Imagine a village that was once surrounded by dense forest, now reduced to barren land due to mining. That is where I began my journey with the Ranu Welum Foundation to Gunung Karasik, a Dayak Maanyan village in East Barito, to help residents plant trees on former mining land that had destroyed their forest.
We hiked to the former mining area to plant tree seedlings with the villagers. The path was steep and exhausting. The villagers seemed unfazed, walking without much complaint, something that amazed me. At the summit, I saw the land ravaged by mining. My feelings were mixed: anger at the destruction, but also a sense of hope because there were still those who chose to plant hope.
For the Dayak people, the forest is not just trees, but their home, medicine, and source of life. I was also invited to their fields, where I was taught about the plants they commonly use as natural medicine. They live in harmony with nature, something that we city dwellers often overlook.
During the event, we screened the film “Siung Mangkuwungan” in the hallway of the house. The film is in the Dayak Maanyan language, and the residents were very enthusiastic. For them, seeing their own stories and language on screen was a big deal. For us, it was a reminder that film is not just entertainment, but a tool for strengthening identity and voicing local stories.
This journey made me reevaluate many things; that media can be a connecting tool, not just entertainment. About how society can protect nature, even when the world seems indifferent. Change can start from anyone, from small places, and from ordinary people. Gunung Karasik village is not just a place where I planted trees; it became a place where I planted new understanding—that hope does not grow from grand ideas, but from simple actions, from a heart that persists, from hands that keep planting. Perhaps, from that once barren land, hope will grow again, taller, stronger, and more deeply rooted in the earth we all protect together.
written by Dimas Eddy