Student’s Concern on Sandalwood Tree

A Socialization and cultivation of sandalwood Tree

at Schools in Waingapu, East Sumba, NTT

Sandalwood (Santalum album Linn) is a kind of plant originated from Indonesia that can grow well in East Nusa Tenggara, includes Sumba and Timor. The Sandalwood trees growing in Sumba and Timor produce high quality sandalwood. Good quality sandalwood will produce essential oil yield and large amount of wooden porch. So that a sandalwood tree has a high economic value.

Ironically, sandalwood trees are rarely found in East Sumba recently. It turns out that many problems occurred, such as huge exploitation, illegal logging and fire. Unfortunately, there is no adequate effort to cultivate sandalwood tree.

Wilton P.D. Ama

The cultivation of Sandalwood tree is very essential urgently needed by this island to protect sandalwood tree form its extinction. Through Local Exposure program, Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta encourages Wilton Pascalis D. Ama, a student of STIPER, Yogyakarta Agricultural Institute to initiate socialization and planting sandalwood tree at schools in Waingapu, East Sumba. These activities were held in some senior high schools covering; Waingapu 1 State Senior High School (SMA N 1 Waingapu), Waingapu 2 State Senior High School (SMA N 2 Waingapu), Waingapu 1 Vocational High School (SMK N 1 Waingapu), PGRI Senior High School (SMA PGRI Waingapu), Andaluri Catholic Senior High School (SMAK Andaluri), Muhammadiyah Senior High School (SMA Muhammadiyah) and Payeti Christian Senior High School (SMA Kristen Payeti).

These activities aimed to increase population of sandalwood tree and build youth awareness about sandalwood tree. The principal of each school gave good response and allowed the activities held there. The socialization and planting trees were held for six days (14 - 19 June 2015) and took place in the morning and afternoon, according to school’s schedule. These activities also involved student committees (OSIS) and some organizations such as environment groups and Scout of Wana Bakti as participants which show great enthusiasm.

Many questions, comments and suggestions raised during the session seems to encourage participants to increase high quality of sandalwood population in Sumba. One of the students said that the socialization implemented here is not enough to build and enhance the fragrance of sandalwood.  It needs more campaigns related to sandalwood, so that concern of sandalwood tree will be awakened in the future". (WP)