By: Natalia Trita Agnika

Seriously, a group of people with orange bands observed the situation in the forest of Telaga Warna Nature Reserve, Puncak, West Java. Occasionally, they record their findings of insects, termites, litter and plants in a guidebook. They then compared the conditions in the forest with those in the nearby Ciliwung tea plantation. This group was one of ten groups of participants who attended WWF-Indonesia's Supporter Gathering in the Upper Ciliwung Sub-watershed.

The existence of the Upper Ciliwung Subwatershed is very important because this area is a water catchment area and is often associated with the occurrence of flood disasters in Jakarta. In this area there are several deforested areas that need to be rehabilitated immediately. That's why the Upper Ciliwung Sub-watershed was chosen as the location for the 2015 Supporter Gathering.

"Supporter Gathering is a form of WWF-Indonesia's appreciation to the supporters who have supported WWF-Indonesia's efforts in implementing conservation activities in Indonesia. We express this gratitude in the form of activities that represent WWF-Indonesia's activities in the field so that the supporters know what we do in the field," explained Primayunta, Chairman of the WWF-Indonesia Supporter Gathering Committee.

WWF Supporter is a term for individuals who support WWF's conservation work through regular monthly donations. Besides WWF Supporters, the event themed "Trees for Life" was also attended by the public and fundraisers. A group of participants with deaf disabilities also participated in this activity. They were accompanied by an interpreter who translated every statement from WWF-Indonesia staff into sign language.

In the activity, the participants who were divided into groups did trekking in the Ciliwung tea plantation and entered the Telaga Warna Nature Reserve area adjacent to the tea plantation. Along the track, there were 5 activity posts. At Post 1 "Trees for Life", participants were explained about the importance of trees for life and the benefits of forests. At Post 2 "Bumiku Satu", participants were invited to recognize the earth by observing a jar containing soil, plants, and animals as a depiction of the earth. At this post they were also introduced to the #BeliYangBaik campaign as one of the consumers' contributions to buying environmentally friendly products. They also had the opportunity to observe various animals in the forest such as the Javan Hawk, dwarf frogs, and insects at Post 3 "Wildlife Observation". While at Post 4, they can see firsthand the quality of water in the upper reaches of the Ciliwung River through living things that are indicators of water quality.

Each participant had the opportunity to plant a tree directly and get an explanation of WWF-Indonesia's tree planting donation program, MyBabyTree. The Supporter Gathering also featured WWF-Indonesia's educational truck, Panda Mobile. A total of 60 students from SD Cikoneng, Bogor participated in various interesting activities about the environment with the team from Panda Mobile on the edge of Telaga Saat. In addition to getting new information about nature, this year's Supporter Gathering was special because the participants had the opportunity to learn sign language from deaf friends.

Although exhausting, a sense of satisfaction and pleasure was reflected on the faces of all participants. "It was cool, fun, and educational because we were invited to directly recognize and understand the importance of preserving and balancing nature. If we only see it on television or read it in the media, we will forget it quickly. But if you experience it directly, it can be a lesson and experience that sticks. I also made new friends and memories from this event," said Tommy Agus Purnomo, a supporter of WWF Warrior Tiger about his impressions of the 2015 Supporter Gathering.

As for the general public who have not yet become supporters, this activity gives its own impression. Muhammad Hatta, one of the Supporter Gathering participants was impressed with the MyBabyTree tree planting program because it can be monitored through Google Earth and involves local farmer groups. "After this, I want to become a real WWF Supporter. At the beginning of the year after semester vacation, I also want to register as a Panda Mobile volunteer, sis," he said enthusiastically to one of the group assistants.