Muara Angke Field Trip

As part of Grade 9's field trip they went to Muara Angke in North Jakarta. This is the only remaining mangrove in Jakarta and is hemmed in by continued development. Yet it is home to a surprising variety of wildlife including birds, snakes and monkeys.

A distant bird heading for cover has attracted this lad's attention

Cleaning out the trash. People carelessly throw their rubbish in the river upstream and it gathers down in the mangrove where it is a potential hazard to man and beast.

Cleaning up other people's mess is never nice. A little education can go a long way and while the kids enjoyed jumping round in the mud the serious message was not lost on them. If people were more aware of their surroundings this action would not be necessary

Luckily there were no snakes nearby!

At the end of the day we could go home. For this lizard this is home!

Some bird watching. The best time to catch the birds is early morning, about 6 am. They aren't stupid. Who wants to be flying round in the middle of a hot day?

Off to explore the mouth of the river. On one side is the mangrove forest, on the other is a fishing community. Everyone suffers when people upstream throw their trash in the river.

Seeing the damage we cause to our local environment is only the first step in creating an awareness of what we do. People like Jakarta Green Monster are active in educating schools about our role in the destruction of what's around and days like this provide a steep learning curve for the kids.

How much will they remember?