Stay green: The hills of Menoreh in Yogyakarta are scenic, and one group is working to protect the green landscape here.

People should learn from the residents of Kulon Progo district in Yogyakarta how to treat the forest.

In Menoreh village in Kulon Progo, residents are investing in their future through trees. They are not only obtaining more money from the trees that are sold, but also making the Menoreh hills greener.

The hills are famous from the Java War of 1825 to 1830 when prince Diponegoro and his troops fought against the Dutch and used the area as a base camp.

The hills stretching across the northwest district of Kulon Progo to the east side of Purworejo and some parts of Magelang have heavy forest that helped the fighters attack their enemies.

“Prince Diponegoro usually observed enemy movement from Kinciran Hill, the highest area in Menoreh,” Udi, a driver who took The Jakarta Post to the area, said.

After independence, the area changed. Logging has damaged several areas and the forest needs to be restored.

In fact, the hills are home to animals, natural springs and various artifacts from the Diponegoro era. Some areas also contain graves that need to be protected.

Today, Kulon Progo has 1.2 million hectares of forest, 19,000 of that belonging to Kulon Progo residents, and it is often called the people’s forest.

Previously, when people needed money they would cut the trees and sell them cheap to middlemen. But not today, as they established in 2007 a cooperative called Wanalestari Menoreh.

New: A man shows off seedlings ready to be replanted in Menoreh.
The cooperative buys the trees at a price 15 to 20 percent higher than the middlemen. And the cooperative not only buys trees, it also encourages owners to replant seeds to replace the trees they have sold.

“One tree must be replaced by 10 seeds. We try to maintain the ecosystem balance in our beloved forest,” cooperative head B. Sad Windratmo said.

Before cutting trees, owners should know whether the trees are homes to birds or other animals, and the trees to be cut should not be too close to the river.

“There are many rules for this cooperative before cutting trees. All this we do to maintain the ecosystem of the forest,” Win, as he called, said.

He acknowledged that the process of establishing the cooperative was not easy because they had to raise awareness among locals about the importance of the forest and how the forest could bring benefits without damage.

Win and his friends campaigned, trying to introduce the idea of the cooperative. Their efforts have already paid off.

In 2012, the cooperative had 1,103 members, a slight increase from the 953 members in 2011. The forest area under the cooperative is also increasing, from 417 hectares in 2011 to 647 hectares in 2012.

But is the cooperative satisfied with the number of members and forest area it manages?

“It is still nothing compared to the huge amount of forest. We must work harder,” Win said.

Today, the cooperative has around Rp 1.5 billion (US$154,321) in funds.

The members of the cooperative come from four sub-districts of Kulon Progo: Samigaluh, Kali Bawang, Giri Mulyo and Nang

gulan.
Sustainable: Wood that farmers harvest in Menoreh can be sold to the Wanalestari Menoreh Cooperative for higher prices than those offered by middlemen.
Seventy-one-year-old Slamet is one member. He had a big smile while explaining his investment to the Post.

Slamet has harvested his one-hectare of forest land twice, and all the trees were sold to the cooperative. He said that he was very happy with the price he received.

The money gained from the first harvest was enough for him to buy 3,000 meters of forest land. He wants to invest in more trees on his new land.

The money gained from his second harvest was used to finance his son’s wedding.

“I needed money, so I sold trees. I got around Rp 10 million from selling several jati trees in my forest and I used it for the wedding,” Slamet said proudly.

Win said there are four kinds of trees that can make good money. They are jati (Teknona grandis), mahoni (Sweatenia), albasia (Albazia falcataria) and sono keling (Dalbergia Latifolia).

“I myself planted albasia on my 7,000 meters of land. I have yet to harvest because I don’t need money now,” he said, laughing.

All the trees bought from members are sold either domestically or overseas. The cooperative has secured Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, which is a guarantee that the wood comes from a sustainable source thanks to the philosophy of planting 10 seeds for one tree.

The certification caused the price of wood from Menoreh to increase by 30 to 40 percent when they sell the wood overseas. So far, European countries are loyal consumers.

Win said the higher price of wood made it so that the cooperative can finance other activities such as providing new seeds and creating a sawmill. The sawmill will process other wood that cannot be sold overseas.

“This uncertified wood will be sold to material shops. We also can process other kinds of trees like mango and coconut here,” Win said.

Currently, the cooperative supports 14 full-time workers, including five women. Around 40 people work on individual logging projects, with each person bringing in around Rp 40,000 per day.

Besides supporting the cooperative’s activities, they also use the money gained from selling wood for other environmental efforts.

“We plant some trees to protect springs and ancient sites. It is very important for the future of our hills,” Win said.

In May 2013 the Wanalestari Menoreh Cooperative received a prized from the Arthur Guinness Fund and the British Council. The cooperative is considered a success in terms of community entrepreneurship.

The country director of the British Council, Keith Davies, said the competition this year was very competitive because it has the highest standards.

“We want to find the [kind of] entrepreneurship that has a high impact for Indonesia,” Davies said.

Meanwhile, John Galvin from Guinness said, “This event will inspire, support and develop community.”

Win and other members of Wanalestari could not conceal their happiness after winning the prize. They hope other areas will adopt this kind of cooperative as people have to preserve forests for future generations.

“Even though we invest in just one tree, it will be useful for our children,” he said.

— PHOTOS BY JP/NANI AFRIDA