As a follow-up to the collaboration that has been established, on Friday, 11 August 2023 representatives from the Faculty of Biology visited the Mount Merbabu National Park Office in Banyuroto, Boyolali, Central Java. The visit was attended by The Officials Temporary Replacement (Plt.) Head of Mount Merbabu National Park, Nurpana Sulaksono, S.Hut., M.T., Forest Ecosystem Controller (PEH) of Mount Merbabu National Park, Kristina Dewi, S.Si., M.Sc., M.Eng., and Head of the Mount Merbabu National Park Regional Section, Chomsatun, S.Hut, M.T. Meanwhile, representatives from the Faculty of Biology are Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. as Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration, and Alumni Affairs, Abdul Razaq Chasani, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D. and Prof. Dr. Ratna Susandarini, M.Sc. from the Animal Systematics Laboratory, Donan Satria Yudha, S.Si., M.Sc. from the Animal Systematics Laboratory, and Dr. Miftahul Ilmi, M.Sc. from the Microbiology Laboratory as well as Editor-in-Chief Journal Tropical Biodiversity and Biotechnology (JTBB), Faculty of Biology UGM.
The visit was welcomed by Officials Temporary Replacement (Plt.) Head of Mount Merbabu National Park, Nurpana Sulaksono, S.Hut., M.T. who expressed his appreciation for the arrival of representatives from the Faculty of Biology. Collaboration between the Faculty of Biology and Mount Merbabu National Park has been established since 2021 and has been realized in various activities including Seminar on Biodiversity of Mount Merbabu National Park, Student Internship and Research, Plant Taxonomy Workshop, Alien and Native Species Workshop, Saninten Conservation Study, also Insect Research. Mr. Nurpana also conveyed about increasing collaborations that is more specific in terms of the scope of cooperation as well as increasing the potential for publication and Intellectual Property Rights.
Dr. Eko as Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration, and Alumni Affairs revealed the purpose of the Faculty of Biology representative’s visit to follow up on the collaboration and the annual work plan to be carried out in 2023. The realization and follow-up of the collaboration that has been designed and partially implemented has become the main topic of discussion.
In accordance with the Annual Work Plan that has been prepared, in 2023 the Faculty of Biology and Mount Merbabu National Park plan to carry out collaborations in the form of Workshop on Animal Taxonomy, especially Aves and Mammalia, In House Training for Publication Writing Techniques, In House Training on Herbarium and Taxidermy, In House Training on Basic Bioinformatics for Plants and Animals, In House Training on Ecological Data Analysis, Herpetofauna Research, collaboration on Selaginella sp. and Centella asiatica bioprospection studies., collaboration in writing the book of Plant Interpretation of the Climbing Path, also collaboration in writing and journal publication. In the collaboration plan, publication writing also collaborates with journals managed by the Faculty of Biology, the National Journal Berkala Ilmiah Biologi (BIB) and the International Journal of the Journal of Tropical Biodiversity and Biotechnology (JTBB). These activities are planned to be carried out in mid to late 2023.
The visit is expected to be a great step in increasing the implementation of collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and the Mount Merbabu National Park.