Jakarta. The biodiversity park built by the Babakanpari AQUA plant in Sukabumi is home to more than a hundred kinds of trees, according to a press statement.

In 2010, the Babakanpari plant of the mineral water producer built a biodiversity park on a 5.5 hectare-land. The park, which is adjacent to the plant, is split into two zones separated by a connecting intervillage road.

The first zone has a myriad of endemic tree species, including trees with high economic value and those that are threatened with extinction. The park is also home to 113 types of trees, among others, ebony (diospyros celebecca), litsea garcia, and  alstonia scholaris. There are also dracontomelon dao, atingia excelsa, schima walicii, cinnamon (cinnamomum burmani), mindi (azadirach indica), agathis damara, mahogany (swietenia mahagony), and others.

"We plant trees at this biodiversity park every year so that its green area will become even larger. We plant them together with the community [local farmer groups], AQUA employees, NGOs, and from several agencies in Sukabumi Regency," Eddwison Yasir, the head of the AQUA Babakanpari plant, was quoted as saying in a recent press statement.

AQUA also built 20 rorak "trenches" at the biodiversity park to absorb the water into the soil. They also planted flowers around these rorak as food for the clanceng bees.

The park implements an intercropping system for the second zone. Farmers are free to cultivate 2.5 hectares of land by planting various types of crops and at the same time caring for the large trees. Farmers can also use the crops for their consumption or sell them.

"That way, we can help empower the farmers in Cidahu and Cicurug. Apart from planting these crops, the farmers can also cultivate honey produced from the clanceng bees," Andi Suhandi, the stakeholder relations manager at the AQUA factory Babakanpari plant, said.

Founded in 1993, the AQUA Babakanpari Factory also pledged to continue to produce quality bottled drinking water products, while also continuing to carry out its commitment to safeguarding the planet.

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