On April 22, 2023, in celebration of World Earth Day, the education team from our partners YIARI in Melawi invited young people and children from the Sunday school of Gereja Kemah Injil Indonesia (GKII), Samaria Sekujang in Nusa Poring Village, Menukung District to plant trees in the Mentatai Watershed. Twenty-eight children and young people from the Sunday School from the ages of five to 20 took part in the initiative, learning the importance of conservation and the value of nature. During the event, they planted 100 tree seedlings, most of which will supply food for orangutans – durian, langsat, ensurai and pulai trees which are not only important for boosting biodiversity, they also provide fruit and resources for the local villagers and wildlife alike. The health of animals, people and the environment are inextricably linked. This is why the ‘one health’ approach to conservation, balancing each of these elements, is a must!
The YIARI education team runs a campaign known as the CiR (Conservation in Religion.) The campaign looks at the community where the conservation programme will take place and identifies what religion the majority of them follow. At Mentatai, the majority of people are Christians and so YIARI works with the Christian church to spread conservation messages among them.
Nurturing the hearts and minds of young people is at the heart of YIARI’s work, which focuses heavily on community outreach activities surrounding orangutan habitat. The younger generation will be responsible for the future of our planet’s biodiversity, so providing them with education and opportunities to learn about their environment will be hugely beneficial in the long term.
