What Stories The Forests Tell You: Myths as Part of Forest Conservation Dynamics

Abstract

In traditional concepts of forest management, Mangkunegaran government did not merely adopt colonial regulations, but also relied on traditional values that already exist and grow in Javanese society like local wisdom and local knowledge related to forest conservation. It also becomes the Mangkunegara VII wisdom to do realize the reforestation policies. In addition to reforest Wonogiri, which had become a critical land due to the abandonment of land after being used as coffee plantation during the colonial period, The Mangkunegara VII also built facilities and infrastructures that support the sustainability of the forest in this area, such as improvement of waterways, irrigations and construction of several reservoirs. The story of the Javanese forest is mostly an oral tradition that contains a mixture of reality, myths and a set of prohibitions recounted from generation to generation repeatedly and agreed upon the truth. From the story the generation can learn and take many lessons, such as history, geography, and what is no less important is the norm and ethics of living together with nature. Keywords—conservation, forest, local wisdom,