Adopt Your Own Tree

With only Rp.50,000, you can adopt your own tree. You can even plant it yourself, like what we did a couple of months ago. My friends and I took a train from Bandung to Cicalengka. For a a very cheap fare (only Rp.5,000), the train is quite decent. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about the passengers. From Cicalengka we had to continue by a pickup truck to reach the Mt. Masigit Conversation Area. The ride was kinda bumpy, but it really paid off when we reached the conservation area. We absorbed the beautiful green scenery surrounding us for a moment, and then we're off to become tree guardians.

Why do they call it "tree guardians"? Apparently, the process is a bit like adopting your own child. The trees that we plant will become ours. We reserve the right to name them, we can even create our own mini-forests if we plant numerous trees. We will get our tree guardian certificates and you will act as foster parents for the trees you planted, even though in reality it's the residents of the area who will take care of them. Imagine, with only Rp.50,000 you'll get your own seed and it will be taken care of for the rest of its life! If the tree dies, we are entitled to ask for a replacement with the same species and age with the previous one.

There was this sense of satisfaction after we planted the trees. We felt like we were actually doing something for Mother Earth, when in fact what we did was leaving our "children" to total strangers hahahaha... But this is actually a part of the program. By involving the locals, the guys at  the Mt. Masigit Conservation Area hope that they can be more successful in saving the area from deforestation.

Aside from the tree-planting, we also had fun feeding the deers and exploring the river with canoes. They also have some tree-houses that we can rent. You can spend the night there for only Rp. 150,000. The house is pretty cozy, and it got the most important thing in the world: a bathroom with proper plumbing. There was also this flying-fox, but we didn't have the time to try it out since we had to catch the last train to Bandung.
Overall, it has been a wonderful experience. We're definitely going to go back to visit our "children"! Maybe next time you can join us to play our small part in caring for the Earth. Remember, we have only one Earth. So we better care for it if we don't want to lose it!
Special thanks to Imoel, Yosef, and Fitri for the wonderful pictures!