Dozens of Jakartans plunged into the marshy and muddy water of Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve in North Jakarta on Saturday to clean the area from garbage as part of a bid to save mangroves.

The one-day event was held by Jakarta Green Monster (JGM), an environmental NGO focused on saving wetlands in the capital.

"We want to raise people's awareness about the importance of preserving wetlands. The existence of wetlands is crucial to the well-being of the city and its residents. Wetlands nurture wildlife and absorb excess rainwater," Hendra Aquan, a JGM volunteer, told The Jakarta Post.

"But the area is now in danger, with organic and inorganic waste carried by Jakarta's and Bogor's rivers. The waste has plugged mangrove roots and even poisoned fish.

"Through this event, we hope the administration pays more attention to preserving the wetlands. Serious action should be taken to stop destruction in the area," he said.

During the cleaning program, volunteers got in the water to pick up organic and non-organic waste, put them in separate sacks before officers from the North Jakarta Sanitation Agency took them away with garbage trucks.

They found it difficult to clean up the waste in the wetlands because the area was very swampy and muddy.

"I've been cleaning up this side of the area for an hour, but the result is not satisfactory. There is so much plastic waste here. I believe that I am now standing on a mountain of waste," said Krisna Mukti, a well-known TV personality.

"It's good to see people taking part in this cleaning program, but this is not enough. The administration should take serious measures to preserve wildlife.

"It should also educate and facilitate local communities to manage their waste, like separating organic and nonorganic waste," he said.

Another volunteer, Unsya, 17, shared a similar thought.

"The area is like a dump site. A lot of plastic waste is scattered around. We found it hard to pick up all of the garbage because many of them were stuck in mangrove tree roots," said Unsya, a high school student.

"The administration should participate in handling the waste problem by providing more trash bins for residents in the area so they will not throw garbage into the river," he said.

Muara Angke is today the only remaining mangrove forest along Jakarta's coastal area. The 25-hectare area has 42 plant species, of which 11 are from the mangrove family.

Coastal vegetation plays a major role in conserving the local ecosystem.

Mangrove roots provide a habitat for fish, clams and river crabs. The shady plant contributes to wildlife survival -- particularly to the survival of native birds.

Also found in the area is a diverse variety of insects and several kinds of mammals, including dozens of long-tailed monkeys.

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