Evaluasi Program Pendidikan Konservasi Pada Masyarakat Sekitar Taman Nasional Gunung Gede Pangrango (Studi Kasus Desa Ciputri, Kecamatan Pacet, Kabupaten Cianjur, Jawa Barat)

Abstract

Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park (GGPNP) is a nature conservation area that experienced area expansion in 2003, covering area which was previously managed by Perum Perhutani. The change of status and management, from production forest managed by Perum Perhutani to conservation area managed by National Park Office, had brought the change of regulation prevailed on the area. The surrounding community, whom previously were allowed to work on the land and use it to plant vegetables, are not allowed to do it anymore. However, there were people who still use the land to plant vegetables as their source of income, among them were the people of Ciputri Village, which was located on the buffer area of GGPNP. The management of GGPNP had developed and implemented Conservation Education (CE) Program entitled ”Tree Adoption” since 2008 to solve the problem. However, there had not been any evaluation carried out toward the program. Therefore, this research was conducted with two objectives: (1) to identify the implementation of Conservation Education for the community of Ciputri Village, (2) to evaluate Conservation Education Program for the community of Ciputri Village. The research was carried out on August to September 2012. Data was collected through questionnaire distribution, interview, and direct observation, and analyzed using descriptive Statistic and Mann-Whitney test, as well as descriptive illustration of qualitative data. There were two groups of respondent taken in this research, i.e. group of CE participants, and group of CE non participants. CE participants were involved in the program because they were still using GGPNP area to cultivate vegetables. Non participants of CE were not involved in the program because the national park management considered them as having adequate knowledge, attitude, and behavior, since they did not use national park’s area to plant vegetables. CE Program had increased the knowledge of program participants comparable to non-participants. The program had also increased the participants’ score of attitude, even though their score was still lower than those of the nonparticipant respondents. CE participants had obtained rabbits and goat as the alternative livelihood provided by the program. However, most of them had not been able to develop the cattle that they could not fulfill their family’s need from the alternative livelihood, and made them unable to change their behavior in using GGPNP area as vegetable cultivation. National park management should first identify the existing problems in Ciputri village, develop appropriate CE programs, and provide livelihood substitution for the people that suitable with their knowledge and skill.