By: Vinni Nurizky (Bycatch and Sharks Conservation Assistant)

Like any other morning, I went to work as usual. It's just that on August 10th, I didn't head to Graha Simatupang, WWF-Indonesia's office, but to Jungleland Playground in Sentul, Bogor. Not to play but to attend the opening ceremony of the 2017 Bogor Youth Science Festival (BYSF), a series of exhibitions and scientific competitions organized by Jungleland Adventure Theme Park. I attended with Dwi Ariyogagautama, who is familiarly called Mas Yoga, WWF-Indonesia's Bycatch and Sharks Conservation Coordinator Program Coordinator, as the speaker for the talkshow in the afternoon.< br />

"We are trying to create a new platform for young researchers to introduce the creations and innovations that have been designed. The plan is to hold this event regularly every year," said Johanna Hehakaja, General Manager of Jungleland Adventure Theme Park, while giving a speech. Also present were representatives from the Bogor District Education Office, and the Mayor of Bogor as invited guests. After the speech was delivered, we enjoyed the treat of a blend of traditional music with modern music performed by an Indie band. Beautiful! I could see the feet of a high school student sitting right next to me moving up and down and the position of his fingers that were pointed as if he was playing the guitar. After the opening was over, we were invited to look at the scientific work of the competition participants on display.

"The chickens in this cage will not starve if the owner forgets to feed them, because it has been regulated by a machine so that food comes out at certain hours. The machine is also energy-efficient because it uses solar energy as its source," said Ihsan excitedly showing the prototype of his energy-efficient cage. Apart from Ihsan, there were about 20 other participants with dozens of works who were also busy explaining the advantages of their findings.

Simple, Cheap and Easy to Get

WWF-Indonesia was specifically invited by Jungleland Adventure Themepark to share its experience as a researcher, and of course about how to implement technology in the research conducted. "It was found that sharks are sensitive to magnetic fields, in many cases in our fisheries, sharks are caught in the hooks of long line owned by fishing boats. So, our effort is to modify the fishing hook by adding a magnet so that the shark stays away from the hook," continued Mas Yoga.

In his presentation, Mas Yoga shared his experiences as a researcher at WWF-Indonesia, such as the task of reducing the number of endangered animals that are often caught accidentally in bycatch nets or fishing lines. Turtles, sharks, and rays are three key species that are the focus of research.

When Mas Yoga showed LED lights as one of the mitigation technologies developed to help sea turtles see the net, a high school student from the back was amazed. "The turtle's eyes are very good at seeing green. The way it works, we attach this lamp to the fisherman's net, so the turtle can see the net and will move away from the net. We add a sensor to this lamp so that if the sensor is exposed to water, the lamp will automatically turn on. I can turn it on because my hands are sweaty," explained Yoga, followed by laughter from the talk show participants.

Mas Yoga's relaxed manner, made the students feel enjoy and not bored paying attention to the presentation. Moreover, the material presented about marine life, who doesn't like the sea?

Because the talk show was so exciting, the question and answer session was delayed from the specified time. Thanks to the high enthusiasm, many questions were asked by the talk show participants. At the end of the discussion, WWF-Indonesia gave merchandise to several participants who could answer questions about the presentation material. "The point is, keep innovating. And create something with the principle that is profitable as well as answering the problems of society, and most importantly easy to obtain or can be made at an affordable price," concluded Mas Yoga.