2025 Work | Youth Journalism

Voice of the Forest

Youth Journalism for Conservation

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Impact Seed Fund 2025

Field
Coverage

From August 20 to 22, 2025, five Universitas Andalas students, Afifah Abdul Rahman, Nadya Putri Kristianda D., Rahmat Sarkani Aipama, Salsabil, and Dimas Alfarroz, conducted a comprehensive three-day field study in Sipora, Mentawai Regency. They were accompanied by journalists Febriyanti (TEMPO) and Jaka HB (Mongabay Indonesia), alongside Robert Choi Sakambotu, M.Pd, and Matheus from the Matobe Indigenous Community. The expedition began at the Uma Goiso Oinan Customary Law Community (MHA), where the team searched for primate roosting sites, analyzed forest vegetation, and documented the traditional utilization of native plants in daily life. Additionally, they explored Toek cultivation, a unique local culinary practice spearheaded by women that not only bolsters social food security but also functions as a vital bioindicator for clean water. The group then investigated a logpond situated within the Land Management Forest (HPL), an active logging area that remains ecologically critical as the estimated habitat for four of the Mentawai Islands' six endemic primate species. Finally, the team observed the local economic infrastructure at the Tuapejat Fish Auction Site (TPI), the official, transparent marketplace responsible for distributing marine catches to regional markets and sustaining the surrounding communities.

The

Workshop

Held on Friday and Sunday, October 3-4, 2025, at the American Corner of the Universitas Andalas Central Library, bringing together 17 interdisciplinary students from biology, language and culture, agriculture, and international relations. The two-day event provided comprehensive training from five expert speakers focused on environmental advocacy. Ayu Rachmawati, M.Sc. from Padang State University opened the sessions by discussing "Environmental Journalism" as a catalyst for social change. Robert Choi Sudarno Sakombatu, M.Pd., representing the Uma Baca Jaraik Literacy Community in Sipora, Mentawai Islands, detailed the spiritual connection between the Mentawai people and nature, addressing the ongoing challenges of cultural preservation amid modernization; he also presented a related public lecture at the Department of Biology titled "Mentawai Past, Present, and Future: Local Perspectives on Nature and Culture." Environmental journalist Febrianti explored "The Impact of Deforestation on the Sea in Mentawai," highlighting the direct links between terrestrial habitat destruction and coastal ecosystem decline.

Furthermore, Dr. Rizaldi, M.Sc., a primate expert from the Department of Biology, emphasized the power of visual advocacy through his presentation on "Infographics and Posters for Primate Conservation," while Wulan Fauzanna, S.S., M.EIL., Ph.D. from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences examined "Framing Environmental Issues: A Linguistic Perspective" to demonstrate how language shapes public ecological awareness. During the workshop's second day, participants engaged in collaborative group work to synthesize scientific, cultural, and visual approaches into impactful communication materials. The students successfully produced articles highlighting Mentawai ecological philosophies, detailed infographics on deforestation and endemic primates, and 2-3 minute short videos focusing on ecological changes. They also designed compelling campaign posters featuring slogans like "Save Simakobu, Save Mentawai" and "Sustainable Forests, Protected Primates," earning strong praise from the speakers for their creativity and incisive environmental messaging.

The
Exhibition

On October 27 and 28, 2025, Universitas Andalas hosted "Voice for the Forest - The Exhibition" alongside the "Photo Exhibition - The Web of Life Culture Ecology and the Sentient Forest of Mentawai" at Building B of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. This joint initiative between the Department of Biology and the Department of Anthropology served as a practical culmination of the Mentawai Ethnography course led by Dr. Maskota Delfi, M.Hum, a specialized curriculum designed to immerse students in field research, scientific writing, and public knowledge sharing. A central feature of the event was the display of ten posters and infographics generated from an earlier workshop held on October 3-4, 2025. The featured works included Dimas Alfarozz’s "Jaga Sipora, Sipora Jaga Kita," Jefrial’s "Nikmati dan Jaga Anggau," Nur Azis Ariansyah’s "When the Forest Disappears," Rimba Salsabila Zahara’s "Mentawai - Rimba yang Bernafas," Sah Putra Adrian’s "Legal Kayu, Illegal Untuk Primata," Nadya Putri Kristianda’s "Toek dan Perempuan Sipora," and Zumiratin Najmi’s "Antara Jerih dan Syukur." The showcase also highlighted Leo Saputra’s infographic "Simakobu - The Hidden Treasure of Mentawai," as well as two e-posters disseminated across social media platforms: Salsabila’s "Benteng Mentawai" and Rahmat Sarkani Aipama’s "Local Wisdom - Jahe-jahean (Zingiberaceae) Masyarakat Sipora." Complementing the graphic designs, the exhibition unveiled twenty meticulously curated photographs captured by the field team since the program's inception in 2023. Selected for their capacity to communicate profound environmental and cultural realities, these images were organized into three thematic pillars—"Community, Forest, and Wildlife of Mentawai"—with each photograph accompanied by a brief narrative to reinforce critical conservation messages and highlight the region's interconnected ecological balance.

PHOTOS