By: Natalia Trita Agnika

Volunteers of Panda Mobile are the frontline of Panda Mobile in conveying WWF-Indonesia's conservation efforts. They are the ones who will explain and assist the students or the public who are the segment of this educational truck activity. Therefore, the volunteers are expected to have sufficient knowledge and skills.

In this regard, several Panda Mobile volunteers along with teams from Panda Mobile and Bumi Panda underwent training on Friday (27/11). The activity took place at the Ciliwung Tea Plantation, Puncak Bogor. Directly, they were invited to see the location of conservation work carried out by WWF-Indonesia, namely the tree planting site for the MyBabyTree program..

Along the way to the tree planting site, the volunteers received explanations from Tri Wibawanto and Saipul Hidayat Siagian from WWF-Indonesia about various information about the environment. Usually the volunteers get knowledge in the form of theory. But on that occasion, they got knowledge directly in the field. The facilitators explained the importance of trees for life and the benefits of forests for life around them. Volunteers observed biodiversity in an observation box in forest and plantation areas.

One of the media Panda Mobile uses to explain about the earth is a transparent glass jar containing soil, plants, and some small animals. The jar was sealed with plastic. Volunteers were asked questions about how long the plants and animals in the jar would survive. A lively discussion ensued and the conclusions from the activity became the basis for the volunteers to provide explanations for students who will take part in activities in Panda Mobile's education truck.

The volunteers got information about wildlife in the forest by observing animals in the Telaga Warna Nature Reserve area. They can see eagles flying freely in the sky, listen to the sound of surili, and observe various small animals and microorganisms that are there. The volunteers also witnessed the condition of water quality in the Upper Cliwung Sub-watershed. They checked the quality of the river water using bioindicators, which are living things that exist in the river ecosystem.

Training in the field is an interesting method for Panda Mobile volunteers to enrich information about conservation. "We plan to conduct this kind of training regularly so that the volunteers can better understand the conditions in the field," said Primayunta, Supporter Engagement WWF-Indonesia.