ISCoNREM 2023 IPB University Field Trip Participants to Gunung Walat University Forest, Sukabumi
Participants in the 2nd International Summer Course Natural Resources and Environmental Management Science (ISCoNREM 2023) were invited to a field trip to the Gunung Walat University Forest (GWUF) Cibadak and Cicantayan District, Sukabumi Regency (14/9). ISCoNREM 2023 activities are organized by the Master of Natural Resources and Environmental Management Study Program (Prodi), IPB University Postgraduate School (SPs).
ISCoNREM 2023 participants come from IPB University, Gorontalo State University, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (Philippines), Central Luzon State University (Philippines), Nueva Vizcaya State University (Philippines), Tarlac Agricultural University (Philippines) and Silliman University ( Philippines).
The Gunung Walat University Forest is an educational and training forest whose management has been under the Faculty of Forestry and Environment (Fahutan) IPB University since 1968. At that time, the Gunung Walat forest area was abandoned land, most of it is bush and open land with only a few hectares of agathis standing. Then planting was carried out in stages involving students and the local community.
Dr Fifi Gus Dwiyanti, Chair of the ISCoNREM 2023 Committee, said that ISCoNREM 2023 activities were not only lectures in class but also invited participants to go on field trips and field work, one of which was to GWUF. She explained that the aim of inviting participants to the GWUF was to learn and gain local knowledge from farmers around the GWUF as cultivators of pine resin and agathis resin as well as the lives of communities around the forest.
“We get knowledge on how to tap and collect resin and also people whose livelihoods depend on GWUF, such as making charcoal, branches from GWU as firewood and others,” he said.
Meanwhile, Habib Alam, the GWUF forest resource management officer, explained that currently the plantations in the GWUF have various types of trees, namely resin (Agathis lorantifolia), pine (Pinus merkusii), puspa (Schima wallichii), African wood (maesopsis eminii), mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla), rasamala (Altingia excelsa), rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia), Gliricidae sp, sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria), meranti (Shorea sp), and mangium (Acacia mangium). He admitted that apart from officers, the community was also involved in maintaining and preserving the trees in the GWUF.
“Several programs such as agroforestry for communities around the GWUF have been carried out, one example is that communities are allowed to plant fruit, spices and other plants around their area and the results are for the community. “In this way, the community will take care of the existing trees and not damage them in the GWUF area,” he explained.
ISCoNREM 2023 participants were then invited to the Situgunung National Park Management Resort (PTN), Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park Center (BBTNGGP). Participants had the opportunity to learn about the uniqueness of truly natural resources such as waterfalls and biodiversity, as well as artificial resources such as bridges and glamping. Participants also learned that the people around this mountain depend on tourism as their livelihood. (HBL) (IAAS/MFR)
