Restoring the Dome of Life (Part I): Breeding from Empowerment and Community Participation

Kubu Raya, KALIMANTAN BARAT. A pile of plant seeds covered with a damp cloth was brought out by Putimah, 35, from a sack used in rice packaging. Deftly, she opened the bandage and brought a bunch of seeds to the 3 x 4 meter paranet shelter.

Putimah's action was followed by 10 other women. They then slowly stick the seedlings into each poly bag containing soil.

Putimah and her friends breed local plants to green peat forests in Kalibandung Village, Sungairaya District, Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan. Seedlings come from saplings of trees that grow in the village forest.

The uprooted seeds are collected and covered with a damp cloth, before they are put in sacks to keep them fresh during the trip to the village. The saplings are then soaked overnight in a root growth stimulating solution. After that, they are covered again with a damp cloth and put in a sack to be transported to the nursery cottage.

Putimah and friends have to prepare 24 thousand seedlings for planting in five months. The types of seedlings are medang, bintangor, resak, change, and various other endemic peat tree saplings.

Read the full story in bahasa Indonesia on the Ekuatorial website.