Prof. Dr. Wawan Sujarwo, Executive Director of the Ethnobiological Society of Indonesia (Perhimpunan Masyarakat Etnobiologi Indonesia - PMEI), was a keynote speaker at the National Biology Seminar 2025, held on October 11. The seminar, themed "Innovation and Collaboration in Biological Sciences Towards a Sustainable Ecosystem," featured Prof. Sujarwo's presentation on "Biological Innovation in Biodiversity Conservation."
During his session, Prof. Sujarwo emphasized that effective conservation in Indonesia leverages local knowledge as a foundational innovation. He illustrated this approach through two flagship PMEI projects that have gained international recognition for their success.
The first case study focused on the effort to save the Kalimantan Mango (Mangifera casturi), which is listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN. This project, coordinated by Range Harnata Palodang and funded by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, is a recent winner of the prestigious Reverse the Red Accelerator Award. Prof. Sujarwo detailed the project's best practices, which integrate modern tissue culture techniques with traditional propagation methods, all guided by deep local ecological knowledge.
"The success with Mangifera casturi is a powerful testament that innovation isn't always high-tech. It is about finding new, relevant, and sustainable ways by bridging scientific methods with the wisdom that local communities have cultivated for generations," Prof. Sujarwo stated.
The second case study addressed the conservation of the critically endangered Nepenthes rigidifolia (known locally as tahul-tahul) in North Sumatra. This project, coordinated by Anggi Chatie Aritonang and supported by the BGCI Global Botanic Garden Fund, combines participatory ex-situ breeding with local community empowerment through agroforestry practices. Prof. Sujarwo highlighted the challenges of complex seed handling and habitat differences, which were overcome by combining scientific techniques with adaptive inputs from local farmers. Furthermore, a digital education campaign was launched to raise public awareness about this endemic and ecologically valuable pitcher plant.
"These case studies from Kalimantan and North Sumatra demonstrate that local knowledge can be the cornerstone of effective conservation," Prof. Sujarwo explained. "However, for efforts to be sustainable, collaboration across all sectors—academia, government, local communities, and non-profits—is essential. This is the core message of 'Innovation and Collaboration' we champion."
The National Biology Seminar 2025 served as a significant platform to disseminate these conservation models, inspiring a new generation of biologists to adopt holistic and collaborative approaches for safeguarding Indonesia's irreplaceable biodiversity.