A shady and cool atmosphere characterizes the Boon Pring tourism area in Sanankerto village, Turen district, Malang regency, East Java, in early May. The Sanankerto village administration has placed bamboo on 36.8 hectares of land under protection for conservation and ecotourism purposes.
The administration of Sanankerto in Turen district, Malang regency, East Java, has declared a conservation status over bamboo growing on 36.8 hectares of communal land owned by the village.
The conservation effort has two benefits. In addition to protecting seven springs, the village also benefits from an increase in the number of tourists to the area.
The sun was covered by thin clouds on Thursday, just before noon. A breeze coming through the bamboo grove in the ecotourism area in Boon Pring, Andamen hamlet in Sanankerto village helped to keep down the temperature. Enjoying the cool atmosphere, many people spent much of their time in the place. Only one or two residents passed by with their motorcycles, carrying livestock feed.
Near the entrance, dozens of school children were swimming and playing in the water. Many adult visitors went on a boat ride in a water reservoir with a small island in the middle. Others chose to sit around.
A small river has its source here. Workers were busy fixing the water channels connecting the spring area with the reservoir. All of this is in a green area on the western slopes of Mount Semeru.
"The atmosphere is good for nature tourism," said Shandy, a 27-year old traveler from Surabaya. Shandy came to the place rather accidentally, after his original plan was to visit the pine forest at Sumberputih in Wajak, which is also located on the slopes of Semeru.
Conservation area
Boon Pring has become increasingly popular among local tourists over the past two years, but this has not detracted from conservation efforts in the area.
Several types of bamboo grow here, some in the wild, others through cultivation. They include Javanese bamboo, giant bamboo and yellow bamboo.
The bamboo flourishes undisturbed, growing amid endemic plants, such as mahogany, pule trees and orchids. Commercial bamboo logging activities are prohibited. Residents are only allowed to cut old bamboo trees. The bamboo is usually used to make handicrafts or tourist facilities, such as gazebos.
"In the past, before being developed into a conservation area, illegal cutting of bamboo by the local people was common. However, since it has become a conservation area, the cutting of bamboo is prohibited. Other activities, such as hunting birds and electrocuting or poisoning fish, are also forbidden," said 41-year-old Ngadi Takrip, a local resident.
Ngadi who is also a member of the Boon Pring Conservation Tourism Awareness Group, said the conservation effort was carried out to preserve the springs. There are at least seven springs in the place, like Krecek, Towo and Gatel. The spring water meets the needs of the community, whether for consumption, bathing and washing or irrigation.
In the past, before being developed into a conservation area, illegal cutting of bamboo by the local people was common.
Around 80 families in Sanankerto use clean water from Boon Pring. The water is also used for irrigation purposes on rice fields covering an area of 248 hectares in the villages of Pagedangan, Sananrejo and Sanankerto.
"The springs here have never dried up during drought,” said Ngadi.
The head of Sanankerto village, Muhammad Subur, said the bamboo plants in Boon Pring had existed since the village was established in 1910. In fact, at that time a special officer was appointed by the village to keep watch over the bamboo forest.
The guard was allowed to manage a part of the communal land in the village in return for his service. Bamboo plants at the time covered an area of about 10 hectares. The area of the bamboo forest, which is conserved to help preserve the springs, has expanded since then.
In the 1970s, the local administration built a reservoir to hold the water from the springs. It was expanded in the 1980s. The village administration operates boats in the reservoir and uses it for tourism.
Ecotourism
In 2014, when Muhammad Subur became the village head, the area was re-established as a conservation area through village regulations. The initiative was supported by the local government. The regent of Malang, Rendra Kresna, turned Boon Pring into a bamboo center of Malang.
"Since then, the bamboo forest has been an area for ecotourism. We are promoting its tourism potential. We have increased the number of boats in the reservoir, but continue to keep up the conservation efforts in the area," Subur said. The village also cooperates with the Brantas River Basin Management Board on the conservation programs.
Today, there are at least 16,000 bamboo trees in the 36.8-hectare area. To support the conservation efforts, the village administration in 2015 established a village-owned company to maximize the area’s tourism potential.
In 2016, Boon Pring ecotourism contributed Rp 90 million to village revenues. This year, the village injected about Rp 170 million from village funds to spur the development of tourism. "Why do we conserve bamboo? Because bamboo is good to preserve water sources. With bamboo, water sources can be protected," Subur said, adding that he hoped other plants in the area could be replaced by bamboo trees in the future. Besides being good for the environment, bamboo can also support craft workshops in the village.
In Sanankerto, people use bamboo to make baskets and wicker furniture. They use old bamboo from the bamboo forest. They also make skewers. The craftsmen also bring in raw materials from outside the area to meet their needs.
The Sanankerto village community proves that bamboo conservation not only conserves nature but can also improve the village economy.
