September 1, 2015 edition
Fractal Fabrics
Using a mathematical formula, two high school students have created digital renderings of Bali's nearly extinct gringsing motifs. Their efforts earned them a prestigious award in the US.
A 'PLUS' symbol appears on I Dewa Gede Ary Palguna's computer screen. The 18-year-old types out a long series of letters and numbers and then, in an instant, the symbols become bigger. This how the Bandung Institute of Technology freshman designs gringsing motifs.
He shows off a finished design of black diamonds. At the center lies a symbol of tapak dara, or 'young girl's footprint', which looks somewhat like a 'plus' sign. The motif represents natural equilibrium. "This is one of the seven motifs I created," he told Tempo two weeks ago.
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More Outreach articles in other editions
August 25, 2015 edition
THE rim of Lake Tempe glitters like a mirror during the day, reflecting the bright afternoon sun. Located in the village of Laelo in South Sulawesisome three hours drive from provincial capital Makassartourists flock to the lake to enjoy idyllic picnics.
Just five kilometers away, however, the glistening water disappears into a dense cluster of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes).
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August 17, 2015 edition
August 11, 2015 edition
Differently-abled children need special handling so they can become self-reliant. And they should never be excluded. "Their feelings should be considered," said Ignatius Dharta Ranu Wijaya, better known as Dharta. As a consultant on the Education and Behavior of Children with Special Needs, Dharta works at the Child Neuro Behavior Development Center of Melinda Hospital in Bandung, West Java.
He noted that one of the major problems of the diffabledaside from the physical factoris an ill-prepared educational system and an erroneous pattern of nurturing. Dharta, 43, began his career as a behavioral therapist for children with special needs in 1998. Today his expertise is in great demand by a number of well-known non-government organizations (NGOs), schools and universities.
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August 4, 2015 edition
Broker-'slaying' Community
People in 54 regions are now practicing logging in an environment-friendly way. Being financially independent through cooperatives, they were once sabotaged by timber financing backers.
THE plantation area at the foothills of Pekandangan village is very similar to a forest. Plots two or three hectares wide are filled with fruit-trees such as durian and jackfruit as well as with commodity shrubs such as coffee, cacao and pepper. The fecund green land stretches for three kilometers. Teakwood trees, mahogany, acacia, and the soaring jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba) rise amidst the plants. "Each trunk is our savings for medical treatment and our children's tuition," Margo Widodo said. This resident of Pekandangan accompanied Tempo English on a tour of the area three weeks ago. During the walk, he told Tempo how three years ago, he cut down several trees to finance his son's wedding.
Pekandangan is a village in the subdistrict of Pubian, Central Lampung Regency. A three-hour drive from Bandar Lampung, six years ago this area was not as green as it is now. Today the amount of its hardwood trees almost outnumber the coffee and cacao shrubs. "Actually, people have been planting acacia and teak for quite a while, but not as routinely as they do today," Margo said. In a month the residents here can plant 50-100 tree saplings. Each time they cut down one tree, they would replace it with 10 saplings.
People in 54 regions are now practicing logging in an environment-friendly way. Being financially independent through cooperatives, they were once sabotaged by timber financing backers.
THE plantation area at the foothills of Pekandangan village is very similar to a forest. Plots two or three hectares wide are filled with fruit-trees such as durian and jackfruit as well as with commodity shrubs such as coffee, cacao and pepper. The fecund green land stretches for three kilometers. Teakwood trees, mahogany, acacia, and the soaring jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba) rise amidst the plants. "Each trunk is our savings for medical treatment and our children's tuition," Margo Widodo said. This resident of Pekandangan accompanied Tempo English on a tour of the area three weeks ago. During the walk, he told Tempo how three years ago, he cut down several trees to finance his son's wedding.
Pekandangan is a village in the subdistrict of Pubian, Central Lampung Regency. A three-hour drive from Bandar Lampung, six years ago this area was not as green as it is now. Today the amount of its hardwood trees almost outnumber the coffee and cacao shrubs. "Actually, people have been planting acacia and teak for quite a while, but not as routinely as they do today," Margo said. In a month the residents here can plant 50-100 tree saplings. Each time they cut down one tree, they would replace it with 10 saplings.
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July 28, 2015 edition
Since 2010, the Forestry Ministry has prioritized forest honey as one of its five 'non-timber forest products'. "Forest honey is considered capable of promoting people's welfare without damaging forests," said Rio Bertoni, chairman of the Indonesian Forest Honey Network.
Forest honey is also believed to have a higher and more varied content of bioactive compounds than farmed honey because forest bees gather honey extracts from the natural environment. "But further research needs to be conducted on this matter," said Rio.
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July 14, 2015 edition