insidesumatera.com | tourism & lifestyle magazine

The wind blows from the tree tops, then creeping over the surface of the hill of Learning Centre for Nature Conservation (PPKA) Sibolangit where the branches and leaves from the old trees absorb the oxygen and produce the cool temperature. Far above, the clouds move actively through the area of Nature Tourism Park (TWA) Sibolangit. Covering an area of 24.85 hectares in Sibolangit, TWA is the fertile soil and the remaining of the genuine tropical life of Medan Town. This area is selected as Nature Tourism Park in which the source of water is really clean and pure. The purity of water is more than mineral bottled water due to the natural filter of soil, and roots of the trees from the bottom until its green top. Since the beginning of November 2003, TWA Sibolangit got its new name, Learning Centre for Nature Conservation. The name is chosen based on the agreement between Conservation International (CI) and BKSDA Sumut-I. Beside functioning as the limited nature tourism park, the jungle in Sibolangit village of Deliserdang Regency is also functioning as nature learning centre. The method is to learn the nature with funs. TWA Sibolangit is only 40 kilometers away from Medan. The track for walking is available inside this jungle. Track is limited for visitor between 20 to 100 persons per day to keep away the crowds from sensitive fauna. The certain items like cigarettes, plastic and inorganic things are strictly forbidden. This regulation is very important to prevent sri gunting bird, hornbill, little deer, ground lizard, hawk, frog, blood sucker, pangolin, gibbon, scorpion, wild boar, chameleon, and other animals from going out of the jungle. Let them free to choose Ficus sp. as their own dining table and the seeds of Dipterocarpaceae as their meals which is already available on their plates. In the Nature Tourism Park Sibolangit, a variety of rare flora is also found. For example is the stink flower (Amorphopallus titanicum Becc.), the world’s tallest flower. The tall tree of famili Mimosaceae which imported from abroad, ginger, wild banana, Ficus sp, Anthorcapus sp, fern family, and variety of mushroom are also available here. Group of fauna and flora are living together on the same life cycle. The bottom part of dead tree will be covered with variety of fungi. The moss has made the surface of the soil green. For the starter, the mechanism of decomposed tree is a valuable lesson of how the micro organic life is being processed to support the macro life. As the learning centre, TWA Sibolangit has been provided with facilities such as classroom, camping ground, audio visual set, library, model garden for medicinal plants, herbarium and insectariums, compost house, shelter, panorama, bicycle for patrol, parking lot, water supply, equipment for outdoor game. You can enjoy the facilities on short weekend with low cost. The area of TWA was established since 1914 with the name Kebun Raya Sibolangit. This is part of Kebun Raya Bogor on the initiative of Koningsberger. The Dutch made the above gardens as the laboratory of tropical nature which gave the exoticism for people who lived in subtropical area. Nowadays, the authority of PPKA Sibolangit consists of Conservation International Indonesia, Environmental Service Program-USAID, GURKHA, Yayasan Gajah Sumatera, Orang Utan Information Centre, Department of Biology USU, and BKSDA SU-I. All the institutions have agreed to work together based upon the Memorandum of Understanding that has been signed on 15 January 2007. We hope that this joint venture is able to make the nature atmosphere TWA Sibolangit better and natural. The improvement of PPKA management in Sibolangit is hoped to give benefit for other areas. Probably Deli River in Medan has been crying too long for the roots of the trees. During the time, it has received the dirty organic waste which brings skin’s infection to human being. For the visitors from Medan, you will find the cool temperature around the beautiful curves of road after one hour drive on the way to Berastagi for holiday. It is the sign that you are beginning to pass through PPKA Sibolangit. Without doubt, please breath freely in the cool temperature, and PPKA Sibolangit has only one hope from you, “Please grow one tree in the front yard of your house for the sake of us all”.