In a continued demonstration of its commitment as a conservation-minded university, Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) has launched a community service partnership program titled “Development of Rare Plant Nurseries to Support Environmental Conservation Around the UNNES Campus Perimeter.” The initiative is carried out in collaboration with the Akar Banir Foundation, a community-based environmental organization, to strengthen conservation efforts in the Gunungpati area of Semarang City.
Funded by the UNNES LPPM through the PKM Kemitraan scheme (contract no. 629.14.3/UN37/PPK.11/2025), this program is spearheaded by a team of UNNES faculty members: Prof. Dr. Nana Kariada Tri Martuti, Dr. Lina Herlina, and Dr. Ir. Ananto Aji. The team is supported by students and staff who are deeply concerned about preserving local biodiversity, particularly rare native plant species of Mount Ungaran such as puspa, gayam, nogosari, and lerak.
The program focuses on three main pillars:
- Establishing a shaded greenhouse as a center for rare plant propagation.
- Diversifying the nursery collection with more varieties of endangered species.
- Developing a data-based seed bank management system to ensure sustainability and monitoring of nursery outcomes.
“This shaded house will function not only as a conservation center but also as an educational platform. It aims to meet the reforestation needs of UNNES and safeguard the genetic heritage of increasingly rare native plants,” said Prof. Nana Kariada.
Running for a period of eight months, the program is based in Kelurahan Ngijo, just 200 meters from the UNNES Sekaran campus. Alongside the construction of the greenhouse and nursery training, the team also conducts workshops on nursery management and systematically documents the process through videos, media publications, and intellectual property filings.
The Akar Banir Foundation—founded by UNNES alumni—plays a central role in the program. Based in Ngesrepbalong, Gunungpati, the organization has long been active in cultivating endemic plants. This program provides them with critical infrastructure support and professional nursery management training to further their mission.
In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the project supports:
- Goal 13: Climate Action
- Goal 15: Life on Land
- Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Through this collaboration, the program aims to reinforce the university’s role as a catalyst for sustainable environmental change. It also has practical impact: the propagated seedlings will be used in UNNES’ annual campus greening initiative involving thousands of new students, further enriching the campus’ surrounding green ecosystem.
