By: Masayu Yulien Vinanda

Jakarta (20/10)-Nature beauty and its biodiversities made Sumatra the main course of a project called Wonder Eyes. This creative, educational, and non-profit activity for children through photography was intitiated by a well known Japanese photojournalist Hikaru Nagatake. WWF Japan and WWF-Indonesia are their main partner organizing that big project.
To socialize the event to the media, WWF-Indonesia conducted a pers conference (Wonder Eyes; Sumatra behind the Lens)  in Function Hall, Bellagio Mall, Mega Kuningan Jakarta, Tuesday (20/10).  Two National Parks in Sumatra, Bukit Barisan Selatan and Tesso Nilo will host the event starting from 23 October 2009 to 2 November 2009. The conference presented Director of WWF-Indonesia Forest, Freshwater, and Terrestrial Species Program Ian Kosasih and two WWF-Indonesia Honorary Supporters Nugie and Davina Hariadi as the speakers.
Wonder Eyes will involve 200 children at the age of 6-16 living near those two National Parks. The project committee will lend them simple digital camera. Children are free to capture every objects found around the conservation area. Before they take photos, Hikaru Nagatake will give short training to the children.

Through this event, children appreciation toward their environment will be increased. In the end, it will also improve their concern about the environment. “Children has significant role in developing and protecting the environment. So in my opinion, awareness about the environment and the importance of balanced ecosystem need to be built at the very young age,” Davina said.
The same concern also came from Ian Kosasih in the press release. “As public knowledge and pride regarding nature richness in those two sites and its environmental challenges increase, the environmental protection effort will be improved as well.”
Besides building children concern about the environment, this project is expected to become a promotional media for Sumatra since the photography work will be exhibited in Japan and many cities in Indonesia. Furthermore the children will also choose their favourite photos which will be made into postcards as media to make friendship with Japanese students.
“Through this project, we combine communication, art, and documentation. Children living near Bukit Barisan Selatan and Tesso Nilo will benefit from this event. For instance from the ecotourism sector. The photos will be able to introduce Sumatra point of interest to public. It’s an effective promotional media,” Nugie stated.
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For more info about Wonder Eyes, visit www.wondereyes.org/ atau www.savesumatra.org/