Forest For Change Entry By @rizkiblangpadang

Talking about the forest is certainly a very interesting thing for me. As a lover of natural beauty, the forest is something that has always been my concern, apart from the coastal area. There is no beauty that can beat the natural beauty that God has created for us, that's my principle.

My district, Aceh Barat Daya, whose capital is Blangpidie, has a geographical advantage. Located on the coast of the Indian Ocean and the outskirts of the Bukit Barisan Mountains, this district has many beautiful beaches and majestic mountains. Of course, as part of the Leuser Mountain Cluster which is the lungs of the world, there are still many virgin forests that have not been touched by human hands.

We do not have a special urban forest park like other cities, because for the people here the forest has become part of the culture. However, there is one of my favorite green areas, namely the Bukit Hijau Office Complex in Southwest Aceh. Almost all government institution have offices here, including law enforcement offices namely the Police, Prosecutors and Courts.

This office complex has its own charm for me to visit, in addition to my job as a lawyer which requires me to frequently visit law enforcement offices also because of the fresh mountain air and green scenery. This office complex is visited by local people for recreation or refreshing the mind in the afternoon. Unofficially, the Bukit Hijau Office Complex is a green park that many people visit for recreation.

Every time I come here, on business or just for recreation, my mood is definitely better than before. There are positive things with the existence of a forest or a forest atmosphere with work psychology, maybe not everyone experiences things like me. However, from a conversation with my psychologist friend, the green color of the forest makes people excited, calming and can relieve stress. The presence of green hill has a positive impact on me and my friends.

The government of Aceh Barat Daya is indeed very concerned with forestry, as can be seen from its full support for customary forest management by local indigenous communities. In addition, the Government also often conducts socialization to the community about the importance of protecting the forest. Construction of an office complex that maintains the function of the forest by requiring routine tree planting every year at each institution.

However, there is a change in the mindset of the people of Aceh Barat Daya now towards materialism, when they understand the selling value of land for plantations, they take forests to be used as plantation locations for commercial purposes. Then there are frequent land fires that spread to the forest and cause forest fires. The role of the District Government is still lacking in preventing this, it is not enough just to intensively carry out socialization. There must be a firm stance from the government against who taking forest land for personal use and forest burning, if necessary adding forest police personnel to help solve the problem.

As a lover of natural beauty, what I really hate are people who contribute to the destruction of the environment including forests. I want to urge everyone who has ever contributed to forest destruction to stop doing that. Remember not to be too brave to destroy nature, because when nature is angry you are not the only one who feels the impact. For those of you who haven't, treat the forest like your own and love the forest as you love your own thing. If you like it, surely you will never spoil it.