees program is a way for corporations like Hino to contribute directly to environmental conservation efforts. But why this area in particular?

""Kalimantan is a province rich in natural resources,"" said Toshiro Mizutani, President Director of Pt. Hino Motor Sales Indonesia. ""There are many mining activities carried out on this island. To reduce threats to the environment, Hino is working with WWF to help implement efforts to protect and preserve Kalimantan's ecosystems."

Sebangau National Park itself was chosen by NEW trees to be the planting location because the conservation area has a large area of peat. Peat has a high CO2 content so its sustainability needs to be maintained to reduce the impact of climate change. In addition, Sebangau is also one of the homes of the Orang Utan population which must be preserved to prevent extinction.

This activity is in line with the spirit of the ""2015 Environment Initiative Plan"" launched by Hino Motors Limited Japan, which has a mission to reduce the impact of activities that damage the earth. ""This is indeed part of our company policy,"" said Mrs. J. Ralhan, Director of PT Hino Motors Manufacturing Indonesia. ""And we are happy to continue our partnership with WWF. We are very excited to do this NEWtrees program in Kalimantan because Hino has often done excavation activities there, and so this is our way to try to give back to the community.""