A Decade as a Biodiversity Campus, IPB University Sets the Standard for Biodiversity Conservation

Marking World Biodiversity Day, celebrated annually on May 22, IPB University has once again reaffirmed its role as a Biodiversity Campus.

This commitment is realized through the integration of biodiversity conservation into campus environmental development, education, research, and community service.

The Biodiversity Campus declaration itself was made on May 22, 2016, coinciding with World Biodiversity Day.

For nearly a decade, IPB University has continued to maintain the balance of the campus ecosystem through various sustainable biodiversity conservation and monitoring programs.

Dr Abdul Haris Mustari, a lecturer in Forest Resource Conservation and Ecotourism at IPB University, stated that the presence of biodiversity on campus is not only an identity of IPB University but also a pillar in building a sustainable academic culture.

“Biodiversity is the cornerstone of a green campus. A campus is not merely a place for teaching and learning, but also a comfortable, safe, and shaded home for the entire academic community as well as the various species living within it,” he said.

He explained that campus development always takes into account the presence of flora and fauna to ensure the balance of the ecosystem is maintained amidst the rapid development of the surrounding area, which tends to reduce biodiversity.

According to him, IPB University has a moral and academic responsibility to preserve biodiversity while upholding the cultural values of its academic community, which hails from various regions across Indonesia

To date, biodiversity monitoring results in the IPB Dramaga Campus area indicate a high level of biological diversity.

A total of 23 mammal species, 116 bird species, 17 amphibian species, 51 reptile species, 128 butterfly species, and more than 350 plant species have been recorded and documented on campus.

According to Dr Mustari, these conditions make the IPB Dramaga Campus a potential destination for biodiversity-edu tourism, or education based tourism centered on biodiversity.

The campus’s pristine environment is considered capable of serving as a direct learning tool for the general public as well as students at various educational levels.

“Through the concept of biodiversity-edu tourism, the public and the younger generation can learn to recognize, understand, and be motivated to preserve Indonesia’s biological diversity,” he said.

Furthermore, he stated that all members of the academic community and IPB University alumni are expected to continue spreading the spirit of biodiversity conservation in various development activities outside the campus.

Thus, IPB University is not only a leader in science and technology but also a national role model in the conservation of biological diversity. (IAAS/DON)