Surakarta – Monday, April 28, 2025, a community service activity was carried out in the form of the TANGKAS program, “Plant Trees to Strengthen Nature and Save Slopes,” which aims to increase community resilience to landslides through slope conservation actions. Under the guidance of Dr. Singgih Prihadi, S.Pd., M.Pd., a lecturer in the Geography Education Study Program at FKIP UNS, this program took an educational and practical approach by actively involving the community in every stage of implementation. The activity took place in Dukuh Gembol RT.07, Jambeyan Village, Sambirejo District, Sragen Regency, and was initiated by the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) Grant Team, Geography Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP), Sebelas Maret University (UNS), Surakarta.

 

The event opened with a presentation on the potential for landslides and the importance of slope conservation, attended by residents, village officials, and local community leaders. In his speech, Mr. Tri Joko Sulistyo, the village secretary, said, “We strongly support programs like this because we ourselves feel how the risk of landslides increases during the rainy season. The community needs to be involved so that they are not only aware, but also care and take action.”

After the educational session, the main activity continued with the planting of 60 avocado seedlings of the butter and miki varieties on slopes that had been identified as landslide-prone areas. Avocados were chosen based on ecological considerations, namely their strong and deep roots, as well as their high economic value. The uniqueness of the TANGKAS program lies in its two-way collaborative approach, where the community is not only the beneficiary but also plays a role in designing, implementing, and maintaining the sustainability of the program. With the active involvement of residents and students, this activity not only strengthens the community’s capacity to deal with disasters but also builds collective awareness of the importance of community-based environmental conservation. The TANGKAS program is expected to become a model for sustainable and applicable community-based disaster mitigation, especially in areas with high landslide potential such as Jambeyan Village.