TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The oldest and largest botanical garden in Indonesia, Bogor Botanical Garden located in West Java, celebrated its 200th anniversary on May 18 this year.
The celebration was marked by a series of activities, such as the issuance of the first-day cover of the special-edition stamps of orchids from 34 provinces along with a four-day plantation exhibition on May 18-21, namely the 200K Run, environmental education programs, fun bike event, an international seminar, art and cultural festivals, botanical photography contests, and sports competitions.
Among several VIPs present during the celebration were former president Megawati Soekarnoputri in her capacity as chairperson of the Indonesian Botanical Garden Foundation, Communication and Informatics Minister Rudiantara, Chairman of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Prof. Iskandar Zulkarnain, and Head of the Presidential Staff Teten Masduki.
The Bogor Botanical Garden is the largest center of off-site conservation and research on plant species in Indonesia, the botanical garden spokesperson, Roniati A. Risna, stated recently.
"The Bogor Botanical Garden has an area of about 87 hectares, with a total collection of 12,531 species of plants that are grouped into 3,228 species, 1,210 genera, and 214 families," she said.
It boasts over 400 species of palm trees, 5,000 trees from around the tropical world, and an orchid house containing 3,000 varieties.
The garden is the pride of Indonesians, as they are also the oldest in Southeast Asia and the third-oldest in the world after the three-century-old Pandova Botanical Garden in Italy and the Royal Botanical Garden of Sydney in Australia, which had just turned 200 in 2016.
Initially, the botanical gardens served as the backyard of the Dutch colonial governors office, and currently, they have been transformed into one of Indonesia's largest biological diversity study centers, Risna recalled.
President Joko Widodo, in a written message read out by Masduki, said that a botanical garden plays a significant role in serving as a conservation center and introducing and promoting Indonesias natural resources to the younger generation. Hence, he has called on every region to have a botanical garden.
"Botanical gardens are not only plant conservation and research centers but also recreational places where families can introduce natural resources to their children. I hope other regions could replicate the Bogor Botanical Gardens," he noted.
Indonesia currently has 32 botanical gardens under the management of LIPI, while 26 others are being managed by regional administrations, and another is under the supervision of a university. Ideally, the country should have at least 47 botanical gardens.
LIPI Head Iskandar Zulkarnain explained that the Bogor Botanical Garden has five functions, such as a plant conservation and research center, environmental education center, ecotourism, and environmental services. It has also contributed to the economy of the community.
Furthermore, it has become a reference for the development of botanical gardens in the regions, and that it could consequently improve the quality of Indonesia's environment.
Meanwhile, the Bogor Botanical Garden is now serving the Secretary General of the International Botanic Garden (IABG) for the Asian region.
The Secretary General of the IABG chapter Asia is held by Head of the Plant Conservation Center of Botanical Garden Didik Widiyatmoko.
In addition, the Bogor Botanical Garden is a member of the International Botanical Garden Conservation along with 3,000 other botanical gardens across the world.
The Bogor Botanical Garden is open to tourists as well as domestic and foreign researchers from 7:30 am to 5 pm local time daily.
However, during heavy rains and windy weather, the garden close early to ensure the safety of visitors, as it is home to several large, old trees.
Some 10,000 people visit the botanical garden on weekends.
ANTARA
