Gunung Walat, Sukabumi – International Forest Cooperation Leader Cultivating Program has been conducted on 3-5 July 2012 in Gunung Walat University Forest (GWUF).
This event constitutes the second year for International Forest Cooperation (Infoco) to visit Indonesia. At this time, one place being visited is Gunung Walat University Forest.
The group which is included in this Infoco comprises students of Forestry Department from 5 leading universities in South Korea. They number to 15 persons.
“The objective of Infoco visit to Indonesia, particularly the GWUF is to give the Korean students, some understanding on tropical forest in Indonesia”, said Jinwon, the person in charge for Infoco activities when it is staying in Indonesia. Jinwon is a Korean students who pursue master degree in Faculty of Forestry, IPB.
Indonesia, with its tropical forest, is the country which is best known and most interesting for Korean students. Because of this, institution which is related with forestry issues, namely Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), particularly Faculty of Forestry and GWUF, are being trusted by Infoco to carry out this program.
“Gunung Walat University Forest (GWUF) has been popular in Korea, because this forest is educational forest which being managed by Faculty of Forestry (IPB) and has complete facilities, and is reliable, so that many Korean students could learn many things in this forest”, said Jinwon.
Activities being conducted in GWUF were among others, studying topics of natural forests, carbon stock measurements, planting of trees, practice of resin tapping of agathis and pine; and discussion with forestry experts from GWUF, namely Dr. Tatang Tiryana and Dr. Nandi Kosmaryandi. There were also activities of natural cave exploration, traditional tourism (by visiting and communicating with people of the surrounding communities), studying agroforestry in GWUF, comunicating with IPB students, as well as playing footbal with IPB students in a soccer field inside the forest.
In the end of the visit, the Korean students extend their gratitude due the good experience they had in this GWUF. The Korean students said, that in the future, there will be many Korean students which will come to this forest.
[hap]
Photo galleries click here
Download news click here