UNAIR NEWS – There were 12 students from student mountaineering club (WANALA) UNAIR participated in green turtle conservation in Sukamade Beach, Meru Betiri National Park, Jember, East Java. Sukamade beach is one of green turtle nest. This activity was held from March 1 until March 8, 2017.
The activity themed 淕reen Turtle conservation study and coastal forest identification in Meru Betiri National Park. Member of WANALA UNAIR teamed up with Sukamade Police for this event.
They used 3P principles for the action, protection, preservation and use.
淲e from WANALA, have a mission to learn how to conserve the green turtle. Based on data the existence of green turtle is listed as endangered, said a participant, Citra Nurul Ariadi.
WANALA was accompanied by forest ranger to conduct the conservation. WANALA members were divided into two teams; to analyze the vegetation and to analyze green turtle.
Vegetation analysis team was responsible for submitting data of plants in 渢urtle house or coastal while the green turtle analysis team was responsible for observing turtle behavior when on their spawning ground.
This annual activity of UKM WANALA which focuses on saving the environment receives positive responses. The local police felt helped by this activity. 淚 hope the researcher from UNAIR would like to come here to give solutions, said a police officer.
The turtle conservation has faced some problems. Hibiscus plants and pandanus in shoreline cannot adapt and it gets less and less. In addition, plants in Meru Betiri have damaged due to turtle, wild boar and the weather.
Green turtles are sensitive to light so the beach officer seek beach free from light. The light comes from the fishing boats which used to catch shrimp fry in the night.
From the conservation result, WANALA team will record it all into a book which contains of travel record as contribution to living environment learning. They hope, these books can broaden the reader about conservation and also to increase desire to preserve turtles in Indonesia.
Author : Citra Nurul Ariadi (member ofUKM WANALA)
Editor: Defrina Sukma S
