Character education is very important in the current era. Character is the quality of mental, moral, or ethical strength that is a special personality trait that acts as a driving force and differentiator between one individual and another (Hidayatullah, 2010). Character can also be interpreted as attitudes, behaviors, motivations, and skills that are formed due to the influence of heredity and environmental influences. Character becomes a subjective assessment of a person’s personality related to personality attributes that can or cannot be accepted by society.
Character education is a conscious effort to educate children so they can make wise decisions and practice them in everyday life so they can make a positive contribution to their environment (Megawagi in Kesuma, 2013).
In an effort to build character, students must interact well with the environment. Character education can be done as simply as possible, starting with the surrounding environment. The character of caring for the environment is an attitude and action to prevent damage to the surrounding natural environment and to try to repair existing damage. One of the easiest and simplest things that can be implemented is planting trees. Tree planting can be done anywhere and anytime. Through small movements of planting trees, new characters will be produced, such as those who care about the environment, those who are responsible for the environment, and mutual cooperation. In addition, as students, they participate in protecting nature by cultivating a caring character within themselves.
The tree-planting activity is a meaningful effort to shape the character of students who care about the environment. The purpose of this activity is to achieve some very important things. The main goal is to beautify a planting area where there were no trees or plants before. By planting trees, we can transform the area into a greener and more natural environment. In addition, this activity also aims to strengthen togetherness among group members. By collaborating in tree planting, students will learn to work together as a team and support one another. The togetherness that is established in this activity will strengthen their social ties. Another goal of tree planting activities is to foster and maintain a sense of love for the environment. In the process, students will experience firsthand how important it is to preserve nature and the need for environmental protection efforts. Thus, they will be more aware of the impact their actions have on the environment and will be responsible for preserving it. This activity also has a significant positive effect in terms of benefits. First, participation in this activity will make students more aware of the importance of working together to preserve the environment. They will learn that small actions such as planting trees can go a long way towards sustaining nature. In addition, this activity allows students to actively participate in protecting their environment. This tree-planting activity makes the environment healthier and more beautiful. Overall, this tree-planting activity will build the character of students who care about the environment and have a high sense of responsibility for the sustainability of nature.
Activities carried out in social conservation projects include planting trees. This activity was carried out on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. This activity was chosen because it has significance not only from an ecological perspective but also contributes to the social welfare of the surrounding community. Planting trees is one way to restore degraded or damaged ecosystems. Apart from that, by having trees planted, it is hoped that it will reduce carbon emissions because trees are useful for absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2), improve air quality because trees have a role as natural filters that can clean the air by absorbing pollutants and producing oxygen, handle soil erosion problems because strong tree roots are able to bind and hold soil, and increase public awareness of the importance of environmental conservation in order to create a healthy and sustainable environment.
In order to preserve the environment, humans are starting to realize the need for tree planting activities as a means of greening the environment and also to prevent environmental problems from occurring in the future. Therefore, it takes real efforts to improve the quality of the environment itself. One of them is cultivating a caring attitude towards the environment to create a healthy environment. Caring for the environment is an attitude and action that always tries to prevent damage to the surrounding natural environment and develops efforts to repair the natural damage that has occurred (Agus Wibowo, 2013: 15–17). Humans’ lives cannot be separated from their environment. Both the natural environment and the social environment. Living humans need air to breathe, which is produced from trees in the surrounding environment. Humans eat, drink, and maintain health, all of which require the environment (Agus Wibowo, 2013: 15–17). Humans have a very important role in efforts to preserve the environment. Natural resources and the environment are shared responsibilities; sustainability will be maintained if all members of society understand this. The level of community participation in protecting the surrounding environment has been manifested in greening activities. Reforestation is carried out in an effort to create a beautiful area with beneficial benefits for human survival.
In accordance with one of the missions of Semarang State University, namely conservation, from this conservation activity we can take character education such as an increased sense of concern for the environment, strengthening togetherness, and supporting government programs to manage living and non-living natural resources and existing ecosystems. It is hoped that the tree planting activities carried out can benefit the surrounding environment and reduce the existing level of global warming so as to create a comfortable environment for all of earth’s creatures, whether humans, animals, or plants.
Character education through tree planting activities is an effective and easy way to build a caring attitude towards the environment. By actively participating in this activity, students can develop the qualities of responsibility, togetherness, and love for nature. In addition, this activity also has great benefits for the environment, such as reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality. Through conservation by planting trees, we can have a positive impact on ourselves, others, and the environment. Therefore, let’s preserve the environment together and build a caring character through tree planting activities.
Wrtitten by: Alfiatun, Rahayu Uli Saputri, Arif Fadhillah Nur Ekaputra, Thoyibah Tri Adinda Yuliasari, Risma Putri Anggriani , Asma Rafidah, Eni Setia Puji Rahayu, Putri Bayu Dharmayanti, Dwi Mustika Anjasari, Bagas Tri Agustian
