Environmental Education as a Strategy For Forest Conservation: A Community Engagement Program in Singgahan, Tuban

Abstract

This community engagement program aimed to enhance environmental awareness and strengthen community participation in forest conservation through environmental education in Singgahan District, Tuban Regency, Indonesia. The activities were implemented through four stages: a baseline assessment, environmental education sessions, participatory conservation activities, and program evaluation. Data were collected through observations, documentation, questionnaires, and group discussions and analyzed using descriptive qualitative and quantitative approaches. The findings indicate that participants demonstrated improved understanding of the ecological functions of forests, sustainable forest management, and the importance of community participation in conservation efforts. The educational sessions, combined with collaborative discussions and tree-planting activities, strengthened participants' environmental awareness, promoted collective responsibility, and encouraged greater engagement in community-based conservation initiatives. Participants also showed positive attitudes toward continuing environmental activities within their communities and recognized that forest conservation requires collaboration among local communities, government institutions, and other stakeholders. This program demonstrates that integrating environmental education with participatory community engagement provides an effective and sustainable approach to promoting forest conservation in rural areas. The model developed through this initiative may serve as a practical reference for similar community-based environmental conservation programs in other regions.