Muhammad Nur Iqbal Sidrotul Muntaha
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas PGRI Madiun
ABSTRACT
This study aims to provide information on the myth of the Jalak Lawu bird and its implications for the community in the efforts of conservation in Mount Lawu. The method used is descriptive and analyzed using a psychological approach to ecoheroism. The results showed that there is a strong belief regarding Jalak Lawu as spirits and ancestors who need to be worshiped as a medium of ceremonial activities such as Sedekah Dhuang. The myth of the Jalak Lawu also affects the understanding of conservation for local communities, which is the belief that Jalak Lawu is the orientation of the world. Jalak Lawu has a connection to a deeper dimension because they are considered to have similarities with local communities, namely both having a physical body and their respective gods.
The myth of the Jalak Lawu finds the reasons why ecology or conservation activities become an ethical problem in the local community because the means of divine intervention violate religious rules. The ecological offer of the myth of the Jalak Lawu discusses a potential strategy where a psychological approach combines traditional procedures with environmental problems through ancestral values. Local beliefs need to be examined in the context of pluralism and can be used as an educational tool to teach the principles of conservation to foster a love of and respect for living things. It is hoped that in the future, culturally based local stories can develop as an alternative means of conservation.
Keywords: Jalak Lawu, Myth and Conservation, Cultural Beliefs, Ecoheroism, Environmental Ethics, Traditional Knowledge, Mount Lawu, Folklore and Ecology.
- INTRODUCTION
The Jalak Lawu bird inhabits the ecosystem of Mount Lawu, a volcano in Central Java. The inhabitants of the villages of Cemoro Kandang and Cemoro Sewu believe that it is a bird that is the reincarnation of the late Kyai Lawu. We call it the myth of the Jalak Lawu bird. This myth is loaded with layers of symbols, and it has been presented
several times in local ceremonies and attempts to make an event of the Milky Way Festival every August. The name “Cemara Lawu” has been suggested as an alternative to “Bintang Lawu” or “Lawu Wijaya Kusuma.” These examples indicate the fruitfulness and strength of the myth in conversing with many aspects of social and environmental
life. It is safe to presume that this myth has value beyond its aesthetic dimension, both potentially manipulative and ethical.
The relationships among local traditional mythology, conservation efforts, and community are the focus of this paper. The guiding question concerns how myth, without obvious connection, has been a factor in the natural resource conservation effort. The myth of the Jalak Lawu bird involves representation of natural beauty and spiritual-aesthetic wonders that overflow into people’s daily lives. One important quality of high-level conservation attempts is the involvement of local communities. Broadly, previous research has produced an understanding of the concern between local advantageous folk concepts and ecological actions that they accent. Many high-level literature have acknowledged that ecological learning from any culture can be proposed to create more profit. The novel view that we adopt here is to display that the specific language in which a group of people or culture narrates the matter of myth produces an alternative and not always rational advantage in the enunciation of conservation campaigns to them. It is important to pay attention to local narratives to seek communications and activities that are aesthetic to the locality. This article is divided into a number of themes: first, an exposition and analysis of the Cemara Lawu myth; second, the role of the myth as a kind of empowerment of the conservation and the ecology of Mount Lawu; third, methodological consideration. We conclude.
1.1. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The protected area in Mount Lawu has various stories, including the story of Jalak Lawu. The mystical figure of Jalak Lawu or Burung Lawu in the surrounding community makes the efforts of conservation workers to protect these critically endangered birds easier. According to historical records from the early period, there were small kingdoms that prospered and revered the Jalak Lawu, and they also made ancient relics from empty gongs superimposed by other pottery and buried among the Lawu mountains. The myth of the Jalak Lawu bird is an integral part of the intergenerational cycle of the local community and comes from the supernatural belief system. The myth of the Jalak Lawu bird is believed to live in the Lawu mountain. The development and use of resources would become increasingly uncontrolled and endangered. The existence of a mountain santri is relevant to the protection of cultural landscape values and also has a positive impact on supporting environmental sustainability.
Historical myths, both varieties and songs, have described the existence, behavior, habitat, sounds, food, and even the lifestyle of wildlife. As an ethno-ecological value, it contains an ethos of environmental moral teachings about likes, dislikes, fears, and enticements regarding various bio-cultural phenomena generated by mythological
memory. Their behavior and attitudes towards an object are influenced by these factors. How someone treats, maintains, and manages nature is largely determined by the memory image of myths that have always been in their lives, because the myth binds nature and becomes part of the culture of ethnic identity. Indeed, this is the value of involvement that truly preserves conservation efforts through the folklore of birds in the Sanctuary of Birds Mount Lawu. Some karst ecosystems in East Java, for example, the Karst Nglanggeran region, which has a wealth of biodiversity, cannot be preserved just because the local people there believe in mythology. This is an ethic that is absolutely important to uphold in biodiversity conservation. However, the pastoral interests of protecting birds are part of the protection of biodiversity that should be preserved scientifically in Lawu Mountain Nature Reserves. The story of the Jalak Lawu conservation can be used as an important storyline in the development of a theme conservation area in Lawu Mountain, especially the story of the Jalak Bird.
- THE MYTH OF THE JALAK LAWU BIRD
The myth of the Jalak Lawu bird is a typical story of regional wisdom from East Java. The Jalan Cantik story tells of the Jalak bird from a village located in a cave on Lawu Mountain, East Java. The bird was thought to be one whose cries and screams often occurred, even unusually. This caused the local people to believe that the birds had been cursed and had been religiously mazel by the god Sang Hyang Lawu. Waniwarni’s battle with the Lawu Mountain god was the 14th week of the first month of Ruwah. A blast of thunder shouted and echoed around Lawu Mountain. During this earthquake, Lawu attracted five sources of spiritual power, one of which was a rebellious Jalak named Jalakan, whose name was “Kacangringsing.” The rebellious Jalak was turned into a land bird that ascended to become a bird that lived in the Lawu Mountain area.
The myth of the Jalak Lawu bird has been significant throughout history. Several versions of the myth of the Jalak Lawu bird have appeared. Every ethnic group tells different versions of the myths of the Jalak Lawu birds. Philosophical and religious values are found in the myth of the Jalak Lawu bird. According to local people, the myth of the Jalak Lawu bird originated from their ancestors and has been passed down for generations, becoming one of the valuable cultural heritages. The existence of an eagle that lives in the Lawu and Cetha Mountains on the border of Magetan and Karanganyar districts, East Java, is very valuable. The community around the mountains is very proud because the mountain is a landmark for their territory. The mountain is the landscape class of North Mountain, which is worshipped by the people of ancient Lawu. The myth has corrupting values and customs of the indigenous peoples, which can serve as a guideline for maintaining harmony between humans and nature.
2.1. ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE MYTH
The myth of the Jalak Lawu bird, as it is known to the people inhabiting the Lawu region today, is a complex patchwork of origins and stories, overlaid by centuries of societal, religious, and political changes. It is largely impossible to assign a neat, simple origin point to any of the present-day myths. The myth itself is propagated by changing material conditions in the mountain area, such as changes in native flora, climate, and water availability. As such, the myth is somewhat sentient, reflecting the growing or fading importance of various ecological conditions over the long term. The myth is also varied and flexible, reacting to local community needs and what other myths are copied into the local tradition. However, this apparent lability is contained by tradition itself, which determines when and how to change the narrative—however complex the cause-and-effect chain may be. Furthermore, the present-day narratives contain elements appearing no earlier than the later era, or even the years of reformation. With modern ideas about what makes natural beauty, environmental importance, and an ethical good, ideology hides behind backpacks and drifts into local tradition. Yet the myths are also very old, with recognizably Lawu features. These ambiguities position the Jalak Lawu myth in the capacious zone between traditional Javanese conceptions of nature and enduring universal myths of other-centered sacrifice. Even more fascinatingly, these heritage artifacts of traditional practice are critically engaged in debates about environmental harm and conservation, which reach across the mountains of Indonesia through a global environmentalism.
2.2. KEY ELEMENTS AND SYMBOLISM
In narratives of the Jalak Lawu bird, the following motifs were used: the Jalak Lawu bird as a symbol in the myth of harmony between humans and nature, the Jalak Lawu bird as the king of the south, the Jalak Lawu bird as a symbol of the lords of mercy, the Jalak Lawu offspring as the main symbols of Penataran Kahyangan Lawu, banyan trees as a symbol of Lawu spirit and power, graves as the physical existence of the kings of the spirits as symbolic Rejanisasi. The myth of the Jalak Lawu bird represents the meaning of communication between humans and the life of Mount Lawu. The harmony of the environment can occur if there is unity between humans and the gods of nature. The harmony of the ecosystem in Mount Lawu is not only the physical conditions that are still beautiful and clean from rubbish, animals that are still easily found in the area, but can also be seen from the human response of the surrounding community about the bird and gea myth there. In narrative texts, the figure of the bird is a biological presence on the Lawu mountain and is a natural omnipotent entity but also contains theological and obligatory meanings for the ethnoawitan community of the Lawu mountain. Jalak Lawu treatment in behavior is reflected in the form of birds of
humans from Mount Lawu surroundings who are researching the king and his court for the birth of the Jalak Lawu bird, protecting the Jalak Lawu bird, and pouring flowers in the area where the birds are. Local wisdom as a religious identity and commitment has formed a way of living physically and spiritually for rural communities by emphasizing the ecological conservation approach. The approach of local beliefs expressed through narratives stimulates the cultivation of conservation values in the ethno-awitan community of the Lawu mountains. The myth of the Jalak Lawu bird is a myth with the symbolic representation of two local environmental perspectives in the form of behaviors to conserve nature in Mount Lawu. Local beliefs influence the individual and collective behavior of the Kawuladha community in the conservation area of the Lawu mountain so that there is increasing ecological awareness along with oral narration about Jalak Lawu. In the narrative of tourists, mountain climbers, and the Kawuladha community around the Lawu Mountains, the Jalak bird can be a tourist attraction or a regional identity program.
- BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
The Jalak Lawu bird is a mystical bird that has a nest at the peak of Lawu Mountain. For the surrounding community, this bird has made this mountain known long before it became known today. Access to this mountain is quite difficult and takes a lot of energy on foot, but many people are still interested in visiting the peak of Lawu Mountain and walking around the summit looking for the nest of the bird. The Jalak Lawu bird is also known through a long-standing food tradition, which has been passed down from generation to generation by the community living on the slopes of Lawu Mountain. The first time a newborn child (7 months old) takes his first steps, he is told to release a chicken with the belief that damage will be prevented. The death of a family member can also be a sign that the bird is no longer on Lawu Mountain.
Many of the beliefs and practices of the local community, as mentioned before, are closely related to the presence of several kinds of birds that exist in large numbers on Lawu Mountain. One of the restrictions is on the hunting of Jalak Lawu birds. One of the rituals that the local community is famous for sharing is Guru Maho, along with several other rituals that we still have to study further, which take place once a year. These goals also serve a purpose for social activities and community gatherings, which can show others that their spiritual and religious values are still the same compared to their ancestors. This belief and practice can influence the attitudes of the community about product preservation and ensure that wildlife is not hunted. Because it is much nobler than mainstream beliefs and rituals, this belief serves as a resistance for the local community. People whose hobbies are related to research have taken into account the existence of myths that have a religious link.
3.1. CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE AND RITUALS
The Jalak Lawu bird, a type of white starling, is a small part of the unique culture found on Mount Lawu. In Citadel and Kemuning villages, they perform various ceremonies, including sharing farming practices, which are carried out collectively. In these two villages, the community performs rituals to respect and worship the Jalak Lawu bird. There are three stages in this ritual: first, the ritual to summon the birds; second, the ritual to respect Jalak Lawu birds; and third, worship of the goddess Nyai Lawu Ratu. The spirits of the goddess and the Jalak Lawu bird are treated as nicely as possible in order to foster a prosperous community. These ceremonies are meant to continue the customs of their ancestors as well as to bring the community together. More importantly, these rituals also introduce the importance of preserving and protecting the habitat of the Jalak Lawu bird.
Folk tales, myths, and other cultural elements around the Jalak Lawu bird have ecological meaning. The importance of the Jalak Lawu bird in the Citadel and Kemuning communities has even been studied and analyzed. The respect and protection of the animals in the folklore and rituals of several societies have been studied. The worried belief that “if the Jalak Lawu bird disappears, this field will become barren, the tradition will be lost” would make someone aware to take precautions. In this society, those who have the Jalak Lawu bird will come from the grandfather to the grandchild. Only a few of them will share a Jalak Lawu bird with their brothers or sisters. They believe that if they share a bird with other people, the bird will go away and never come back. Outwardly, those kinds of beliefs are actually a form of “campaign” for the citizens’ suitable perspectives. It is only to protect the birds as part of ecological biodiversity. The significance of the Jalak Lawu bird shows the deep spiritual relationship between humans for small tangible gatherings. The special interest in looking for the Lawu bird also exists in social life through the title created by Lawu mountain residents or by people who enjoy hiking.
- CONSERVATION STATUS OF THE JALAK LAWU BIRD
Jalak Lawu Bird is a very pivotal species for plant and animal ecosystems in Mount Lawu. The existence of this species is also a conservation concern. The latest data on the number of Jalak Birds shows that the number of individuals is around 500–700. The population tends to decrease from year to year. Currently, the habitat conditions of the Jalak are also getting worse due to changes in habitat caused by various activities in the forest. This is directly experienced by, for example, the decreasing availability of various types of food and nesting places because they continue to experience habitat degradation. On the other hand, the habitat function and role of the Jalak Bird in the
ecosystem is also important because of its existence, which can support the value of biodiversity and the ecosystem.
Based on historical documents or news from people in the Regency of Karanganyar, conservation activities for the Jalak Lawu bird population started in 2014. Population trends, distribution areas, habitat states, and conservation status research have prompted action. The results of the initial estimation show a small population of Jalak and a small habitat range. Therefore, efforts have been made to manage and protect the habitat of the Jalak Lawu bird population in Mount Lawu. Some efforts have been made by local people and protected area managers, such as the construction of bird shelters, provision of nests, increasing patrol activities to protect the Jalak population, and crafts for sale to increase community revenue. Although conservation work for the preservation of the Jalak Bird has been carried out on Mount Lawu, there are still several problems and obstacles. Various efforts to conserve and manage Jalak populations and roadside tigers in Mount Lawu have also been ongoing since 2014, but the number of these two species is still very small. The number of conservation personnel is very limited, human settlements in the conservation area are very dense, and there are still many people who do not support and do not involve community guardians. Many people also poach protected animals in this area. Therefore, community support in implementing conservation is indispensable; it also depends on the successful role of the forest, wildlife interest groups, and Karanganyar District. Unfortunately, there has been no serious and direct aid from the government so far for the conservation of the Jalak Bird population on Mount Lawu.
4.1. ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES
The Jalak Lawu is an endemic species that lives on the slopes of Mount Lawu. As a primary consumer, the Jalak Lawu is an herbivorous bird species. Its narrow diet consists of many types of fruits. Diet is a major aspect of the Jalak Lawu that makes it play an essential role in the ecological relations of the species of Mount Lawu. The bird’s consumption of fruit directly plays a role in pollination and germination. Pollination is done by sticking the top of the beak into the flower and other parts of the stigma of the flower, conveying pollen and eventually fertilizing them. Bees and flies assist in cross pollination and maximizing flower quality thanks to the frequent flower visiting. This process increases the yields of some of the primary and secondary products of Mount Lawu specialty plants. Acting as an ecological agent in this way is part of the vital function of the Jalak Lawu. However, the importance of this is almost greatly unappreciated.
The Jalak Lawu also serves as a seed dispersal agent. Seeds that are not digested through various physiological changes can live in the digestive system of the bird and
will be ejected with the bird’s dung. The seed will sprout when the chemical relationships that inhibit embryo growth and seed germination are broken. Pollination and seed dispersal cannot be done monotonously by one kind of plant species because the Jalak Lawu has a limited range of foodstuffs eaten. Either primary or secondary dispersal is a necessary aspect of the role of the Jalak Lawu, which triggers the development of seed parental habitat and helps preserve Mount Lawu’s biological variety. The wheat that the Jalak Lawu eats has dangerous toxic effects. The Jalak Lawu is resistant to the influence of toxins because it has become used to eating that kind of wheat. The Jalak Lawu therefore serves as an ecological control agent for the weed management of the Lawu forest environment, where it maintains the balance of Mount Lawu ecosystems.
- IMPACT OF THE MYTH ON CONSERVATION EFFORTS
Cultural narratives can significantly influence the behavior of society towards keeping the environment. Social components that often lead individuals to have certain tendencies toward the environment include the traditions that exist in the community. One tradition that is often found by field researchers is myth or belief. This narrative often has an impact on conservation efforts. In the temples of Sukuh and Cetho in the western slopes of Mount Lawu, Central Java, a myth states that the preserved bird of Jalak Lawu will make the pilgrims dangerous. However, the condition of this bird was hampered by habitat conditions, so preventing the bird from poaching by the presence of the bird’s jalak was strengthened into the myth in the community of pilgrimage. Having cultural power, myths mobilize the community as a ‘Trojan horse’ to preserve the birds and the ecosystems and can inspire the conservation discourse.
Cultural beliefs such as folktales and myths play a significant role in the efforts of environmental protection and conservation. Folktales can make individuals feel proud and responsible for protecting certain resources. A tale of guardianship between humans and the environment can be very significant in terms of galvanizing the community. The existence of the myth does make the reader responsible for practicing the knowledge gained as it is closer to the existence of the audience to be willing to practice the knowledge they have achieved. One of the ways to create environmental awareness in the audience is to present local stories familiar to them, such as myths. Formal conservationists can exploit the myths of the village where the CMC is located and the population of Mount Lawu animals for conservation awareness programs in the population of the Yogyakarta-Surakarta region as potential tourists in the CMC. Studies in Bali and Southern Africa have exceeded folkloristic interest to make myths a part of regionalism or tactics in regional tourism. A myth is also possible to influence conservation policies at Mount Lawu in the future. The existence of a myth can
contribute to the intrinsic value of the local flora and fauna to society and be translated into formal conservation policies. The values mediated through a myth must be recognized by the policymakers and incorporated into the strategies and policies of Mount Lawu Conservation. However, stigma against birds as vermin has the potential to make the myth excessive because society is reluctant to accept the negative values
attached to certain objects because of such stigma. The myth operates by constructing combined, polar representations of a kuningan and the conservationists as negative and a kuningan as good. Thus, the mythical object must deflect and prevent the stigma associated with its negative form. The myth may also be towed in order to subject Kuniran, so it will require efforts to prevent the mythical interpretation of the accident when talking about a kuningan. Despite its potential in reducing effective values on the conservation of local flora and fauna, myth applications certainly make it worth more desirable for communities motivated to protect their environment.
5.1. CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON CONSERVATION PRACTICES Cultural influences are often considered in conservation studies. Patterns of making decisions associated with the behavior of conservation can be influenced by deep-rooted local beliefs and values. Part of the strategy for implementing social forestry is through recognizing local knowledge and traditions that have value in the environment and support their daily lives. Communities residing in conservation areas generally have customary norms and sanctions aimed at protecting the environment around them. This is a tradition passed down orally from the community leader or the traditional council of elders. Customs and traditions still have a strong hold among the community and are obeyed. The role of the community leader or the council of elders is very important as a role model and a source of knowledge that is respected by the customary community.
In reality, there are many cases where cultural customs are integrated into the pattern of utilizing natural resources, and also simultaneously behave as a conservation effort. For example, the mythology of the Baltimore oriole bird has psychological implications for residents and bird enthusiasts who keep birds as a hobby. Endemic birds that live in the Lawu Mountains or the slopes of Mount Lawu are considered susceptible to stress if placed together with birds from other mountain regions as a result of denying their natural instincts. The reason is based on the cultural tradition and historical background of the local community as the owner of the right to the area. Research conducted in the Lawu Manunggal Permai Community in preparation for conservation education states that because of the mystical peculiarity and the association with their habitat, the population becomes an object of social behavior that can mobilize the community and other residents. Habitual residents are more concerned with bird
welfare efforts and strive to maintain their environmental balance. These creatures also become a symbol of the people of Lawu Mountain, the object of pride in the community’s own future.
- CASE STUDY: CONSERVATION INITIATIVES IN MOUNT LAWU It is frequently argued that addressing the issue of declining ecological systems throughout their known ranges is essential to conserve the Javan Hawk-eagle. The Lawu mountains are one of the least studied areas of Java and support remnant high-quality wildlife habitats in the Ujung Klojen Nature Reserve. The people living around this nature reserve have strong cultural connections to the natural world. As such, a number of important conservation initiatives have been developed with the hope of addressing both species and habitat conservation needs while having direct benefits for local people. One of these initiatives involves habitat restoration and protection for populations of the Endangered Lawu White-eye, a Javan endemic island bird considered a deity and found only in the Lawu mountains above 2400 m. The only remaining strongholds for Jalak Lawu are in the Lawu State Forest and the Ujung Klojen Reserve. Project Activity: Between 2003 and 2008, the National Park DG and Conservation Officers in Surakarta collaborated with local stakeholders to develop community-run refugia managed for conservation with the intent of supporting the Jalak Lawu population into the fourth and fifth year of a translocation program. Jalak (both Short tailed Scimitar-babbler and Lawu White-eye) Management Teams were created in the sub-districts around Ujung Klojen at the request of key stakeholders, but not around broader eco-tourism programs connected to the deity myth. At the request of the Surakarta National Park office, efforts thus focused on habitat restoration for the Jalak Lawu within the buffer zone of the nature reserve. The Surakarta National Park was under direct collaboration with multiple government agencies in Central Java. Key stakeholders were identified and partnerships created during the field phase of the project. Regular contacts between stakeholders took place. To date, Javan hawk-eagle conservation has been funded by various organizations. Future efforts have occurred with support from multiple foundations and organizations. Important relationships have been developed at both the local and national levels, with the most recent in what is hoped to be a strong and lasting collaboration. It is our hope over the coming years that the majority of support given and time and energy spent on Lawu conservation will be dedicated to helping and supporting the people of Tawangmangu, who, like all people and nature everywhere, would very much like to hold on to a piece of their natural world. It is our hope that the Jalak Lawu Breeze has thus become a symbol and a catalyst for our conservation efforts and that it may become a vehicle for the systemic,
long-term economic change among the people of Semau, Renteng, and Tawangmangu villages in East Lawu.
6.1. HISTORICAL CONSERVATION EFFORTS
The various historical works on the Jalak Lawu bird have covered the conservation approaches developed from time to time. Since 1925, these conservation attempts were more directed at capturing the Jalak Lawu than at the preservation of its habitat. However, during the recovery period of 1961-1983, efforts were made to release the bird in its original habitat on several occasions, focused on the slopes of Mount Solo, particularly in the Ngadisewu area. The increasing awareness of human actions that have damaged the environment ultimately led to the reduction of the same species that were the target of their actions. This is part of the formation of the paradigm of nature conservation that has to be pursued. The aspect of historicality in the treatment that started over a century ago is the peculiarity of the conservation of the Jalak Lawu bird. Referring to history is also important as a place to learn based on the principles of successes and obstacles, especially at this time when the sub-population of Jalak Lawu birds exists at an alarming rate. Since the release efforts in 1961 and 1963, the same thing also happened with the release of several other efforts. If there were failures, the process of learning from these failures would stop immediately. The behavior of society and individuals who had no control over their actions has led to the law being considered impenetrable if such measures are continuously pursued to this day, none of which has been successful until a new paradigm arises. Combined with this paradigm is also a time when times are uncertain, the emergence of the natural conservation orientation at the end of the 19th century, which then continued to the year 1925 and the years 1960 to 2015, continues to emerge in a totally different form than in the preceding years. The present time is the most appropriate period to carry out community-based natural management. A folk figure from the slopes of Mount Solo states that the activity of hunting Jalak Lawu has led to the beast and mythical figure that also become attractions in the adventure of Mount Lawu, including in Kediwung, Tawangmangu, and even in Cemoro Sewu, East Java. This art will certainly last for generations with an elaborate struggle over the fate of the Jalak Lawu conservation itself.
- CHALLENGES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Finally, the challenges to protect both the habitat of the magnolia and Jalak Lawu birds should be wisely approached. The local economic conditions, which are still generally below the poverty line and tend to put human interests above the interests of the environment, make it difficult to carry out sustainable conservation activities. The characteristics of poor communities that still need to rely on the utilization of natural
resource extraction for life consumption are one of the reasons why the preservation and conservation of protected forest areas are still fragile. High levels of poverty are also affected by inadequate human resources in the field, and even a lack of technology and imagination can improve the local economy without damaging the natural conditions. The absence of alternative sources of livelihood for the people who live around the forest and the lack of community-based conservation techniques and awareness have also hampered conservation and preservation efforts. Institutional and political conditions at the local and national levels also allow those who want to benefit by destroying natural resources either to go unchecked or to try to legitimize their activities.
In addition, it is necessary to form partnerships on a legal basis of cooperation, both with local communities, NGOs, and the government because, at this time, cooperation between these institutions has not yet been established in the context of reintroduction efforts for the Jalak Lawu bird. Based on these problems, reforestation programs in the reintroduction area should be carried out in an adaptive management style, adjusting to social capital or community resources and changing ecological conditions, and not taking a purely ecological approach. In some cases, ecology is also an important destination, but what is needed is the principle of “people relations and integration with ecology,” because human life is also the same as the nature around which that life revolves. Therefore, community empowerment and increasing the capacity of the local community to go hand in hand with conservation activities is a long-term investment in finding a solution to protect these threatened species in particular and the environment in general.
7.1. SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING CONSERVATION From the analysis that has been presented, it is clear that the local community is an important factor that indirectly influences the success of the conservation effort for the Jalak Lawu in Mount Lawu. Approximately 354 families or about 1,003 people are connected with the Mount Lawu region and are directly or indirectly affected by the actions of the conservation of the Jalak Lawu bird; however, increasingly changing landscapes and socio-economic pressures on the people of Mount Lawu are major threats to the sustainability of the existence of the Jalak Lawu birds. In 2005, the economic gap because of the unequal distribution of opportunities in conservation caused social conflicts. The impact of conservation on the welfare of society has not been felt equally because there are certain societies that gain the advantage and others do not. This issue has the power to reduce positive community attitudes and avoid the involvement of groups of people responsible for maintaining the conservation of the Jalak Lawu birds.
The importance of these socio-economic factors can be seen in arguments used about how poverty is one of the primary causes of many environmental degradations. With respect to the presence of key conservation actors in the area, economic activities are the most influential factor that can be used as key reasons for the high tendency to change the use of agricultural land for commercial or other productive activities. On the other hand, modern economic demands compel the people to change their traditional paradigm and to respond to increase their economic income, but in so doing, they also cause environmental degradation. Based on the discussion above, a complete understanding of the socio-economic condition of the local community in the area will increase insight into the success of a conservation program that is developed based on the reality of social conditions. Such an approach aims to produce economic and ecological balance between profit for the local societies and conservation of the Jalak Lawu for sustainable development activities.
- CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the relationship between cultural attachment and successful conservation by revealing the influence of the Jalak Lawu myth on the initiation of their in-situ management and the successful population increase of the Jalak Lawu. Future work should focus on investigating the acceptance of the integration of myths with conservation activities by local people, and whether the local belief in the myth can increase their participation in conservation activities. Increasing community participation is important because it not only may improve cooperative enforcement, but local people who have spiritual and belief associations with wildlife may act as custodians to report any disturbances towards the species. Conservation strategies emphasizing root values shaped by local communities’ culture through respectful and participative processes should be adopted in conservation programs in order to respect the integrity of the local community towards their cultural legacy. The result demonstrates that local people perceived the myth of the birth of Jalak Lawu as a story that became a source of knowledge in conceptualizing the efforts towards Jalak Lawu conservation and its conservation management. Belief and vessels of spiritual values associated with the birth of the bird played a significant role in the initiation of the in-situ management of Jalak Lawu by the local community, and its subsequent management by the local government. This is in line with findings confirming the involvement of indigenous stakeholders in the initiation of several conservation policies, such as habitat protection, as well as other places in Indonesia. The local government in giving rewards has also similarly integrated local motifs and stories during the awards ceremony as a form of appreciation for the community to take part in conservation efforts.
8.1. KEY FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION POLICIES This study examines the role of the myth of the Jalak Lawu bird on conservation efforts in the southern slope of Mount Lawu, East Java, Indonesia. The results of the interview and review of the literature research found three key findings that are relevant to the formulation of a conservation policy design for Jalak Lawu. Firstly, the myth of the Jalak Lawu bird has exercised a great influence in shaping local conservation practices within the community of the southern slopes of Mount Lawu. The myth has attracted interest from outsiders and invited their involvement in the Jalak Lawu conservation process. Secondly, the myth has served as an essential element deeply embedded in local cultural knowledge. The myth is easy to transfer to younger generations, who continue to live around the southern slopes of Mount Lawu. Thirdly, Gara Karta Adiguru has shared the myth with the local community in the area. As the only heirloom, the myth is constructed personally from Gara Karta Adiguru’s experience in observing and training the Jalak Lawu bird.
Influential myths, nature lovers, and funds are the key highlights of this research, underlining a few things. First, nature has a variety of interesting aspects that attract the interests of groups outside of the local community, thereby allowing them to be actively involved within it. The Jalak Lawu bird, unique in its kind within Javanese cultural settings, has become the object of this interest and is prominent in tourist circles as a symbol of conservation in Indonesia and an interesting bird for birdwatching activities. Second, as part of the local community’s knowledge, the myth has formed links between the myth itself and the aim of conservation at the practical level in community life, as understood and practiced within it. In a long line of cultural continuity right up to the present, the myth has also become easy to transfer to younger generations who live and stay around the southern slopes of Mount Lawu, even if this is only at the village level. It provides a meaningful opportunity for sharing knowledge with the surrounding community by involving them actively in the conservation process through community-based initiatives in particular locations within Mount Lawu in the future.
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BIOGRAPHY
Muhammad Nur Iqbal Sidrotul Muntaha, a dedicated student and Tourism Ambassador of East Java Province, has been actively promoting Indonesian culture and tourism since 2017 as part of his commitment to serve the nation. Known as Iqbal, this 26-year-old is currently in his third year pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems at Universitas PGRI Madiun, East Java. He has maintained an impeccable CGPA of 4.00 and achieved numerous accolades, both locally and internationally. Iqbal has been awarded as the 2nd Best Paper Presenter and Best Paper winner for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024) at the International Undergraduate Research Congress held in the Philippines. These achievements earned him the title of Most Outstanding Student at Universitas PGRI Madiun in 2024. Additionally, he was honored as the University Ambassador (Putra UNIPMA) in 2023. His academic excellence also granted him a credit transfer scholarship, allowing him to participate as an exchange student for one semester at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), further enriching his educational journey and global perspective.