Professor of IPB University: The Dramaga Campus Can Become a Healing Forest, a Space for Recovery Amid Academic Activities

Amidst a busy academic schedule and constant deadlines, campuses are not only required to be places of learning, but also places of recovery. IPB University responds to this need with the concept of a Healing Forest on the Dramaga Campus, a nature-based recovery space that is integrated with academic activities.

The IPB University Healing Forest serves as a safety valve for the academic community. This space is designed to actively help reduce academic fatigue and stress, so that the campus is not only a place to learn, but also a place to recover and flourish.

“The development of the Healing Forest is not building from scratch, but optimizing existing forested areas, such as the Tropical Forest Plant Arboretum, Conservation Park, Bamboo Arboretum, Oil Palm Garden, and other vegetation cover,” said Prof Ervizal AM Zuhud (AMZU), Professor at the Faculty of Forestry and Environment (Fahutan) IPB University.

Prof AMZU, as he is often called, mentioned that all of these areas are under the auspices of the Campus Forest Park. Its function is as a green open space (RTH) as well as a natural laboratory.

“As a higher education institution with excellence in forestry, IPB University has a strong academic foundation to develop this concept, in line with the vision of the Biodiversity Campus,” he said.

According to Prof AMZU, the Healing Forest provides effective non-pharmacological health interventions through activities such as shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), yoga, relaxation, or leisurely walks. These activities have been proven to reduce cortisol (stress hormone) levels, stabilize heart rate, normalize blood pressure, and boost the immune system.

The natural environment of the IPB Dramaga Campus also has a quality of fascination—an unforced attraction—such as the sound of water, leaf patterns, and birdsong. These conditions allow the brain to rest from focused and tiring attention, so that the ability to concentrate can be restored.

Prof AMZU also mentioned that the Healing Forest can be integrated into education and community service, while also serving as a means of empirical research on the relationship between human health, ecosystem health, and community discipline in not damaging God’s creation.

To realize sustainable thinking, attitudes, and behaviors regarding Healing Forest, the Department of Forest Resource Conservation (KSHE) has been offering a course for master’s and doctoral students titled “Forests and Human Health” since 2020.

With legal protection, data-based ecological monitoring, awareness, and community support, the IPB Healing Forest is not only a “natural clinic” for the academic community but also a “living library” that bridges conservation science and human health. (Ez) (IAAS/ASY)