Earth Day: Indonesia

In commemoration of My Green Earth Day 2007, WWF-Indonesia are hosting a green environment day, that is planting trees and distributing plant seeds at 10 WWF-Indonesia site offices, from Sumatra to Papua.

Led by Jakarta office, nine sites representing the 19 WWF-Indonesia field offices, throughout Indonesia, will simultaneously undertake green environment day involving its Governor, local government, students, Local NGO’s and the general public. The nine field offices participating are Tesso Nilo (Pekanbaru), Ujung Kulon, Putussibau (Kalimantan Barat), Sebangau (Kalimantan Tengah), Bali Barat, Nusa Tenggara, Manado, Jayapura and Merauke.

Working with the Mega Kuningan Management, WWF will undertake one activity of “One Step for Change” event, that is My Green Earth Day on Tuesday, 10th April from 11.00-14.00. WWF will distribute 1000 Begonia desk-plants to decorate offices of WWF supporters from two green posts in Mega Kuningan Jakarta. WWF choose Begonia because it can live one week without sunlight, so it is suitable for office room.

Upon producing at least 1 plastic bag or waste paper, friends of WWF can swap the waste paper for a Begonia plant. There are also 38 seedlings of an endemic plant from Kalimantan, produced in a WWF partners nursery in Putussibau, West Kalimantan, that will be given to 38 Suporter who sign up on that day.

“The idea for this event came from the “one step” program, which invites people to undertake one simple action for the sake of our planet. To swap something that is considered not useful to allow it to be reused, such as recycling paper and be reminded of the act through a small pot of plant in the office” said Dr. Mubariq Ahmad, Executive Director WWF-Indonesia. The same thing will also be happening in Manado. In the other offices, WWF will be undertaking a tree planting, working in cooperation with many different partners “Earth Day, which actually falls on 22nd April, is a good moment to increase our awareness of the environment” added the Executive Director of WWF-Indonesia.

Green Environment Day is a part of activities undertaken for Our One Earth – Bumi-ku Satu program where WWF thanks its supporters of all their support to the conservation programs undertaken by WWF-Indonesia. The big bang of these events will be held in Cilandak Town Square on Sunday/ 22nd April 2007, on the Earth Day itself.

For further information contact:

Maitra Widiantini, Marketing Manager, ph. +62 818 786508; (O) 021-576 1070 Ext. 102, e-mail: mwidiantini@wwf.or.id

Nazla Mariza, Marketing Communications, ph +62 818 081 92 081; (O) 021-576 1070 Ext. 103, e-mail: nmariza@wwf.or.id

For more information on Green Earth Day in each city can be seen at the home pages: www.akusayang.com and www.wwf.or.id

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“EARTH DAY uses one of humanity’s great discoveries, the discovery of anniversaries by which, throughout time, human beings have kept their sorrows and their joys, their victories, their revelations and their obligations alive, for re-celebration and re-dedication another year, another decade, another century, another eon. EARTH DAY reminds the people of the world of the need for continuing care which is vital to Earth’s safety. …EARTH DAY draws on astronomical phenomena in a new way; using the vernal equinox, the time when the Sun crosses the equator making night and day of equal length in all parts of theEarth. To this point in the annual calendar, EARTH DAY attaches no local or divisive set of symbols, no statement of the truth or superiority of one way of life over another. But the selection of the March equinox makes planetary observance of a shared event possible.

“The vernal equinox calls on all mankind to recognize and respect Earth’s beautiful systems of balance, between the presence of animals on land, the fish in the sea, birds in the air, mankind, water, air, and land. Most importantly there must always be awareness of the actions by people that can disturb this precious balance.” – Margaret Mead