A team of lecturers from the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP), University of Mataram, conducted a community service activity in the form of a Socialization of Flora and Fauna Exploration of Mount Rinjani National Park (TNGR) for students of the Lombok Tourism Polytechnic. This activity aimed to strengthen the learning process for the Ecotourism course taught at Poltekpar Lombok.
The socialization event, held on August 27, 2025, was led by Dr. Baiq Sri Handayani, M.Pd., together with a team consisting of Tri Ayu Lestari, M.Pd., Eni Suyantri, S.Si., M.Pd., Heru Setiawan, M.Si., Gde Cahyadi Wirejagad, M.Si., and student assistant Salwa Nur Sapiatun Nakjah. The program was funded by the DIPA BLU University of Mataram for Fiscal Year 2025.
According to Dr. Baiq Sri Handayani, the urgency of this activity arises from the fact that the biodiversity of TNGR—designated by UNESCO as both a geopark and a world biosphere reserve—is still relatively unknown to the public, especially among students. In fact, TNGR, with an area of more than 280,000 hectares, holds a wealth of flora and fauna that can serve as a natural laboratory for sustainable ecotourism learning.
The activity was carried out through lectures, interactive discussions, question-and-answer sessions, and practical simulations of flora and fauna monitoring. Students were also given the opportunity to learn about the results of biodiversity exploration in TNGR previously conducted by Biology Education students of FKIP Unram under the independent study program.
The findings presented from the TNGR Flora and Fauna Exploration included the diversity of birds, soil insects, butterflies, orchids, grasshoppers, dragonflies, fruit flies, as well as microhabitats and vegetation diversity.
“This activity is expected to enhance the understanding of Lombok Tourism Polytechnic students regarding conservation-based ecotourism concepts. They not only grasp the theory but are also able to connect it directly with real conditions in the field,” explained Eni Suyantri, one of the team members.
In addition to strengthening learning, this activity also contributes to achieving the university’s Main Performance Indicators (IKU), particularly in terms of the utilization of lecturers’ work for the community. The outcomes of this activity will be published as a scientific article in a national ISSN-accredited journal and presented at a national community service seminar.
Through this socialization program, students are expected to become more aware of the importance of preserving TNGR’s biodiversity as both a tourism attraction and a global ecological asset, thereby fostering the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly ecotourism practices in the future.
