Building Environmental Awareness in Banda: Community Organic Waste Management and Youth Conservation Jamboree

Across the Banda Islands, community engagement and environmental education continue to play an important role in strengthening local conservation efforts. Through the Kalesang Banda Program, CTC collaborated with Yayasan BINTARI to introduce practical waste management solutions in Tanah Rata Village, while also partnering with the Central Maluku Education Office and Lonthoir Administrative Village Government to bring young people together through a Conservation Jamboree.

In Tanah Rata Village, CTC and Yayasan BINTARI held a two-day training on 17–18 October 2026 to show practical ways to turn organic waste into something useful. Village government representatives, the village waste management working group, women, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) learned how to turn organic waste into useful products through biopore holes and ecoenzyme production.

Beyond reducing household waste, these approaches offer additional benefits. These solutions could improve water absorption in home gardens and nutmeg plantations, and also create opportunities for home-based MSME. The next step is to bring these practices closer to households through demonstration biopore installations and continued support for community-based waste processing.

Meanwhile, in Lonthoir Village, from 17–20 October 2026, a Conservation Jamboree became a learning space for 80 junior high school students from six schools across the Banda Islands. In collaboration with the Central Maluku Education Office and the Lonthoir Administrative Village Government, students explored the wonders of Banda’s marine ecosystems, like coral reefs and seagrass meadows, endangered, threatened, and protected (ETP) marine species through interactive learning sessions led by CTC, Banda Neira University, and the Banda Sea MPA management team. The Jamboree also featured educational visits highlighting Banda’s history and culture, environmental clean-up activities, and discussions on bullying and the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment for everyone.

Both activities provided opportunities for different levels of community groups to take an active role in caring for their environment, and together, these efforts help foster environmental awareness and encourage greater community participation in building a more sustainable Banda Islands.

Writer: Megan Alexis
Photos: Ahmad Muzakkir/CTC, La Ode Junaidin/CTC