08 March 2024
Anonymous Writer
Mursala Island is one of the islands that holds a very enchanting natural beauty, where one of its uniqueness is a waterfall that flows directly into the ocean. In Indonesia, this waterfall is the only waterfall that flows directly into the sea. Because of its uniqueness and beauty, Mursala Island waterfall was chosen as one of the filming locations for Peter Jackson's King Kong movie in 2005. Not only that, in 2013 a movie entitled Mursala was specially produced.
Aside from its stunning natural beauty, Mursala Island is also home to many important tree species. It is undeniable that several tree species living on Mursala Island have been listed as rare trees that are facing extinction threats. A significant population decline in various forest areas has minimized the remaining natural habitat, so it is possible that Mursala Island will become the "last home" for various rare tree species in it. Based on research in the Biodiversity Journal of Biological Diversity (2018), Mursala Island is known as the only habitat for Dipterocarpus cinereus, which was considered extinct in 2010.
The increasingly alarming existence of rare trees has invited various parties to immediately make conservation efforts. The Indonesian Rare Tree Forum (FPLI) is one of the parties that is inspired to carry out sustainable rare tree conservation on Mursala Island by collaborating with the USU Faculty of Forestry, where one of the cooperation programs carried out is the exploration of rare trees in North Sumatra, with a specific location on Mursala Island, Central Tapanuli Regency.
As a form of enrichment, training on the topic of "Rare Tree Survey Methods and Introduction to Rare Trees on Mursala Island" was conducted at the USU Faculty of Forestry Campus on March 7–8, 2024 with speakers Dr. Iyan Robiansyah, S.Si., M.Sc. from BRIN and his team, as well as other speakers from Universitas Samudra and FPLI. A total of 10 USU Forestry students who will conduct thesis research on the topic of rare trees on Mursala Island were also invited as participants.
The training was opened by the Vice Dean 1 of the USU Faculty of Forestry, Dr. Ir. Alfan Gunawan Ahmad, S.Hut., M.Si. In his speech, Dr. Alfan expressed his support and high appreciation to all parties in preserving rare tree species on Mursala Island. Several campus managers and lecturers also attended the training, including Vice Dean 3 of the USU Faculty of Forestry, Prof. Dr. Ir. Agus Purwoko, S.Hut., M.Si, Head of the USU Forestry Study Program, Dr. Ir. Tito Sucipto, S.Hut., M.Si, USU Global Partnership Manager, Dr. Arida Susilowati, S.Hut., M.Si, Dean's Expert Staff, Dr. Nelly Anna, S.Hut., M.Si and Novita Anggraini, S.Hut., M.Sc, Head of the USU Forest Resources Conservation Laboratory (KSH), Ridahati Rambey, S.Hut., M.Si., and Prof. Dr. Apri Heri Iswanto, S.Hut., M.Si.
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