Take good care: Mayor of Probolinggo, Hj. Rukmini, SH., M.Si presents a trembesi sapling to one of the district heads.

The Djarum Foundation'€™s Trees for Life (DTFL) program, an initiative to plant trembesi trees along the 1,350-kilometer Merak-Banyuwangi road, also known as the Pantura highway, has reached the city of Probolinggo in East Java.

A tree-planting ceremony was held at the city park on April 8 to mark the arrival of the program in the city.

The event was attended by Probolinggo Mayor Rukmini, Djarum Foundation'€™s vice president director FX Supandji, district heads across the city and MILOVA city artists who enlivened the event.

 Under the program, the Djarum Foundation has provided planting tools, 250 trembesi seeds and 250 mango seeds to five district heads in the city. The program, which kicked off in 2010, will continue until the end of 2015.

The trembesi trees, which will grow along the Pantura highway, are expected to absorb 1 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. The initiative is indicative of Djarum Foundation'€™s concern and commitment to assisting the government and public in improving the environment for Indonesia'€™s collective future.

Initiated in the city of Kudus, Central Java, in 1979, the DTFL program has since helped paint much of the island of Java green through its program and has planted more than 2 million seeds. The latest project is the planting more than 30,359 trembesi trees along Java'€™s northern coastal road, starting from Merak in Banten to Probolinggo in East Java province.

The foundation is not only planting trees, but will also maintain the trembesi trees along the Pantura highway for a three-year period.

'€œWith our endless commitment, DTFL continues to plant trees and take part in enhancing the public'€™s quality of life,'€ said F.X. Supandji.

Planting the future: The members of MILOVA hand over a sapling to one of the district heads in Probolinggo.

The Pantura highway is the main road for inter-city travelers on the island of Java, a major reason behind the Djarum Foundation'€™s decision to choose the highway as the targeted program. The trembesi trees planted and maintained by DTFL along the highway are expected to provide shades for road users.

According to Endes N. Dahlan, an expert on trembesi at the Bogor Agricultural Institute, the planting of trembesi trees was a breakthrough in coping with global warming due to their high absorption capacity of carbon dioxide.

Djarum Foundation supplies trembesi trees for the program, the seeds of which are taken from its seedling nursery center in Kudus, Central Java. The center produces at last 1,000 seeds each year. (Kristiawan)

A green legacy: Accompanied by head of BLH Probolinggo, Mayor of Probolinggo plants one-year old trembesi sapling.

Sing along: Anisa MILOVA entertains people of Probolinggo.

Three'€™s company: Members of MILOVA belt out a pop tune to entertain visitors.

Taking responsibility: Djarum Foundation maintains trembesi trees to ensure they do not interfere with telephone wires and power cables.

Pitching in: The members of MILOVA music group plant a sapling.

Good growth: Six-year-old trembesi trees cast shadows along Java'€™s northern coastal highway (Pantura).