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Yogyakarta — The Faculty of Law Universitas Gadjah Mada’s mountaineering and environmental organization, Majestic-55, once again demonstrated its active presence as it celebrated its 37th anniversary. This year’s anniversary featured a series of activities culminating in a mass tree-planting initiative and mountain clean-up campaign. The first activity in the anniversary series was the “Plant Adoption and Waste Bag Utilization Socialization” program, held from 22 to 23 April 2016 at the PKK Building in Dieng Kulon Village. The event was attended by Harris Yunan, a representative of the Central Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and a senior member of Majestic-55. Representatives from several base camps along Mount Prau’s hiking routes, which were the primary targets of the socialization program, also participated. Three members of SARDA DIY also took part in the program, providing training on post management and Emergency First Aid (PPGD) to the base camp representatives. The activity proceeded smoothly, with representatives actively engaging in discussions, asking questions, and sharing their experiences with the speakers. The anniversary series was made possible through the support of various parties, particularly the sponsors, including PT Penjaminan Infrastruktur Indonesia/PII (Persero) as the main sponsor, along with Arry Centre, Lex Luminis, and Yualitha Centre.
The next activity was an internal gathering involving nature-lover organizations (OPA) from UGM and Yogyakarta. Held on 4 May 2016 in the courtyard of the Faculty of Law UGM, the event featured singing and a communal meal to strengthen the bonds of friendship between Majestic-55 and other OPA organizations. The event featured performances by Tikus Got, Perahu Karet, and Orkes Sendal Jepit as the main guest performers. It was also enlivened by a public climbing competition with various prizes. The main event of Majestic-55’s 37th anniversary was the mass tree-planting and mountain clean-up activities, held from 6 to 8 May 2016 in the Dieng highlands of Central Java. The tree-planting activity took place around Telaga Merdada and also served as a continuation of previous reforestation efforts. Representatives from several Mount Prau base camps—including Pathak Banteng, Dieng, Ndorowati, and Kali Lembu—as well as representatives of the Telaga Merdada conservation community attended the activity. Irham, the head of Dieng Village, was also present. A total of 250 trees were planted during the mass tree-planting activity. Irham welcomed the initiative, particularly as the village was actively developing a tourist destination in the area, which was undergoing changes in its use and function. Yunan Novaris, representing the main sponsor, PT Pembangunan Infrastruktur Indonesia, and also a senior member of Majestic-55, encouraged the continued implementation of environmental initiatives such as reforestation. He also expressed hope that the collaboration among the parties involved would continue, ensuring that the initiative would go beyond simply planting trees to maintaining and nurturing them until they grew. The activity also included the distribution of waste bags in the form of dry bags to representatives of Mount Prau hiking base camps, the Telaga Merdada conservation community, and the Kawan Polisi Hutan community. The bags were intended to support efforts to maintain the cleanliness of Telaga Merdada in particular. The final activity in the anniversary series was the “Mount Prau Clean-Up,” held on 8 May in collaboration with four Mount Prau hiking base camps: Pathak Banteng, Dieng, Ndorowati, and Kali Lembu. More than 1,000 hikers participated in the activity that day. The clean-up competition attracted many hikers, partly because of the attractive grand prize of a dry bag, along with other prizes. Following the weighing of the collected waste, the winning group was a group of young people calling themselves “Anak Durhaka.” Dry bags were also distributed to the four Mount Prau base camps so that environmental clean-up efforts initiated by Majestic-55 could continue through the use of the waste bags. A photography competition themed around the mountain clean-up was also held to make the activity more engaging. The competition attracted considerable interest from hikers, as reflected in the increasing number of photographs submitted.
The series of Majestic-55’s 37th anniversary activities demonstrated that the organization’s efforts went beyond strengthening relationships among nature-lover organizations. Its commitment to environmental conservation was also reflected through initiatives such as mass tree planting and mountain clean-ups. Through these activities, Majestic-55 sought to embody the spirit and values of an organization dedicated to nature and environmental preservation. Salam Rimba!
