EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES IN 2013, PUTUSSIBAU, WEST KALIMANTAN
Although the Earth Day on 22nd April has passed, spirit to love the earth continues. A wide range of activities continued to preserve the environment. One of these is activities in Putussibau, Kapuas Hulu District - West Kalimantan. These activities are initiated by WWF-Indonesia of West Kalimantan Program, Environmental Office of Kapuas Hulu, Plantation and Forestry Office of Kapuas Hulu, Betung Kerihun National Park, Fauna Flora International (FFI), Car Free Day Committee, and BJ Creative Studio, the activities implemented over three days, 26th to 28th April 2013, at Volley Indoor Building - Putussibau. On 22nd April, Earth Day event has been appreciated with Car Free Day, start from 6 am until 10 am, located at Jalan Gajah Mada, in front of the Volley Indoor Building - Putussibau to Jalan DI Panjaitan or in front of Polres KH.
Earth day series of events were quite diverse. The first day (April 26th) that begin at 2 pm, filled with the opening of Panda CLICK! photo exhibition formally by the Regent of Kapuas Hulu District, AM. Nasri. There are 92 photo results of local photographers in the Bunut Hilir sub-district exhibited. The event was followed by the launch of Panda CLICK! photo essay book called “Cristal Eye”. The book's content, such as photo exhibition, is photos of local community at Bunut Hilir sub-district. This book launch event began with a procession of the customs by the Regent of Kapuas Hulu, and witnessed by some of the invited guests from local government, community leaders, NGOs, the media, educational institutions, and others.
Furthermore, the book discussed along with the Cristal Eye team leader writer, Prof. Syamsuni Arman and communication expert, Mario Anthony Birowo. The participants were given the opportunity to interview after the discussion. In the afternoon, the event switched on the Photo Tour guided by local photographer and Panda CLICK! team.
The Second day (April 27th) conducted activities of planting trees. Planting was form of the participation of some junior and senior high schools in north and south putussibau sub-district to earth sustainability. Each schools planted at least about 10 seed aroud their field. Environmental Office and Plantation and Forestry Office of Kapuas Hulu who led directly the event.
Tree-planting ceremony was followed by a workshop on “Strenghtening the Local Community through Photography’. The activities held in Learning Activities Gallery at Putussibau used the theme on utilization of photography for environmental conservation. Participants came from local governments, community leaders, NGOs, the media, educational institutions, and others. Local photographers Panda CLICK! that came from the Bunut Hilir sub-district was included in this workshop. They shared their experience and knowledge regarding the benefits of the Panda program CLICK!. After the event, participants had the opportunity to see the local photo exhibition on display.
The Third day (April 28th), the morning activity was done by Fun Bike. The activities carried out in the area of the Car Free Day. The organizers provided a door prize in this activity. The event was attended also by the performances of the various communities in Kapuas Hulu, as well as painting contest which followed participants from junior high school in Putussibau. The theme of the painting competition was “Let’s We Keep and Love the Earth”.
The closing of Earth Day series was held on April 28th night, and planned to be attended by the Regent of Kapuas Hulu. There were various art performances as well as the sharing of gifts and door prize.
According to Syahirsyah, Communications Coordinator for WWF-Indonesia, West Kalimantan Program, Earth Day event activities must always be held annually. The purpose is to make people can join to feel the spirit of loving the Earth and environmental conservation. “With the spirit, will hopefully be their daily lifestyle. Earth Day was not being only a moment, but also the action”. This spirit was greeted by Dini Ardianto, head of the Enviromental Office, Kapuas Hulu. “There is a discourse to make Earth Day as annual agenda under the Environmental Office which is done collaboratively with various parties,” he said.
To speak up more broadly the importance of Earth Day, the Environmental Office also includes 32 teens who are ambassadors of the environment. The purpose is to make awareness of environmental sustainability can be realized by the younger generation as the next generation. Mohammed Sukri (16), SMAN 1 Putussibau reveal his proud that can engage in these activities. He hoped this can be a learning activity towards the adolescents and the socialization of the environment. “Environment is not only the responsibility of a group people only, but also the entire human”, he said. Teenagers who become Ambassadors of the environment since April 6th, 2013 is also hoping that this time the Earth Day activities can raise the image of Kapuas Hulu Distrisct. “So that (the public) know that Kapuas Hulu is very rich in natural and cultural potential,” added Sukri. His opinion is not without reason given since Kapuas Hulu is one of the most important District in the Heart of Borneo. Total area of its territory about 71%.
Panda CLICK! is an appreciation of environmental sustainability
“The act of photographing is not only perpetuation moment, but also said exactly an existence”, writen on one sentence in the book photograph Panda CLICK! edition Bunut Hilir sub-district. It has since early appreciate WWF-Indonesia, West Kalimantan Program. Then make a Panda CLICK! program. Panda is WWF logo and CLICK! is an abbreviation of Communication Learning toward Innovative Change and Knowledge. The goal of this program is as an effort to raise the culture of local community their sustainable environment through photography. At first, local community trained to proficient use a digital camera. For a year; then they have a chance to capture all sorts of things about everyday life, activity culture, and their environment. The result be exhibited and documented in a book. Hopefully, through their photos, the other world be easy knowing how their potential truth. They can also reflect on the photos so as to maintain all the positive things and throw out the bad. From 2010 until now, there have been two town became the location of the Panda CLICK!, activities namely Labian Leboyan and Bunut Hilir sub-districts.
In addition to the exhibition, through their pictures can also be seen through book Cristal Eye. Celebration of Earth Day 2013 felt the right time for launching. In the book, can be listened 348 photos community of Bunut Hilir sub-district. The photographs are the result of overall community photos selection of Bunut Hilir about 229.181. To explore more about the book and the Panda CLICK!, also held workshops with local community representatives present Bunut Hilir sub-district and some book authors of Cristal Eye. Further, the existence of a book can be a kind of Eye Striking proof that the preservation of the Earth and culture can be done with many ideas and ways.