Hirai Goes to School in SMAN 1 Palangka Raya

By Yun Pratiwi

Our co-founder, Yun Pratiwi, visited SMAN 1 Palangka Raya on October 2, 2023, to campaign for our restoration project in Pulang Pisau and raise awareness about the importance of peatland forests.

Yun started her talk by introducing Hirai and our mission to protect and restore peatland forests. She then explained the importance of peatlands, which are carbon-rich ecosystems that play a vital role in regulating the climate and preventing flooding. Yun also highlighted the threats facing peatlands, such as deforestation, drainage, and fire.

Yun then shared stories about our restoration work in Pulang Pisau, where we are working with local communities to replant trees, build canals to block drainage, and extinguish fires. She also spoke about the importance of education and engagement in protecting peatlands.

At the end of her talk, Yun answered questions from the students about our work and the importance of peatlands. The students were very interested in our work and asked thoughtful questions about the challenges we face and how they can get involved.

Overall, Yun’s visit to SMAN 1 Palangka Raya was a success. She was able to reach a large number of students and raise awareness about the importance of peatland forests. We are grateful for the opportunity to have spoken to the students at SMAN 1 Palangka Raya and hope that our visit will inspire them to take action to protect peatlands.

Why is it important to protect peatlands?

Peatlands are important for a number of reasons. They store a large amount of carbon, which helps to regulate the climate. Peatlands also play a role in preventing flooding and providing a habitat for a variety of plants and animals.

However, peatlands are under threat from deforestation, drainage, and fire. When peatlands are drained or burned, the carbon they store is released into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change. Peatland fires can also be very difficult to extinguish and can cause significant damage to the environment.

What can we do to protect peatlands?

There are a number of things that we can do to protect peatlands. One of the most important things is to reduce our consumption of products that contribute to deforestation, such as palm oil and paper. We can also support organizations that are working to protect and restore peatlands.

As individuals, we can also take steps to reduce our own impact on peatlands. For example, we can avoid using products that contain peat moss and we can compost our food scraps and yard waste to reduce our need for peat-based fertilizers.

By taking action to protect peatlands, we can help to mitigate climate change and preserve these important ecosystems for future generations.