Airport plants trees

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II started planting trees Saturday as part of a nationwide re-greening campaign.

In cooperation with the alumni association of the University of Indonesia, the company has plans to re-landscape 25 hectares at the airport and call it "Angkasa Pura II Forest".

"We've set a goal of planting 10 million trees ... to help (mitigate) climate change," said the company's president director Edi Haryoto.

He said the program was the brainchild of Sofyan Djalil, state minister for small and medium enterprises (center, planting a tree), who is also chairman of the alumni association.

The program began with some 36,000 saplings representing nearly one thousand different tree species.

While lawns and groves are often associated with exclusive clubs and housing estates, Sofyan spoke enthusiastically about a program that was for everyone. "There will be more than 500 million trees growing in the country in the next few years if we all start by planting at least one tree now.

"This initiative can help us combat global warming and reduce its impact."

Meanwhile, Edi said the green zones at the airport could serve the same function as a public park and would be suitable for jogging and bicycling.

Journalists plant trees

The Jakarta Post

YOGYAKARTA: Dozens of journalists in Yogyakarta joined a re-greening campaign by planting duwet trees across the city on Monday.

"We are planting trees at 16 strategic locations in Prawirodirjan sub-district to reduce the effects of global warming," said the event coordinator, Benni Listiyo.

Benni said all residents should be invited to take part in preventing global warming, adding it was important to encourage everyone to take care of their environment and plant trees to protect nature.

Head of Prawirodirjan sub-district Anni Sumarni said she and other residents fully supported the program and promised to take care of the trees.

"I hope all residents of Yogyakarta will join the program. I am sure the city will be green and fresh if every person here plants at least one tree," she said.

Anni said the trees in Prawirodirjan would thrive, located as they were near the Code River.

Satellite city gets greener

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

In line with a nationwide tree-planting drive being carried out this month, hundreds of residents from the Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) satellite city in Serpong, Tangerang, joined forces Saturday to make their area greener.

The national campaign is focused on encouraging women throughout the country to plant and maintain 10 million trees.

BSD director Liam Ning said Saturday's tree-planting drive in the area was organized to raise awareness among local residents regarding the impact of global warming.

"In order for the new trees to be able to properly grow and develop, we will hire special workers to monitor them," she said.

BSD corporate general communications manager Dhony Rahajoe said a total of 560,000 trees had been planted in the satellite city as part of its green development program.

"Planting trees gives life to nature, which in turn helps prevent natural disasters," he said.

The nationwide tree-planting campaign was officially launched by First Lady Kristiani Herawaty to coincide with the UN-administered international conference on climate change currently being held in Bali.