The theme for this year’s celebration of Burung Indonesia’s anniversary, or commonly called Merayakan Keragaman Burung di Indonesia (MKBI) is “Preserving Nature for the Future”. The choice of theme takes into account the importance of preserving nature, not only for today, but also for the future. This idea was the initiation for Burung Indonesia to promote a lifestyle that is friendly to birds and their habitats.
Currently, there are 1,777 bird species in Indonesia. Burung Indonesia aims to invite the public to celebrate the diversity of birds in the archipelago as well as provide an alternative to enjoy the beauty of biodiversity in a wise way.
A number of activities were organized in various sites where Burung Indonesia is implementing its programs. The activities were intended to invite all people from various circles to actively participate in environmental conservation.
Gorontalo
A discussion agenda entitled "The Reflection of One Decade of Burung Indonesia in Gorontalo" was held to celebrate the MKBI in Gorontalo. The event was attended by local government representatives, communities and mass media. The ten-year time span for Burung Indonesia is a long opportunity to implement conservation efforts from the site level to influencing policy decisions. To preserve birds and its habitats, Burung Indonesia has been collaborating with communities and local governments. Various challenges namely illegal logging, land clearing, and conflicts between communities involving animals have been tackled together.
The province was chosen as a working area not only for being in Wallacea Region, but also for the Popayato-Paguat Landscape, which is important for birds and biodiversity. Several endemic animals such as Knobbed Hornbill, Sulawesi Hornbill, Babirusa, and Anoa are inhabiting the area. Through partnerships with various parties, Burung Indonesia is optimistic that real actions taken together will be able to answer these challenges.
Selama satu dasawarsa ini, Burung Indonesia telah bekerja di Bentang Alam Popayato-Paguat bersama dengan masyarakat dan pemerintah daerah setempat untuk melestarikan burung dan juga ekosistem yang ada di sana. Beragam tantangan harus dihadapi seperti pembalakan liar, pembukaan lahan, dan konflik masyarakat dengan satwa. Melalui kemitraan dengan berbagai pihak, Burung Indonesia optimis aksi nyata yang dilakukan secara bersama akan dapat menjawab tantangan tersebut.
Halmahera
To celebrate the MKBI in Halmahera, Burung Indonesia organized bird watching activity and a wildlife photography training featuring a professional wildlife photographer, Riza Marlon. In this three-day activity in Ternate and Tobelo, Burung Indonesia collaborated with Ake Jawi Birdwatching Community, Khairun University, and local journalists.
The Halmahera area is important for biodiversity because it is inhabited by endemic animals. Considering this, Burung Indonesia took the initiative to introduce wildlife photography techniques to local communities as an effort to increase capacity and share knowledge. The agenda was also a means of raising awareness of the surrounding community about the importance of local biodiversity. Through these activities, the people in Halmahera have adequate knowledge and documentation about their living area.
As an organization engaged in conservation, Burung Indonesia upholds its commitment to work together with the community to preserve the nature of the Indonesian archipelago. Therefore, the 17th anniversary is a new stepping stone for Burung Indonesia to be at the forefront of nature conservation.