T

he government gave seven individuals and three organizations the Kalpataru Award, the highest accolade for Indonesia’s environmental heroes.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar presented the awards during the commemoration of the 2018 National Environment Conservation Day at the Batu Putih Tangkoko Park in Bitung, North Sulawesi, on Thursday.

There were four categories: environmental pioneer, environmental servant, environmental rescuer and environmental agent.

Juwari, a resident of Bantul, Yogyakarta, who harvested water from rain and dew and Oday Kodariyah of Bandung, West Java, who preserved genetic resources from medicinal plants, won awards in the environmental pioneer category.

Junaidi, a forestry campaigner with the Riau administration; Widodo, a coordinator for a pest control team in Bantul, Yogyakarta, and Wutmaili Romuty, a teacher at a vocational high school in Ambon, Maluku, won awards in the environmental servant category.

Bambang Irianto of Malang in East Java and Mochamad Indrawan of Banggai in Central Sulawesi received awards in the environmental agent category.

Three groups, namely the Lembu Putih Taro Foundation of Gianyar in Bali, Ngudi Rejeki Farmers’ Group of Gunung Kidul in Yogyakarta and the Habitat Society for the Natural Care of Tulungagung in East Java received the awards in the environment rescuer category.

During the ceremony, Siti called on the public to be mindful of natural resources and to participate in preserving nature.